I am not a morning person. I never have been and likely never will be. In fact, I regularly joke that I come alive at 8pm. It is my primetime.
Just this week I Instagrammed this:
I share this with you to say that having a morning devotional time or quiet time has never been ‘easy’ for me. Because, well, morning.
But recently I discovered that I was going all day consuming words online, reading encouragement and verses and all this great stuff, but never once opening His Word and reading the Bible for myself.
Maybe you can relate? It wasn’t an issue of His words not pouring in. But I’d go through my day and never once sit down and sit still, asking Him to be the One pouring. Instead I was filling up from tweets and lettered verses on my Instagram feed.
I’m a visual learner and so I figured I’d try something super simple, never planning to share it anywhere because who likes to embarrassingly admit that they’ve been struggling to sit down and have time with Jesus?
But it worked. That one simple little change totally worked. So I figured if there’s any place I could share and risk embarrassment online, it would be with my Table friends. I wasn’t planning to share anywhere else, but I received so many responses commenting how easy (!) and simple (!) and game changing (!) that one change could be for those emailing… and so hey, here I am embarrassing myself all over again:
“Okay. So I have something to share that is so simple you will once and for all think I’m dumb. But I don’t even care because IT IS GAME CHANGING for me.
Here’s the thing about the Internet – it never sleeps.
Here’s the thing about my job – it revolves around the Internet.
And so it’s really easy for me to open my eyes in the morning and then immediately open up my computer. But I found myself consistently getting to the end of my day and finding that although I had read countless verses in blog posts and on social media, I hadn’t actually opened my Bible.
So I started doing this thing. It is so simple I’m actually embarrassed to tell you.
Right before going to sleep at night, I place my Bible on top of my closed laptop.
That’s it. That’s the trick. And it totally works. For me to do any of my work for the day, I have to literally set the Bible aside. I’m a visual learner, and when I actually see what I’m doing – choosing work over time with Him – it plain stops me in my tracks.
I don’t know if that’s something you struggle with in the morning, and I don’t have any sort of pretty graphic to go with this little blurb, but I’m telling you – it works for me.
Some actual resources that might help that I really enjoy are She Reads Truth and IF:Equip. I love that when I open up my email after opening up the Word, I find the Word there, too.
Alright. Embarrassing little tidbit over.”
Yep. That’s it.
Just… that. Placing my Bible on top of my computer. I have to literally go through the Word to get to my job. I’ve switched to removing my computer from my desk and replacing it with my Bible each night. It’s one of the last things I do before bed.
Maybe for you it looks like memorizing Bible verses taped to your mirror as you get ready in the morning. Maybe it means listening to the Bible on audio as you drive to work or placing the Bible in front of your bedroom door so you can’t leave without picking it up. I don’t know. All I can tell you is that this – it works for me. I’d love to hear what works for you if you’d share with me in the comments? If you haven’t looked into SRT or IF:Equip, I’d highly recommend those. The First5 app from Proverbs31 is also a great resource!
Your quiet time doesn’t have to be fancy or Instagrammable. But we need to make sure that it happens.
{Psst. Want to be one of my cute little Table friends? It’s fun times over there, pinky promise. They’re the first to get any sort of fun/embarrassing news, links to my favorite Internet finds, and lots of behind-the-screen pictures and life tidbits. Just click the graphic below.}
I love this idea! Simple, yet very effective. I have been skipping out on my time with God, using silly excuses. Like you, I do a lot of work online, yet I still find myself wasting time on facebook NOT working, which could easily be spent in His Word.
Thanks so much for sharing! I can’t wait to read what you share this week at Literacy Musing Mondays.
PS, please share on Literacy Musing Mondays at : http://www.maryanderingcreatively.com/literacy-musing-moms-library-tips/
Great advice. I am like you. I read Bible verses all day and even read the Bible online. I am going to try this tomorrow and open the physical Word of God. :)
Love it!!! I am going to have to try putting my bible on top of my computer too! :)
I don’t know how to fully explain it but it. just. works. Hope it serves you well as well!
