Recently, I’ve been dedicating time in my mornings to my quiet time with the Lord. Now, as Christians, we should not “carve out time” for God or fit Him in our schedules (no matter how busy they may be), but rather invite God into our everyday lives.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4, NIV)

But when I don’t have that quiet time with God, I find that my day ahead, by the end of the day, I’m anxious, overwhelmed, and honestly, stressed out. When I do spend time with God in the mornings, including in quiet prayer, it’s not as if my anxiety is instantly cured, but rather I feel less rushed and more at peace.

So, this post is dedicated to how to build a quiet time routine in the mornings. If this is interesting, I encourage you to check out my morning and night routine blog posts.

Do not touch your phone first thing in the morning.

I bet you saw this coming, right? Well, it’s true. Do not touch your phone. As tempting it may be, it’s imperative that you do not touch your phone. I’ve used the excuse, “I’ll check Instagram for only five minutes!” And then it’s 45 minutes later and I’m deep in Instagram scrolling and my Bible is sitting next to me, unopened. Maybe for you, this looks like putting your phone in a separate room. Can’t do that? Set your phone face down so you’re not distracted.

Invest in a Bible reading plan.

When I say invest, you do not need to spend money. Yes, there are beautiful and incredible reading plans you can buy on Amazon or at any Christian bookstore, however let me tell you about this amazing app that’s completely free: YOUVERSION BIBLE APP!!! Yes, it’s free. You can scroll through countless Bible reading plans on specific books of the Bible, passages, topics … anything. You can start today!

Some reading plans I recommend are She Reads Truth, He Reads Truth, The Daily Grace Co., and Bible in One Year with Nicky Gumbei.

Find the right spot.

For me, I spend my quiet time with the Lord in bed. I crawl out of bed, go make coffee, and then crawl back into bed with my Bible, coffee, and journal. (And many, many highlighters.) For some, this may be your couch, a cozy chair, or at your desk or dining room table. Find the right spot that works for you!

Set a worship playlist.

Typically, I won’t turn on a worship playlist during my quiet time, but when I’m not as motivated, I turn on a worship playlist to either begin or end my quiet time. I’ll link both of my worship playlists, one more “traditional” worship songs (Hillsong, Elevation, etc.) and then my other one being more CCM.

Write Down Everything You’re Feeling Anxious About.

The old-fashioned journaling trick makes her comeback! Literally, journaling has helped me SO much in anything—including my prayer life. When I can’t seem to speak my prayers out loud, I write them down in a journal. (Or sometimes, even in my Notes app on my phone while on the go.)

“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us without groaning too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26, ESV)

Friends, God doesn’t care how big of a word you use in prayer. He doesn’t care whether you use big and fancy words. He wants to talk to you, He wants you to bring your worries and anxieties to Him. He wants a relationship with you; don’t feel like you have to be “good at praying” in order to be in communication with Him. Speak your heart, and when that doesn’t work, write out your prayers.

Memorize a verse.

Maybe you’re not “feeling it” in your quiet time. This is common amongst believers, you’re not alone! I want to encourage you that even when you’re not “feeling it,” God is never far from you. He promises you that He will never forsake you, never leave you, never forget you.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6, ESV)

To help with this, focus on a particular verse to memorize. Work on memorizing that verse throughout your week; write it down, write it on a post-it note and stick it on your mirror or wherever you frequent the most in your room, or set it as your phone wallpaper. Commit it to memory and recite it consistently throughout the week. The Bible is the Word of God (John 1:1). Reading the Bible is hearing the voice of God.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

God wants a relationship with you. He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for a relationship with us, to save us from our sins. Spending intentional quiet time in our mornings (or evenings) in prayer with Him, and throughout the day, is what He wants and what your heart not only should wants but needs, too.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is about being still and knowing God.

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, ESV)

Those two words, “be still,” is what drives and disciplines me to study His word each day. I may get caught up in the hustle and busyness and the need to complete everything in one day, but when I hear and read those two words, “be still,” I want to forget everything and be with the One who will never forget me, the One who created me, the One who loves me and loves the entire fallen world.

God is so good, and opening your Bible and spending this intentional quiet time with the Lord will help you see God’s everlasting love, goodness, mercy. Carving out an intentional quiet time routine can help you fight off the anxious thoughts.

This quiet time routine won’t come easy; in order to make this a habit, you have to dedicate a specific amount of time each day to time with the Lord. Be consistent. Above all else, be faithful.