How to Have a Faith-Filled Morning Routine

You probably know the benefits of a daily devotional and a morning routine. Maybe you wish you had time in your schedule, but in the midst of being a busy mom it just doesn’t seem realistic to take this time in the mornings to connect with God.

Between making breakfast, getting kids out the door for school, and being on top of your game for work or volunteer responsibilities, when would you possibly carve out time for scripture, prayer, and deep connection with God?

Why you need a faith-filled morning routine even (and especially) if you’re busy

Let me start with the good news: It is absolutely possible for you to continue your crazy-busy life while effortlessly keeping God as your highest priority.

Can you imagine having plenty of time to connect to the Source of All Things Wonderful everyday because of the way you've organized your life?

Prioritizing God makes life work. And when you prioritize time with God in the morning, you'll find that a sense of peace and even ease will arise.

Faithfulness to a morning devotional allows us to guarantee the primacy of God in a concrete, effective way. Our prayer life is a direct measure of how well we are placing God first in our lives.

You can’t out-pray a busy life. I’ve learned that putting God first offers the peace I’m seeking so desperately within my busy life. Nothing else has to change in my schedule or family.

Because when you take care of your relationship with Christ first and fill yourself with His divine wisdom, you’re able to care for others from a place of abundance, rather than scarcity or depletion. This makes a HUGE difference in how busy moms show up for their family. 

It seems backward to pause, prioritize, and make room for prayer when there are so many things that are pulling for our time and attention.

What we can know as true though, is that when you place God at the center of your life, everything else falls into its right place.

That bears repeating: It is the very act of dedicating time every single day to pray to God and deepen your relationship with Him that brings you all your desires for your life.

You and I are so busy in our motherhood journeys, but when you commit to carving out time first thing in your morning for faithful connection with God, you’ll be amazed at the room that expands in your schedule, mind, heart, and life.

What happened when I began a morning routine

I didn’t always have this space each day to connect with God. A few years ago, I didn’t know that outside circumstances were not the reason for how I felt. I had a transformation that seemed awful and scary at the time but turned out to be the biggest blessing.

My whole life, I had prided myself in doing a lot of things (multi-tasking was a noble endeavor after all) and of course, I wanted to be a success at them all. So I tried to juggle many things at once.

I had said yes to a part time job working outside the home and worked there a year and half having no true drive and passion for the line of work I was doing, but felt a sense of obligation and investment to not quit. After all, others would be disappointed and let down. 

I also was in the throes of motherhood with two new teenagers and a preteen who were also juggling a lot including school, gymnastics, ballet, basketball, this club and that activity and not to mention their precious developing hearts as they were entering high school and dealing with life’s growing stages of adolescence.

In addition, we were moving my older parents to be closer to us so we needed to do all that is entailed in a house move including organizing renovations for the new home. Just because of “convenience” we decided to renovate our basement also at the same time because “Why not?”

My husband would never say anything to me, but I know he felt pulled from his own work to take care of family and home stuff because I was at work or dealing with contractors. I remember feeling behind and exhausted a lot. 

My usual ordered home and personal time to work out and care for myself was non-existent as I tended to work spreadsheets at night and tile selections by day in the midst of everything else. 

Don’t get me wrong, I felt absolutely blessed and grateful to have a job, have a husband who helps out so much, to have a home and the money to renovate and the joy of having my parents close to us to make it easier to care for each other. 

I had all the “right” reasons for doing ALL the things, but I had left what matters most out of the whole picture. I had left Christ out of it and put myself as the controller. I believed, “I got this,” “I’m good at this,” “I can do it,” and even, “I’ll do it better than anyone else.” 

But the day never became where I felt satisfied, peaceful, and happy about it all. In fact, the thoughts I was having about myself were destructive, that I was failing, not being a good mother, wife, daughter, or employee. And worst of all, in my heart, I knew I had put my faith on the back burner. 

I don’t get to take any credit for making any changes because I wasn’t seeing it, so God had to intervene. I believe His call to me came in the form of the Influenza virus, because that was the beginning of it all changing for the better. I got the flu and was bedridden for ten days. On top of that came bronchitis, so for 14 days, I was down for the count. Work still had meetings, kids still needed to get to practices, and house decisions still needed to be made. 