Hello, Kaitlyn! Love this “trick”. I need all the help I can get in this area. I will be featuring you this Friday at Grace & Truth. Please stop by and grab the featured button & share more posts this Friday morning! Blessings!
Wow, thank you so much Kaylene! I so appreciate that.
Excellent plan! Kind of like a prayer rock, but not as dangerous! *lol*
Wait, what’s a prayer rock?!
Kaitlyn – I find that we are neighbors again!! I love being your neighbor and am so glad I found your blog. :) I can totally relate to all you said above. Yep, hate mornings, begin coming awake later at night, don’t stop to sit, read scripture all through the day- on my phone, on blogs, etc. … but often never open the Word — This last weekend however, we lost power, no internet etc and I was preaching – so I went old shool – – it was just me, Jesus, and the good ole hard copy of the Bible! I loved it. Thanks for sharing and keeping it real. I just love reading your posts. I will be back again. :) Stopping by from #WomenWithIntention
Love it!!
This is absolutely brilliant! What a visualization that is!
Thanks so much for sharing!
I hope it helps!
It’s amazing how simple tricks can help so much, isn’t it? After doing it for so long, I’ve developed a habit of reading my Bible first thing. I can REALLY tell the days when it didn’t happen. And so can everyone else :) A good post!
I agree. It’s so simple but it really does make a difference in how my day goes.
This is a great tip! I often find my good intentions to read and get in the word are lost in the crazy struggle of my job, coaching, and more. Thanks for the reminder!
I have to try this! I don’t think I could ignore an open Bible!
Exactly! I’d love to hear how it works for you.
I love this idea. :)
I am going to try this as well! I am not a morning person either. I usually lay in my bed for about 5 or 10 min to get awake before I get up and get my girls ready for school and myself for work.
Awesome! We all just have to find our ‘computer’ and then figure out how to get the Word in front. :)
Not embarrassing at all. Smart, my friend. And something I am going to try, too. Because YES – to all of everything you said. :)
Oh yeah, you get it. Strange how having to visually set the Word aside makes all the difference.
Brilliant! Simply brilliant Kaitlyn. Not embarrassing-brilliant! Thanks for sharing. Susan.
Well thank you, Susan!
Yes, simple, but I’m confident God impressed it on your heart. Thank you for sharing it. I’m totally a morning person, but I still need to meet with God first. It IS too easy to get on the internet first. Thank you for being faithful to share God’s instruction.
I’m so glad it could encourage you!
Kaitlyn, beautiful words as always. And I heard more than one person take your idea and share it abroad. I’m not fancy enough to have a laptop yet (but I’m a math teacher-so the need hasn’t arrived). I am using biblegateway in a phone browser in lieu of my hard copy for the time being, but it is my first stop in the morning.
I chose to lead a group of people on Facebook in reading a Proverb a day for 31 days in August. So, I start in Proverbs, using more than one translation if I need to, until I decide which one to share from that chapter. Almost done with Proverbs, so I counted (math nerd) and there are 30 Psalms from Psalm 121 to 150. That’s our September journey. (couldn’t do Psalm 119 yet…that might take a month on its own)
Thank you for your sweet leadership! I too had the night preference all through college. Only recently has He been calling me to join Him in the early mornings. I’m not fully there, but it’s getting easier.
Blessings to you!
~Tammy
I love that you’re doing that! What a great idea. Maybe you could create a little graphic to share in the group to carry the verse on phones throughout the day.
Thanks Kaitlyn! Such a simple and practical tip. Going to try this tomorrow. And now for a totally lame/superficial question…. where did you get that BIble? What kind/type is it? I love it and have been looking for something similar.
That’s not lame or superficial! I wish I could just link to it but I’ve had it since middle school. But, it’s an NIV from Zondervan. Inside it says Compact Thinline Bible, if that helps?