[…] While I’m not perfect at any of these, I have found that implementing the above tips does seem to help me accomplish more and increase my productivity level. Furthermore, and most importantly, spending time with Jesus and having a quiet time in the mornings really seems to set me up for the most success. I’m definitely not perfect at this either, but when I have a quiet time with the Lord in the morning, my whole mindset seems to shift and I’m much more prepared to take on the day. I have a blog post on some of my favorite devotionals if you’re in need of a great way to jumpstart your day as well. Find that post here: My Favorite Daily Devotionals. […]
Confession: Despite my best intentions, I often get my priorities out of order. Spending time with Jesus should be my number one priority every day, but too often, I don’t do a good job prioritizing that precious time (whether that means rushing through my “quiet time” or not getting around to it at all because of a “time crunch”). It sounds so simple to carve out even 15-20 minutes per day to devote strictly to Jesus for prayer, scripture reading, and learning. But, if it’s so simple, why do we struggle so much?
Recently, I’ve tried extra hard to prioritize this time and not rush through it. For me, it doesn’t always happen first thing when I wake up, so there’s a lot of variety as to when I spend this focused time with the Lord. Whether it happens in the early morning, mid-morning, evening, or even mid-afternoon, I always find myself feeling more at peace, clear-headed, and refreshed, and it really helps me maintain a better outlook on my circumstances.
Although I still struggle to get this right consistently, today I am sharing a few of my favorite devotionals. All are convicting and uplifting, and they are each wonderful for helping to establish a daily routine of meeting with Jesus.
1. Jesus Calling
Jesus Calling– My mom first gave me this book when I was in college. I love it. Written by Sarah Young, it’s broken up by day and is essentially a daily letter written to you “by Jesus.” There are always scriptures that go with the particular topic addressed, and it feels very personal because it’s written like a letter/note. I’m a huge fan of “snail mail,” and this kind of feels like mail from Jesus.
2. New Morning Mercies
New Morning Mercies– This book is also broken up by day. There’s a devotional for each day on the calendar for a whole year. It’s written by Paul David Tripp and packed with wisdom and scripture references. It’s truly amazing how often the day will line up with something I’m going through… but Jesus is cool like that, so I really shouldn’t be surprised.
3. Read Scripture
Read Scripture– This is a smartphone app that my husband loves. It’s ideal for people who want to read through the Bible chronologically—and want to understand what they’re reading along the way. The app explains the structure, context, and meaning of each book of the Bible with a short video before you dive in, which is really helpful for making sense of how the whole Bible points to Jesus as our redeeming savior. This is especially great for “techy” people who like to do everything on their phone. Also, no excuse with this one because you always have it on hand. (You can also check it out on your computer here.)
4. Val Marie Paper Prayer Journal
Val Marie Paper Journal– I first found Val Marie Paper on Instagram several years ago and fell in love with her passion and products. When I was playing around on her site, one thing that she mentions really stuck out to me. She says, “Being a prayer warrior is a learned skill.” So I purchased one of her prayer journals in attempt to document and work on my overall prayer life. Y’all, this journal is so amazing. Not only are there pages dedicated to your personal requests and praises, but there is also space to keep track of your prayers for your community, our nation, friends and family, etc. I think this is such a great way to remember the needs of others and not just focus on self (which is so easy to do).
Let’s not forget the beautiful simplicity of opening the Bible and diving in. I’ve participated in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for the past two years, and it has been wonderful. Each year (September-May), a book of the bible is studied. It’s amazing how much you can unpack if you really break things down. BSF is cool in that it’s a program that is all over the world. Especially if you live in a bigger city, there’s a good chance there’s a BSF program near you. Obviously, though, you don’t have to join a Bible study group to dig into the Word. I’ve heard so many people suggest that reading the book of John is a great place to start!
I hope this post encourages you to get consistent with spending time with Jesus. If you have any daily devotionals that you enjoy, I would LOVE to hear about them, so feel free to send them my way! xoxo.
