Was Jesus a “morning person”? How to become a morning person

I love sleep. Few things are better than when you are nice and warm, perfectly snuggled in bed. I have always considered myself to be a “night owl” for the majority of my life. Sleeping was something I looked forward to.

Now, I’m the complete opposite. I wake up no later than 4:30am everyday and I find myself setting my alarm earlier and earlier each day because I’m excited for my morning routine. I’m excited to connect with God, to learn, grow and accomplish my goals. What is a “morning routine”? We will get to that in a moment.

Jesus got up early while it was still dark

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” -Mark 1:35 (NIV)

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” -Luke 5:16 (NIV)

I love that Jesus had quiet time with our Heavenly Father frequently and while it was still dark. He is our example and if Jesus did it, there must be something to it.

Was Jesus a morning person?

We know he got up early, but does that make him a “morning person”? I am the furthest thing from a “morning person” and I have managed to change my schedule to mornings. It wasn’t easy, but I managed it. Read my “5 Strategies to Help you Get Out of Bed in the Morning” for a jump start. We all know a true “morning person” that gets up easily in the morning and is filled with energy for the day. Maybe they even sing early in the morning as well (see Proverbs 27:14).

I believe that anyone (yes you too) can switch to a morning schedule. That doesn’t mean you are a “morning person,” it just means you have made an intentional decision to wake up earlier.

Reasons to have quiet time in the morning

Here are a few reasons why we should wake up earlier and spend time with God:

Jesus did it (reason enough)
You are giving the 1st portion of your day to God, not the leftovers
After a good night’s sleep, you are awake and alert (some may need a cup of coffee)
It is quiet
Your family and friends are sleeping
No distractions
You can start your day off right
Prayer and Bible-reading will help you respond better throughout the day

NOTE: If you have quiet time at night, that’s cool. This is my personal preference and after trying both for many years, I find mornings are way better. Hence, I think you should give mornings a try.

PARABLE: Giving your morning to God is like using your phone when the battery is at 100% (full charge) – Your phone spent the night re-charging. Now, it is ready to go for the day. You could give God the last 3% of your battery life (when you are falling asleep, etc.) – this is your choice.

Personal development time

I love using the morning for personal development as well. Let me ask you this: If you don’t personally develop yourself, who will? We can't sit around thinking that we will magically learn and grow, without any effort.

If you don’t personally develop yourself, who will?

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If you don’t spend time helping yourself, who will? The term “self-help” has always had an incorrect mindset surrounding it. Many people think that if someone is reading a “self-help” book, that the person has issues. The truth is quite the opposite.

True “self-help” is actually the same as any other learning. Reading a book by an author on a subject (you are interested in) is very similar to reading a book assigned to you by a professor in one of your college classes. Except you actually want to read this book. True learning occurs when you aren’t being “forced” to learn, but when you are taking the initiative to learn a subject yourself.

God expects us to put in the hard work of educating ourselves. He expects us to set the bar when it comes to working hard and giving our all.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” -Colossians 3:23 NIV

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” -Proverbs 14:23 NIV

There are so many Bible verses about seeking to gain understanding, wisdom and knowledge. As Christians, we need to educate ourselves. Read a book, listen to a podcast (they are free), listen to an audiobook, etc. Gain wisdom and knowledge.

“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” -Proverbs 18:15 ESV

My morning routine

A morning routine is a pre-set plan for how you will start your day. I typically use this time for quiet time with God, personal development and writing.

Here are the things I always do each morning:

Drink 12 ounces of water
Feed our two cats
Drink 1 or 2 cups of coffee
Prayer
Meditate (some Christians don’t like this term, but it was God’s idea first–“Be still and know I am God.” -Psalm 46:10)
Read the Bible
I use the Way of Life app to track my habits–it’s amazing and I love it!
Writing (blog posts or my forthcoming devotional)
Listen to podcasts or audiobooks
Read (personal development)
Get to work!

This time is so valuable to me because it’s “my time” – the time I have refuel my soul, connect with the Lord and become the person I want to be.

The takeaway point

If you want to have uninterrupted quiet time with God each day, the mornings are wide open. Changing your schedule from “nights” to “mornings” can be tough at first, but like I said, I now look forward to getting up early so I get start my day off right.

If you want to have uninterrupted quiet time with God each day, the mornings are wide open.

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Also, if you are a “busy person” who feels like there isn’t enough time in the day, switch to mornings. You will have much more focused time to achieve your goals.

Are you a “morning person” or a “night owl”? Let me know in the comments below.