My pillowcase is stained with black ink marks.

I will often read my Bible in bed. I lean back against the headboard and put the pillow in my lap as a desk and lay my Bible on top of it. With pen in hand, I will start reading…. and then I start sleeping.

Yep, this Bible study teacher nods off and goes into la-la-land with the Word of life in her lap.

And, if I don’t start snoring, sometimes I will start thinking about how I need to do laundry or what I need to pick up at the grocery store.

I begin my morning reading Scripture, but I am frequently derailed by my own distracted brain.

Depending on the day, I either have spiritual ADD or a bad case of Christian narcolepsy. (Perhaps there is a support group for these maladies? I need help!)

Friends, I want more of God in the morning, but I am a big hot mess.

So, over the last few weeks, I’ve made some steps to help me combat inertia in my quiet time. I make myself get up and going instead of snuggling with the Bible in bed. Sometimes I even walk around the house and read out loud instead of sitting. I am looking for creative ways to wake my soul up.

Maybe you are more spiritually “with it” than I am, but just in case you find it hard to connect with God consistently, I thought I’d share 4 moves that have helped me make progress in the right direction.

4 Tips to Help You Get More of God in the Morning

Study in community to expand your perspective.

Digging into the Word with friends helps you understand more, see more, reflect more. You get more when you listen and learn from others. Plug into an online group for daily accountability and encouragement. Here are 3 of my favorite online study communities:

• First 5: Lysa TerKeurst and a wonderful group of seasoned Bible teachers are working their way through the Bible one chapter at a time. All of their content is easily accessible by downloading the very user-friendly free First 5 app. If you’re not a techy kind of gal, you can follow along by visiting the First 5 blog every day. Join a group through the app or purchase the Experience Guide to dive in deeper.
• Love God Greatly: If you are in a crazy busy season, Love God Greatly looks at just a few verses a day. You can join a Facebook group or an e-mail group. They also do blog posts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday plus provide You Version content. Download a free PDF of the study booklet by subscribing to the blog or purchase a bound study book an Amazon. If you want everything in one place, you can download the LGG app.
• Hello Mornings: Kat Lee and her team always serve up a wonderful schedule. If you are looking for a longer study with Facebook accountability groups, this is your best choice. They normally provide either a free reading plan to download or a lengthier study book at a minimal cost.

Make friends with a new Bible

I love the pages of my first Bible. I’ve underlined favorite passages and cried tears on those well-worn pages. But sometimes, you need a clean page and a fresh start.

• A good study Bible is a girl’s best friend. The notes in the margins will encourage you and teach you. My all-time favorite is the Life Application Bible.
• If you’ve used the same translation for quite a while, pray about switching to a different one. I purchased this ESV Journaling Bible last year on Black Friday, and I love having space in the margins to jot down key ideas, take notes, ask questions, or even write out a prayer. I don’t get all artistic with colored pens, but maybe you would like to use that space to creatively engage with the Word.
• You could also buy a devotional Bible with weekly readings to encourage you. I’ve heard great things about this Bible from (in)courage.

Download and Use The Fuel Your Quiet Time Worksheet

I’ve created a one-page printable to help you FUEL your quiet time. This simple 4-step format will help you focus in on one verse and see God’s Word come alive in your heart. Sign up today as a member of the Wildfire Faith Community and  grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library.

Read More of God: A Distracted Woman’s Guide to More Meaningful Quiet Times

This week I went live on Facebook to share my new favorite resource for anyone with spiritual ADD like me. My writing friend Betsy DeCruz has written a wonderful book packed full of practical ideas on how to get more of God during of your quiet time.  

Friends, change is hard, but when we get out of our comfort zone and cry out to God for more of Him, we will always reap the benefits. His Word will come alive in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit will wake us up and unveil God’s wonder to our hungry souls. With His Word filling us up, we will overflow God’s love into our homes, our work place, our church, and our neighborhood.  Getting more of God makes an eternal difference, and we will never be the same again. Let’s keep pursuing Him and pushing past the challenges. The pay off is worth every effort.

Making four simple steps can help you get more of God in your mornings.

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Giveaway

I’m giving away a copy of Betsy’s fabulous book to one reader this week. Share this post on your Facebook page or Instagram by March 14th, and then leave a comment telling me how you are going to get More of God in 2019 and why you’d like to win this giveaway.  

Note: Winner must live in the residential United States. 

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CHECK OUT MY COACHING SERVICES TO START WORKING ON A PLAN TO REKINDLE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR RESOURCES TO FIRE UP YOUR FAITH?

Friends: As a social media influencer, I have a sweet list of my favorite resources to fuel a wildfire faith in my very own shop on Amazon.  (Note: I will get a little something back if you follow any of the links in this post and buy anything on this page. Thanks in advance if you do.).

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