I have not always been the most consistent with my daily devotions, but I believe one of the most important things we can do as Christians is spend time studying God’s word and praying each day.
So what’s the one habit that helped me finally get consistent with my quiet time?
It’s Having a Bedtime
When you’re a kid, you have a bedtime because someone’s telling you when to sleep. But as adults, we enjoy the freedom of going to bed whenever we want. But this nocturnal freedom can sometimes wreck our mornings.
We talk a lot about morning routines in Redeeming Productivity Academy. And nine times out of ten, when someone says they’re having trouble staying consistent with their morning routine, the real problem is they’re staying up too late.
It’s simple math: if you want to get up earlier to spend time in the Word, you’ve got to go to bed earlier.
You need a bedtime.
Supporting Habits
Here are a few ways to support having a bedtime:
No eating after 7:00 PM. Most experts recommend stopping eating two to three hours before bed. Food is fuel. When you snack late at night, you’re telling your body to get ready for activity. Give yourself a cut-off.
Screens off one hour before bed. We’ve all heard about blue light affecting melatonin, but the bigger issue, I believe, is what screens do to your mind. When you’re watching exciting shows or scrolling social media late into the evening, you’re activated and stressed when you should be winding down. Plus, it’s just hard to stop scrolling. So decide in advance, no screens 1-hour before bedtime.
Read yourself to sleep. After the screens go off, you don’t have to just stare at the ceiling. Try reading. A short devotional makes a great nightcap. But any book will work. I usually stick with fiction at night. (Just avoid exciting page-turners that’ll keep you up too late!)
Prepare for the morning. Since we’re talking about how our evening routine prepares us for a good morning, do a little prep before you wind down. Before bed, lay out your Bible, reading plan, or exercise gear. Try to make it nearly impossible not to do your routines.
Putting It All Together
If you want help planning this out, download our free morning routine planner to create a Christ-honoring morning.
