Break Fast {5 Simple Steps for Taking Time with God}

I can hear her now, my people-loving friend. Her question was earnest. “Why do Christians use so much ‘god-talk’? Do you think we scare people off?”

Her tender but true words are ringing in my head as I write a post that addresses “quiet-time”. Mercy. I pray the phrase doesn’t land in “god-talk-territory”. The term may be overused and possibly antiquated but it’s the first description that came to mind when I thought about the morning practice of spending time with God.

My more hipster west-coast friends call their time in the Word “reflection”.  I have east-coast friends that call it meditation. I’m a pragmatic Mid-westerner. Since it’s what I need to get through the day I’m leaning toward chow-time. Or “Bring on the bacon.”

Jesus said it was food right?

If you think about it, time with God in the morning really is like breakfast. Breakfast literally means——–

Breaking your fast.

Let’s say we follow the recommended amount of sleep, eight hours (yeah right…let’s shoot  for six). Then let’s account for two hours between our supper and bedtime that we don’t eat. Simple math proves we go without food for ten (to eight) hours every night. That my friends is a fast.

My morning coffee and granola bar stop or break my fast nearly everyday. Coffee and a bar remediate my physical fast. Ingesting God’s word during the same time remediates my spiritual fast (and “ya’ll” know a DoAhead Woman loves a two-fer).

But that wasn’t always the case.

Breaking my spiritual fast was not always part of my routine.  Making it so took the following five steps.

#5~Start

No doubt your thought bubble is saying,

Start? Thanks for the pointer Captain Obvious.

But it’s true. Some folks are better “starters” than others. For some of us, getting going is the hardest part (it was for me.)

If getting your head around having a few moments with God in the morning seems impossible write down five reasons why you can’t. Then cross a line through each reason and make the decision that you can as you list a plan or logic to counter the excuse.

For example:

1. I need sleep. I can get up five minutes earlier…THAT won’t kill me.
2. I don’t know what to read. An antidote to that reason is listed below in step #4.
3. I don’t have a quiet place to read. Two people cannot occupy a toilet at the same time. (I used the toilet for years. God never complained once.)

#4~ Start Small

Perfection can paralyze the best of intentions. We want to start. We may actually start but as we near the threshold of a new beginning our big expectations undermine our tiny but terribly important first step.

Start SMALL. Read one verse, one paragraph, get a simple devotion, subscribe online. Below are a few options:

• Jesus Calling~ Sarah Young
• Prayers for a Woman’s Soul ~ Julie K. Gillies
• My Utmost for His Highest~Oswald Chambers
• K-Love Radio posts daily verses.
• First 5 App or Online Devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministry
• Begin reading the Bible by starting with the Gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke or John
• Whatever date it is that you have a moment for time with God go to that chapter in Proverbs. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, the perfect match for a monthly calendar. (A mentor gave me this tip when I had three in diapers at the same time. Extra time of any sort was a figment of my imagination. I began the “proverbs practice” in 2000. Friends…it works.)

#3 ~ Be Savvy re: Sabotage

Any time you begin a new goal you can be guaranteed of one thing——–life will try to sabotage it. Every ounce of savvy that can be mustered with respect to the things (or even people) that may try to undermine will help.

Here are two small examples:

1. You have an admired friend that recently shared a major epiphany she received in her own quiet time. The temptation to compare sneaks in.  You want to give up because your quiet time (or a desired result) doesn’t look like hers.

The comparison trap can only be diffused with the truth that God knows exactly what you need and when you need it. Your time with Him can’t be compared to anyone else’s because…

There is no other combination on the planet of YOU and Him!

This is a good thing. It’s liberating when we learn to run with it.

2. Perhaps you’re growing to love having 15 minutes with God in the morning but hubby (or a good friend) are wondering why you have less time for them? Gentle communication filled with truth and love may be needed to help them understand how important it is to you. Hopefully they’ll grasp that time spent with God puts you in position to offer them your very best.

#2~ (re) Start

You’ve missed a day or two? Week or month? Don’t dwell on it! If the car doesn’t start the first time we don’t think twice about turning the key again…or again…or again. Sometimes that’s just what it takes. New habits are the same.

Failure isn’t starting over again. Failure is stopping and not restarting.

#1~Submit the Process to God

Hands down the number one thing to do is paradoxically the hardest and the easiest. I can still remember the day I sat at my dining room table and (with great difficulty) confessed to God I didn’t really want to be there.

I stammered my way through my honest confession that “Well, maybe a part of me wants to be here but I’m just not sure how important this is. After all, I have so much to do.” Something deep in me knew I needed it. The process was simply foreign to me.

It was hard to admit. But for whatever reason my confession opened the door for what became a transformative process. I just had to do one thing…show up.

When I showed up…So. Did. He.

I don’t know if the thought of quiet time is new, outdated, or unheard of for you but I hope you’ll consider breaking your fast each morning. Just a moment or two is all it takes to start. Submit it to Him and He will steer it.

DoAhead Woman’s Facebook page will be featuring verses that I’ve recorded in my journals over the years during my “breakfast”. 🙂  They are the manna God gave me each morning. They were invigorating, organic, and dare I say alive.  The nourishment was mine for the taking——–Every. Single. Day.

If you’re not sure where to start, perhaps these will serve as your bite-size portion of morning manna! It would delight my heart to see the words that have meant so much to me be fresh and full of continuing sway for someone else!

Your (Always Looking Forward to Breakfast) DoAhead Friend,