But I was out of the picture, sleeping, recovering, being still, and in my waking hours just thinking. It was from this stillness of mind and body that the Holy Spirit moved me to see things differently, gain a new perspective, and make changes to my life that would forever change me for the better. 

It was subtle at first with small promptings. Then one day I returned to work and booted up my computer and I heard the Holy Spirit direct me to leave this job. With the full support of my family and eventually a life coach of my own, I totally transformed my priorities in a way that put a daily devotion to God first, then taking care of myself so I could show up in a way for my family and life that was purposeful and fulfilling. 

I began by simply setting aside a manageable length of time to pray. I used to see prayer as another item on an already packed to-do list, but committing to a doable amount of time for prayer each day not only has me enjoying my time with God, but looking forward to this special time with just God and me.

My journey to a peaceful life full of all I ever wanted began with small daily tweaks in priorities and what mattered most to me as a mom. I finally learned and understood the role my mind played in it all.

I knew I needed to relinquish control and let the Controller of the Universe be in the driver's seat.

Yes, even with kids, a husband, a house to run, and a job to go to, I found a time, place and prayer practice that works for me.

It has become the only way for me to find the clarity of purpose and peace beyond all understanding that I was craving in my life.

What my morning routine looks like

First thing every morning, I dedicate quiet devotional prayer and meditation time at my special spot in the corner of my bedroom.

I bought a small couch that faces a window, along with a cute pillow, footstool, and comfy blanket. A small side table holds my Bible, my Jesus Calling devotional, several books from Father Jacques Phillippe, and countless other prayer books and prayer cards. 

I also have rosaries, statues of Mary and the saints, and a crucifix hanging on the wall nearby. There are candles to light and wooden hand crosses to hold if I want too. It is just a place where everything is already gathered and collected for me to use at my daily time and to use spontaneously. 

I have been known to be drawn to this spot at the moment's notice, outside of my morning time, to just sit, pause, and pray. My whole family is aware of Mom’s special spot. 

I sometimes decide on going to the porch when the weather is nice, but it doesn’t take much to just grab my stack and reading glasses and move them with me since they are there all ready to go. 

It wasn’t always this way at first, because starting small is the key when trying to form a new habit, but I now pray in many ways, which include conversational prayer with the Trinity where I give thanks, pray for others, ask for blessings, and spend silent time listening for what can be spoken to my heart. 

I also pray by reading from books, reading the Bible, journaling, and meditating on a scripture verse. I also refer to my own 30-Day Path To A Peaceful Mind product that I created to help me have an easy and effective prayer guide each day. 

On the technology side, I get a daily notification in the morning from The Holy Bible App and I can pray The Rosary, The Divine Mercy, and Litanies with the beautiful assistance of The Rosary Deluxe App. I signed up for emails to be sent to my inbox at praymorenovenas.com. 

Sometimes, at the beginning, sitting in silence for a few minutes staring at a lit candle and only getting out the Our Father, Hail Mary and a Glory Be was all I had time for. But the more I made an effort to be consistent, no matter how short my time was, the more life unfolded where I had the time to spend there. God opens the way. He won’t ever force us to stop and show up for Him, but when we do He exponentially blesses every part of our life. 

99% of the time, I have this time for prayer in the morning which seems to start my day off right. But I never beat myself up if I don’t. I note it and move on and try to get some little prayers in as I move through my busy day.

I’ve never been one to wake up early before the rest of the family so I do it just as soon as everyone is up and either off to school or settled into their day. I grab a cup of coffee and head to my corner. It has become such a thing in my household that my kids and husband know that I am going off to pray so don’t disturb. And sometimes they do, and that’s OK too! 

It's my effort that counts and God understands our humanness. 

It started out small but honestly, I can't get enough of it now. I often have to force myself to stop reading the Gospels or say one more prayer card offering. I cherish the time I spend seeking peace.

Create your own morning devotional routine

So how can you set up your own faith-filled morning routine?

First, take a look at any resistance you have to mornings in general. If you struggle with waking up early or sticking to a consistent routine, the solution can be as simple as changing how you’re thinking.

