Did you know that how you spend the first 15 minutes of your morning can set the tone for the entire day? What if those few minutes could bring you clarity, peace, and purpose—no matter how chaotic life feels? So, let me ask: What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Check your phone? Rush to the coffee maker? Or do you prioritize what matters most? Watch the video below or keep reading to discover one life-changing habit that can transform your mornings —and your life.
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James W. Frick once said, “Don’t tell me what your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” That’s true, isn’t it? We tend to spend our money on those things that are important to us, whether that be food, clothing, or entertainment. In many ways, our bank accounts offer a pretty good indication of our priorities.
However, our bank accounts don’t offer the only clue as to where our priorities lie. How we begin our day is also an important indicator of what we value the most. I’m no James W. Frick, but this is what Stephanie H. Solberg says, “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me how you begin your day, and I’ll tell you what they are.” Do you wake up saying good morning to your Father in Heaven, or do you rush into your day without giving Him a second thought?
What I’m about to share with you changed my life, and it can change yours, too, if you do this one thing……..
FIRST THINGS, FIRST
First fruits. God claims the first fruits of everything: not just our wages but our time. The law of first fruits is a spiritual principle that Jesus summarizes beautifully in Matthew 6:33:
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
When we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first, then God will provide the necessities for us. We won’t have to spend another second worrying about our lives: what we will eat, drink, or wear. Instead, our time is freed to focus on the “one thing that is necessary…the good part, sitting at the feet of Jesus.” (Luke 10:38-42)
DIGGING DEEPER
Let’s dig deeper into this verse to understand how to apply this principle. Jesus tells us we are to seek God’s kingdom. What does He mean by God’s kingdom? The Apostle Paul answers that question in Romans 14:17,
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
When we seek God’s kingdom, we are to earnestly seek after his righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. But seeking those things is not enough. We must seek them first!
The Greek word for “first” is próton, meaning before, at the beginning, first in time, place, order, or importance. So, what have we learned here?
We are to seek God’s righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit BEFORE anything else.
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE
Every day we are to seek God’s kingdom first. By first, I mean at the beginning of our day – when we first wake up, BEFORE we do anything else.
I submit that what we do first thing in the morning lays an unshakeable foundation upon which the rest of our day can be built.
I know, I know—some of you are not morning people. Fine. But you get up every day, don’t you? Whether it’s 5 a.m., 10 a.m., or even 1:00 p.m., your morning starts when you wake up. It doesn’t matter WHEN you get up; what matters is WHAT you do FIRST when you get up.
I hear you. Mornings are chaotic. I’ve been there. For a time, coffee was my go-to; I thought it would get me through the craziness. But I’ve learned that the real power lies not in that first cup but in choosing to spend time with God every day. When I wake up, I prioritize His Word—because I know that’s where I’ll find my strength and peace to face whatever the day brings.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalm 5:3 ESV
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8 NIV
The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. Isaiah 50:4 NIV
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. Psalm 59:16 ESV
But I cry to you for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Psalm 88:13 ESV
THIS OR THAT?
Still not convinced? Let me present two possible scenarios for your morning:
Scenario #1
Your alarm is set for 6:00 a.m. You must be at work by eight. You hit snooze too many times, and you wake up late. A sense of panic sets in— it’s 6:38 a.m., and you still need to feed the kids, feed the dogs, and get yourself ready!
You rush around, yelling out orders.: Get up! Get dressed! Find your shoes! Then you realize you can’t find your hairdryer—probably because your teenager has it upstairs.
Finally. you get the kids ready, yourself ready, drop them off, and make it to work. But then it hits you: you forgot to put on half your makeup. Sure, you made it, but not without stress and tears.
If this sounds personal to me…yes, yes it is!
Scenario #2
Your alarm is set for 5:00 a.m., and your coffee pot for 4:55 a.m. You wake up to the smell of coffee and a quiet house. Everyone is still sleeping. You get out of bed, grab your coffee and your Bible, and cuddle up in your favorite chair. You have an hour before anyone else gets up, an hour to pray, study, and worship.
You chose the “one thing that is necessary…the good part,” sitting at the feet of Jesus. When six o’clock rolls around, you have a sense of peace and a readiness to live out the day God has helped you plan in your time with Him. Instead of stress and tears, your morning starts with peace and joy.
Several years ago, I realized my mornings were a source of chaos, and I knew I needed to make a change. That’s when I started giving my mornings to God. Af first, it was just 15 minutes—but those 15 minutes grew into 20, then 30, and eventually an hour. Now, I long for my mornings, just me and God. Spending time in God’s presence is my true addiction. I can’t get enough of Him!
Which scenario would you prefer?
GOOD STARTS
How you start your day will affect the way you end your day. I’m sure you can think of a few examples of this in your life. If you spend time with God before you do anything else, then distractions are less likely to pull you away from Him. Jesus understood distractions. That is why He told the disciples this:
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6
When you “close the door,” you close more than the door to a room; you close the door to distractions. Distraction is always going to be a temptation. The enemy wants nothing more than to stop us from spending time with our Heavenly Father. But, if you can close the door on distraction, you can effectively take away the power the enemy made you think he had over your time with God.
THE ONE THING…
I mentioned earlier that I would tell you the one thing that, if you do, will change your life. Are you ready?
Well, here it is:
SET YOUR ALARM 15 MINUTES EARLIER THAN YOUR NORMAL WAKE-UP TIME.
Is anyone running out of the room screaming yet?
USE THAT 15 MINUTES TO PRAY, WORSHIP, AND STUDY.
Commit right now to seek God’s kingdom first, at the beginning of your day—when you first wake up, BEFORE you do anything else. The first 15 minutes is a sacred opportunity to set the tone for the entire day. When you choose to give it to Him, your morning will become the unshakeable foundation upon which the rest of your day can stand firm.
Start tomorrow by setting aside 15 minutes to seek Him first. It’s not just about changing your day—it’s about transforming your life
15 minutes will change your life.
I’m going to end where I began: Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me how you begin your day, and I’ll tell you what they are!
If you’re ready to take the 15—minute challenge, drop a “YES!” in the comments, and let’s do this together.
Learn to Be Still and Know God’s Voice by clicking here.
