My Morning Times with Jesus

By Michelle Schwaninger

(Michelle and her husband Chuck will be leading workshops here at Thrive on Saturday February 4 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM followed by a light lunch. They’ll be focusing on the Biblical foundations of making disciples and how we can connect with our community and reach new people for Christ. Chuck will be our preacher on Sunday, February 5. Plan to be there for inspiration and insight!)

O Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love,

that I may rejoice and be glad all my days. Psalm 90:14

Every morning I wake up in the truth and reality of my gospel-centered life--the grace, freedom, and unconditional love of Christ coupled with His power to rule and over-rule in my life according to his loving and abundant plan for me. BUT….

Every morning I wake up living in the reality of my life, my sin, my to-do list, my problems, and everyone else's problems.

Every morning, I get to choose whether I’m going to launch my day focused on me—and what I can do and be, or focused on God, and what He can do and be in my life.

The fruit of a daily time with Jesus is the latter. I launch into my day believing in Him, not myself, and focused and anticipating what He will do in and through my life as I see Him and not myself in my life situations and circumstances all day long.

When I leave my set-aside-time with Jesus, I want to have celebration, joy, awe, abundance, and authentic acceptance. This is how I often get there:

I WORSHIP until there is CELEBRATION.
I READ until there is AWE.
I THANK until there is ABUNDANCE.
I REFLECT until there is AUTHENTICITY AND ACCEPTANCE
I PRAY until there is JOY

Every Morning, I need to have my focus shifted from me to Him. The following is a structure that I have found helpful in doing so. Experiencing my day satisfied and rejoicing in gladness keeps me coming back for more everymorning. My times with Jesus are not a duty, but a desire—I can't wait to be with Him and be restored to satisfaction, rejoicing and gladness. I want them. I need them. I delight in them as He delights in me.

Perhaps this model can be helpful to you in some way. Use all or parts of it.It is one way to structure a quiet time, certainly not the only way! I use a five-subject notebook, one for each of the sections highlighted above, making daily notes and lists of the topics covered in each.How fun it is to have my growth documented each day as He transforms it with His presence each morning.