The next step is to set aside a predetermined time and place to perform your morning routine. You may need to be flexible some days, but try to be consistent in where and when you show up for God.

Third, decide what you’ll do during this time. In addition to actually reading scripture and saying prayer, explore all the ways you can pray to and connect with God. The options are vast and the methods are personal. Here are a few options you could choose from, or feel free to insert your own:

• Reading the Bible, especially the Gospels
• Saying a Rosary from an app (my favorite is Holy Rosary Audio or Rosary Deluxe App)
• Adoration at church or chapel (you even can find 24 Hour Adoration on YouTube!) 
• Recite from prayer cards, spontaneous for yourself and others
• Make gratitude lists and offer them all up as prayers of thanksgiving
• Novenas (so powerful, found in books, online, 9 days of prayer. Try praymorenovenas.com)
• Attend daily mass around the world on mass-online.org. You can pick the day and time that works for you beyond your Sunday obligation.
• Pray your favorite memorized prayers
• Spontaneous, natural conversation, speaking from your heart
• Journaling
• Meditating: I like to concentrate on a word like peace, love, or forgiveness, or repeat a favorite scripture verse for a few minutes with my eyes closed or looking at a candle flame.
• Quiet contemplation: just be still and know God

This last one is enough in itself sometimes. 

Last, think through what obstacles you might encounter as you make this morning devotional a habit. Will you need to set an extra morning alarm? Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal? Let your family members know that you’ll need some alone time in the mornings?

Anticipate the things that will cause resistance to this new routine and plan for how to overcome them. Anytime we begin a new habit, our brains look for any excuse to do things the old, comfortable way.

Be prepared and committed to your new plan!

If you only have 30 seconds

Let’s face it, some mornings this morning devotional just isn’t going to happen. Ideally you can make time later in the day to connect with God, but even if you only have 30 seconds while you wait for your eggs to cook, you can offer what I call the The Please and Thank You Prayers.

These two short prayers are simple, practical, and powerful:

Lord, please guide my thoughts, words, and actions today to align with your will and please make my crooked path straight.

Lord, thank you for opening the way to my right health, right wealth, perfect love and perfect self expression. I give thanks for them to manifest this day, under your grace and according to your will. 

Make time to stay connected in small ways throughout the day

Not only do I gain peace and clarity in the mornings as I perform my devotional, but I feel lasting peace throughout the day as well. I am more in tune with what God wants from me.

And because I’ve built up this habit of connecting with God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, I have learned to take notice when I don't feel peace about something or when I need to pause, pray, and seek a higher guidance.

You can also explore many ways to reconnect with God throughout your busy day:

You can quietly contemplate Jesus’ life while washing the dishes. 

You can recite scripture while doing laundry.

You can be fully present in a heartfelt conversation, where you're both speaking from your heart and listening to the replies. 

You could journal to Him while waiting in the school pickup line.

It can be five minutes of silent prayer as you nurse your newborn.

It can be talking to God out loud while going for a walk.

It could be listening to an audio version of the Bible while you're driving.

Even just having the awareness to whisper Jesus’ name is enough sometimes to be overcome with his everlasting peace.

There are so many ways to discover if you just do a little brainstorming on what works for you and your current life circumstances. Whatever works for you in your stage of motherhood right now is enough for God.

Commitment + grace

Be committed to maintaining this time for God, not just because you “should” but because it serves you so well. Soon you will get to the point where denying yourself time alone with God would be like denying yourself food, water or sleep. You will look forward to the time as an essential part of your day.

It has taken time for me to develop this habit and I have learned to be flexible and compassionate with myself when I “don't feel like it” or don’t show up fully. I encourage you to offer yourself that same grace when your morning routine doesn’t go perfectly.

Commit to yourself that if and when you fail, you will not quit. You’ll start again.

Because you’ll now know the ease and joy that comes from continued connection with God. You’ll find your burdens lifted, your schedule expanded, and your heart softened. You’ll have come to know for yourself that dedicating time for Him has deepened your relationship and brought you lasting peace.

If you want one-on-one help creating your own morning routine, increasing your faith, or if you're just curious about working with a life coach, set up your free call with me.