Abraham was known as ‘the Friend of God’ (James 2:23 KJV), which is an amazing honour! But the secret of his greatness is easy to overlook: ‘Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.’ He started his day with God. Do you?

The way you get up in the morning can set the tone for your whole day. So try this: first thing tomorrow, get alone with God for a few minutes and go over your plans for the day. As you’re going over them, you’ll probably have some concerns. Just hand them over to Him. You might have a particular problem you’re worried about. Ask Him for wisdom. The Bible says He'll give it to you gladly (see James 1:5). If He doesn’t give you an immediate answer, don't be distressed. It’s often because He wants you to trust Him. But you can be certain that He has something in mind, something that you haven’t thought of yet.

So many of us start our day anxious, hurried, fearful, or rushed. But you don’t have to. You’re going to start your day anyway; why not start it with God? You’re going to have a first thought anyhow, so why not let it belong to God before whom all our anxieties flee? When you’re having a bad day, pause and ask yourself, ‘Did I start this day with God, or did I forget to include Him?’ ’Here are two Scriptures you need to consider: ‘In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly’ (Psalm 5:3 NIV). ‘Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days’ (Psalm 90:14 NIV).

What Now?

Do you start your day with God? We might forget when we’re needing to head into the day, so have a think about what would make it easier for you to incorporate ‘God time’ into your morning. How about a reminder on your phone, a worship song as your alarm, or a Scripture verse stuck on your bathroom mirror? What other ideas can you think of?