Spend Time With God in the Morning 

Without question, we live in unique, challenging times. We are seeing and experiencing things that no other generation in history has gone through. Now more than ever, we need to be strong spiritually. The Bible says, “The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble…” (Proverbs 18:14 AMPC). In the midst of a very difficult season in my own life, I learned to incorporate seven essential habits into my life every day to remain spiritually strong, and I practice them to this day. I believe that practicing these daily habits will strengthen you too.

Spend Time With God Every Morning 

The number-one thing you need to do every day to stay strong spiritually is to spend time with God. And according to the following scripture, a good time for doing that is in the morning. David — a man after God’s own heart — said, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up” (Psalm 5:3 KJV). 

David was a wise man who ruled as the king of Israel for 40 years, but he was not without problems. He knew that if he didn’t pull away and spend time with God first thing every morning, he wouldn’t make it. The time David spent with God every morning enabled him to keep looking up instead of looking down. It’s no wonder he said, “But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter of mine head” (Psalm 3:3). God is the “lifter of your head,” too, and when you spend time with Him in the morning, He will empower you to keep looking up. 

Begin Your Day With Prayer  

Prayer is an essential part of everyone’s personal time with the Lord. Before I raise my head from my pillow in the morning, I begin my day with prayer. I look up and welcome the presence of God into my life. Then I begin to pray for my wife, my children and their wives, my grandchildren, my ministry staff and partners, my church members, and my TV family. It may seem like this would take a long time, but it actually only takes a few minutes each day.  

I encourage you to make prayer a habit and not to wait until you are in a crisis to pray. You can pray about anything anytime and anywhere. If something is concerning you, it concerns God too. Begin to see prayer as a way of life that keeps you connected with your Creator who loves you and wants to be welcomed in every area of your life. 

Feed Your Spirit on God’s Word 

Time in God’s Word is another key ingredient to spending time with God every day. Many people ask, “What should I read?” If you want to receive God’s wisdom on how to build healthy relationships, the book of Proverbs is wonderful. If you need healing in your emotions and want to experience deeper intimacy in your relationship with God, read the Psalms. If you desire a deeper revelation of who Christ is, read the four gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Whatever part of Scripture you decide to dive into, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what it means and how to apply it to your life. 

And don’t rush or get in a hurry. Take your time to read it, meditate on it, memorize it, and speak it. As you read, let the Word of God fill your eyes, flood your mind, and touch your emotions. It will become your guide in every decision you make and remain an anchor for your soul that brings stability in the midst of life’s storms. 

Friend, if you truly want to be strong in spirit, make a fresh commitment to begin spending time with God in the morning, every day. Be open to allowing Him to do something brand new in your life. As you begin to put Him first daily, you will be amazed at how things will start to improve.