Most of us are in the habit of waking up in the morning and reaching for our phones. I’ll be blunt—it’s a horrible habit. I know, the alarm clock is on the phone, so it’s only natural to reach for it first thing. But this routine is not serving any of us well. Why? Because we immediately start scrolling, and we’re bombarded with a stream of breaking news alerts, emails, text messages, social media posts, and advertisements. Before our feet hit the floor, we know what’s happened overnight in ten-buck-two, but we’ve not given one thought to our day or what’s going on in our minds and hearts. And then we wonder why our relationship with God has grown distant?
One of the things God clearly demonstrates in Scripture is He isn’t going to take a backseat to our insatiable appetite for worldly distraction. If we want a close relationship with God, it’s ours for the taking—but make no mistake—He has to come first. The Holy God of the universe will not stand in line behind social media outlets, text messages, and a 24/7 news cycle to attempt to get a word with us. I’m not suggesting we forsake our phones or social media, but if we want to have a close relationship with Jesus, we will have to learn how to manage habitual distractions.
The first few moments of the morning set the tone for the rest of the day. Psalm 5 is what theologians refer to as a “morning psalm,” meaning a prayer to begin the day. David opens Psalm 5 in prayer asking God to listen to his words of lament, and then he says:
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly” (Psa. 5:3).
Like David, first thing in the morning, we have the opportunity to present our needs before God.
If we think we can get through our days apart from God’s grace, we are deceiving ourselves. David asked, “Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make your way straight before me” (Psa. 3:3).
David asked God to show him how to make wise decisions and deal with problematic people. God was intimately familiar with David’s voice because He constantly heard David calling out to Him. The same can be true for us. This simply calls for a minor adjustment. Rather than spending the first moments of your day scrolling, why not spend a few minutes giving thanks for a new day, asking God for grace regarding the specifics, and praying for His guidance? How might our days be different if God was the first person we communicated with each morning?
4 Responses
Thanks Susan, a very timely word in the ear of every true Christian believer, and for those who perhaps don’t know our saviour.
Ronnie.
Thanks for reading, Ronnie. Hope your New Year is off to a fabulous start!
Thanks Susan, Sheran and I enjoy your devotions. We miss seeing you and setting in some of your classes at BBC was a delight for us. May God’s blessings be on you and your family. David Mc
David, it’s great to hear from you! I miss seeing you and Sheran too. I will be teaching on prayer at BBC on Wednesday, March 30th, for Gayle Haywood’s P.E.P. Talks Series. I would love to see you and Sheran if you are able to come. Thanks for reading and great to hear from you!