What drives you? What do you live for? Who do you live for? Why does it matter?
These are all questions that will reveal what your faith is in. We all have faith in something, whether it’s our jobs or financial security, our dreams or greatest aspirations, our own ability to achieve success or our belief in something greater that orchestrates the course of our lives.
Whatever your faith is in, it’s important that you take time everyday to reaffirm it. Focused prayer, meditation, and reflection help us to realign ourselves with our core values and reset our priorities.
For us, time spent in prayer and reading the Bible both individually and together helps us to silence the distractions that compete for our time, energy and attention and stay in tune with God’s purpose for our lives. This time has proven itself invaluable, as it brings clarity and balance to every morning and allows us to take on each new day with confidence and a renewed sense of purpose.
MAKE TIME.
Real Talk: Waking up in the morning can be hard. And while getting up an hour early may seem unfathomable, there is so much to be gained in those times when the world is still asleep—no emails, no phone calls, no little ones needing you. The stillness and silence of an early morning facilitates the perfect atmosphere for reflection on your goals, appreciation for your blessings, and preparation for the day ahead.
The better news is you don’t necessarily need a whole hour for this! (Yessss sleep!) Spending just a few focused minutes every morning connecting with God, visualizing your goals, expressing gratitude and absorbing inspiration will make a huge difference.
Commit to waking up 15 minutes early to spend time praying, reflecting, and seeking inspiration for the day ahead. When you spend the first moments of every morning fueling your faith, you’ll realize a noticeable, positive difference in your day!
MAKE SPACE.
Have you ever noticed that doing work in your bedroom keeps your brain reeling all night, or watching movies in your office makes you more prone to distraction throughout the day? We mentally associate physical spaces with specific tasks, so when it comes to fueling our faith, it’s important that we create a place where we can focus just on that.
Find a space at home that you don’t use for much else and dedicate that area as your place of prayer or reflection. You can even get creative and decorate it with inspirational quotes or images, a comfy chair, candles, whatever you like. Consider keeping notebook and pen handy in case you want to journal your reflections or jot down any inspiration that comes to you.
Spaces that won’t work:
- Your bed. Because, let’s be real… you’ll just fall back asleep. (We’ve all been there!)
- Your office. Your mind will almost automatically start running down your list of to-do’s for the day and next thing you know, you’ll (mentally) be everywhere else except present in your moment of reflection.
If there’s no place at home that you can carve out and dedicate to your faith-building time, try these surprisingly effective alternatives:
- Take a longer shower. Use the time to just breathe and relax. Think about all the things you’re thankful for that you don’t want to take for granted (like hot, running water!). Visualize a positive and productive day at work. Ask God to give you understanding and discernment to deal with that challenge you’re facing or to make that tough decision, and just listen for His guidance.
- Pray in the car. Sometimes driving alone on the open road with the radio off and the phone disconnected can give you the time you need to process and prepare. And if you have a hectic commute, you’d be surprised at the peace a little prayer can bring in the middle of traffic!
MAKE IT MEANINGFUL.
It’s far too easy to get overwhelmed with all of our responsibilities—things to do, places to be, people to take care of. But it’s important to put all of that on pause and be present and mindful in our moments of prayer and reflection.
Incorporating reading or music in your devotion time can help focus your mind. Song lyrics can sometimes help you articulate what you want to express gratitude for, and scriptures can often serve as specific reminders of the blessings you have and the promises you’ve seen God fulfill—or believe He will fulfill—in your life. Reading Bible verses and affirmations aloud can help you to actively engage your mind and heart in these moments (which can be hard to do when you’re still sleepy!)
What’s important is that it all comes from your heart. Take inventory of your thoughts, emotions, worries and dreams each day. Reflect on them and then determine the course of your day. What do you believe? How do you envision your day will go? Think positive thoughts (ask God to help you with this if you need to!) and determine to believe in yourself, in the truth that you hold in your heart, and in a God that loves you and has a specific purpose for your life.
[…] when we’re feeling overrun by life. We’ve talked a little before about how to fuel your faith and what you can do on a daily basis to make time and space and bring meaning back to your […]