Scriptures: John 15:5, Psalms 5:3, Isaiah 50:4, Psalms 143:8, Psalms 90:14, Psalms 88:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Begin Your Day with God

In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. Psalm 5:3 (AMP)

I’m so excited for you to start this study! Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how much spending time with God first can set the tone for a much more joyful and fulfilling day. 

Starting each day right is so important. We are more likely to be satisfied with the outcome of any day if we begin it in a positive way than if we get up dreading what lies ahead of us. I encourage you to start each day as I do—with God. 

Spend as much time with Him as you can, based on your schedule. The only way to get your day off to a good start is to start it with Him. Talk to Him, ask for His help and guidance in all you do, and submit your day to Him for His direction. Take in God’s Word in some form through studying it, reading it, listening to it, or watching someone teach or preach it. Whether it’s one verse of Scripture or an entire chapter in the Bible, it will help you. 

Going to God first, before we do anything else, is a way of honoring Him and saying with our actions, “Apart from You, Lord, I can do nothing” (based on John 15:5). 

You might even consider lying in bed for five minutes after you wake up and using that time to talk to God about your day. This is an especially good idea if you have small children or a busy household that is active from the moment you get out of bed. If you do only have a short time in the morning, make an effort to spend more time with God later in the day. 

David knew that God heard his voice in the morning, and he watched and waited for God to speak to his heart (Psalm 5:3). I hope you’ll do the same. 

Confess: I start my day with God, and I wait and watch for Him to speak to my heart (Isaiah 50:4). 

Pray: Dear God, You’re invited into my day. No matter what I’m doing, who I’m talking to, where I am, I want You with me because I can’t do this day without You. Thank You for Your Word, for Your promise to be with me, and for Your constant, loving voice. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Isaiah 43:2, John 14:6, Psalms 30:5, Romans 15:13, Jeremiah 29:11, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalms 5:3

God’s Comfort and Encouragement

In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].-Psalm 5:3 (AMP).

We all go through hard times, but the good news is that when we do, God is always present to comfort and encourage us. When times are tough, remember that they won’t last forever. God will not allow more to come on you than you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

You don’t have to be afraid, no matter what you may face today, because God is with you, and He loves you deeply and unconditionally. You may not know how you can turn your situation around, but God does. He always has a good plan for you, and temporary problems don’t have the ability to cancel those plans. 

What you are dealing with is temporary, but God is eternal, and He will never leave you or forsake you. 

Confess: I will not fear because God is always with me (Isaiah 43:2). 

Pray: Holy Spirit, You promised to be my Comforter in the middle of hard times and hurts, so please be my comfort right now (John 14:16). I can’t heal or comfort myself, but You can, so thank You in advance for Your patience, Your closeness, and for doing what no one else can do for me. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Scriptures: 2 Timothy 4:17, Isaiah 41:10, Psalms 59:16, Isaiah 50:4, Hebrews 13:5-6

You’re Stronger Than You Think

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

When we are going through difficult times or have unexpected problems, we often think, “I can’t take this.” But you are stronger than you think you are because God has promised to strengthen you. 

When we look back over our lives, there are many very difficult things we have done that initially we thought we couldn’t do. It is good to remember those times when God helped you and to be confident that He will do it again. I encourage you not to allow fear of the unknown to control you, because even though you don’t know what will happen, God does, and it will end well. 

Make a decision to trust God when you don’t have the answers, knowing that He is good and faithful and will never fail you. 

Confess: I will not fear the unknown because God knows all things, and He will always take care of me (2 Timothy 4:17). 

Pray: Father, thank You for Your grace for the situations and conversations ahead of me today. Thank You that I’m not walking into any of them alone because YOU are with me, and I choose to trust You. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Scriptures: Acts 3:19, Psalms 23:1-6, Mark 6:31, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Psalms 37:23, Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 4:9-10, Genesis 2:2-3, Mark 6:31-32

Take Time to Be Refreshed

So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day].– Acts 3:19 (AMP)

If we are following Jesus and His way of doing things, we will be energetic instead of tired and worn-out all the time. We will live in peace, and we will experience contentment. He leads us beside the still and restful water, and there He restores our souls (Psalm 23). 

Jesus and the disciples were ministering to people in great need. There were so many people coming to them that they had no time to eat or rest. So what did Jesus do? He said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31 NLT). Amazing! Jesus walked away temporarily from valid needs in order to take care of Himself so He could finish what God had sent Him to do. 

When you can’t do everything, choose the best thing for the present time. Jesus knew it was better to let the needs of the people wait momentarily so He and His disciples could rest and eat. This allowed Jesus to be properly prepared to meet their needs in due time. 

When you can’t do it all, remember there is a time for all things—and everything is beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Being in God’s timing is equivalent to being in His will. If you are doing something in God’s timing, it will be beautiful and fulfilling. 

Confess: When I can’t do everything, I choose to do what is best at the present time (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Psalm 37:23). 

Pray: Dear God, sometimes it can be hard to let go of worry and truly rest, so I’m asking You to help me. Please give me grace to peacefully assess the things that have to be done and take steps toward accomplishing the goals You’ve given me. Thank You that You are God and I am not, and I can trust You to do Your part in my life and others’. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 19:26, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:6-7, John 14:27, Romans 15:13, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:19

Cast Your Care on God

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. – 1 Peter 5:7 (AMPC)

I’m so glad you decided to go through this study, and I hope you come away from it with a new level of closeness with God! Before you go, I want to leave you with a hope-filled principle from today’s verse: casting your care on God. 

The word cast means to pitch or throw, and that is exactly what you can do with your problems. You can cast (pitch, throw) them on Jesus, knowing that He cares for you and wants to help you anytime you are hurting or have anxieties, worries, or concerns. 

The amplification of today’s scripture tells us to cast all of our cares on Him once and for all. That means that once we have cast them on Him, we should not take them back, even though the devil will try to worry us with them. Once you have cast your cares on Jesus, if they try to come back, just say, “I don’t have that problem anymore; Jesus has it, and I am free from worry.” 

It is comforting to know that we don’t have to try to take care of things we don’t know how to take care of. If you know what to do, by all means do it; but if you don’t, give it to the Lord, because all things are possible with Him (Matthew 19:26). 

Confess: I refuse to frustrate myself trying to solve problems that only God can solve (Ephesians 3:20). 

Pray: Dear God, worry wants to take over my thoughts sometimes, but I know Your will for me is to have peace and not be worried about anything. So right now I’m doing what You said to do in Philippians 4:6-7—I’m bringing my requests to You. I’m trusting You for the grace I need to do my part, and for You to intervene to do Your part. In Jesus’ name, amen.