Getting up early in the morning has not been easy for me. But this is something that I’ve struggled with, and practiced since my teenage years. This practice still remains a challenge for me as the mornings are not easy.

So if it’s been such a challenge, why continue to struggle? I have found that the early morning hours are the most productive and refreshing time for reading, prayer, and meditation. These functions can be done any time of the day, but I found the mornings are the best.

During my years of struggling to be an early riser, I’ve learned some important lessons that have helped me. Here are three most important steps.

1. Plan your evenings

In the later part of the evening, avoid activities that provide too much mental and eye strain. Avoid the computer screen and all other devices as much as you can. The extra strain will make it harder to fall asleep, and has an effect on the quality of your sleep.

A good activity before sleeping might be to read a book. Paper books are best since they are easier on the eyes. Although I use eBooks a lot, I prefer to use the Kindle device without backlight. It seems to give a view that is softer and easier on the eyes.

Avoid coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks in the evening that may hinder your sleep. Any kind of snacks and drinks with sugar can also be avoided in the late evenings.

All of these factors help you to sleep quicker and sleep better so you can get up at an early hour of the morning.

2. Plan your mornings

When my alarm goes off at 4am, I am hardly ever in the mood to wake up. But its somewhat of a mental “game” for me to go through several of my morning routines before deciding if I need more sleep.

Usually after those routines, and washing my face with soap, I begin to feel much better. But I tell myself that if I still don’t feel right, I can opt to return to sleep. This gets me up with the option of going back to sleep if its a must.

I also plan out my morning routine as well. I place my Bible, notebook, pen, and other things I might need at the right place. In the evening, I set up that “area” for me to sit and pray, read, and meditate. This adds to the expectation in my mind to get up since I’ve done some preparation in advance.

3. Plan your rewards

Set up some rewards for yourself as you go through the hassle of getting up in the morning. For people like me, its the inviting smell of freshly brewed coffee and its taste that acts as a worthwhile reward.

For those in colder temperatures, its that cozy feeling of wrapping something warm around you as you sit on the couch. Now for us who live near the equator, that means nothing at all.

I believe the best reward for me is to have a personal, one to one time with my Lord who called me and sustains me every day. Its the joy, delight, and expectation of hearing His voice each morning as I sit at His feet.

So, take these things to heart and make a bold attempt this week to get up earlier than your regular wake up time. Earnestly try the above steps during the next few days and weeks. Then, let me know how it went. Come back to this post and leave a comment about your experience. You’ll surely find this a rewarding time.

Wherever I turn, everyone seems to be telling me what to do. There are just too many voices swirling around in my two ears. Unfortunately, these voices never seem to agree. There’s got to be a better option. I need to hear God’s voice regarding my life.

When we listen for God’s voice, we have the option of following him. But when we fill our hearing with lots of noise, our ears are too full and filter out the voice of God. To hear God’s voice more effectively, I believe there are three things we must do.
First, increase our exposure to God’s voice. Make reading and meditation of God’s Word a regular practice for everyone in the home including the smallest children. If they do not read yet, read the Bible to them. When they are just learning to read, have them read the first verse of the chapter, and you read the rest of the chapter to them.
Fill your home with music that exalts God and his ways. Set the tone in the home with music and praise to our God. Be jealous for God and don’t allow other voices to have more importance.
Second, develop a mindset of obedience. Make it firm in your mind that you are a man of God, that you are a woman of God. Once that identity is firmly set in your mind, you will be more apt to have a mind of obedience. Sure we have our freedom and independence as human beings. But we choose to obey because God is our everything.
Third, be intentional about obedience. One step toward this is to begin a simple process of daily writing down something that impacted you during your daily reading of the Bible. Write down even a sentence that you feel God has spoken to you. In the midst of your struggles, it may be something related to what you are facing. Just the process of recording your interaction with the word of God will greatly impact your thinking. Write that down on a small card and keep it in your pocket so you can look at it throughout the day. Put in in your phone as a constant reminder.
Once you begin doing these things on a regular basis, God will begin to impact your thinking, your behavior, and your responses. The environment in your home will begin to shift focus.
The people of God were struggling to build the temple. It was left unfinished for a long time. But God wanted them to listen to His voice. He said if they would listen for His voice, He will bring people to help them build. But the key was listening and obeying God’s voice.
Listen for the voice of the Lord. He will bring you help to move forward. (Zech 6:15)
—Leave your response in the comments section of this blog post.