The Critical First Step – Non-Negotiable!
Most Christians who struggle to have a consistent time of Bible reading, study, prayer and reflection do so because of one fatal mistake; the mistake of negotiation with the flesh! Get this! The flesh doesn’t want you to spend time with God! Neither does the world or the devil! They will never make it easy, always will oppose you in your effort to do so. When we make any profitable discipline or habit negotiable the most likely result is failure to maintain it. This is as true in exercise or diet as in any of the spiritual disciplines.
The key is to not negotiate! It is infinitely easier to make one simple decision than hundreds or thousands of difficult complicated decisions. (I’ll have just a bite this time! I’ll skip running while I’m on vacation! etc.,etc., etc.) Been there, done that! Decide on the positive and don’t negotiate!
The one simple decision that will make you successful in having personal time with God every day is this; give Him the first hour! Let the other 23 float on the winds of chance if you like but Give the first hour of every day to God. Make it His and not an option to anything or anyone else!
I can hear the groans from many of you but look, here are some things that I have learned about the concept:
We all set our schedules by the first obligation of our day. That is; if we work, we know what time we have to get up to be at work on time, many of us to the last minute! So all we have to do is back that time up one hour and spend it with Jesus! It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing this WORKS! Making it the first hour of the day, every day makes it easy! It is non-negotiable.
(No, you don’t really need the last hour of sleep that you think you do and if you do you can just go to bed an hour earlier!)
It is impossible to measure how much more or less tired you or I are at the end of a day based on 1 hour more or less of sleep. How do you measure tired? We are all tired at the end of a busy day. I live by this system. Do you really think that I’m more tired than you are at the end of the day? Nonsense! If you have a “tired meter” let me know. The fact is that tired is tired and most days go so much better when we start them with God that there is a great net gain in energy that far offsets any imagined sacrifice.
No, this is not legalism. Not any more than the prescriptive truths about diet and exercise are legalism! If you want to weigh less or be stronger there are practices that you will need to do and others that you will need to eliminate. Success will depend on being consistent and for most if not all of us that means stopping some things that don’t help us and starting and maintaining others that do! If we want our lives to be better in any significant area we need to be willing to change! Change or exchange as in good habits for bad!
You CAN do this! And you will never regret it.
Here are some tips that will make the first hour easily doable;
1: Read two chapters from the Bible. Focus on the New testament. I always read one from the gospels because I always want to be listening to Jesus. The Old testament is foundational and historical but it’s in the New that we live and learn to apply God’s way in life for us. (Obviously this is a suggestion and for those who disagree or are disinclined the Old Testament is fine. Just do it!)
2: Read from a good devotional or other book that focuses on life lessons from a Christian world-view. Books on personal spiritual development from current writers or past heroes. Pick from authors like Max Lucado, Rick Warren, A.W.Tozer, Mother Teresa, George Muller, Andrew Murray and any others you happen across. Hold what they say up against what you are reading in the Bible. practice discernment! One chapter a day.
3: Read one chapter from a book focused on helping you to grow as a Christ follower in your calling. Christian parenting, marketplace ministry, teaching school as a Christian in a public school environment, etc. One chapter a day over five years will set you far above the crowd.
4: Make a prayer list and use it for 5-10 minutes of your hour. It will come to mind through the day.
5: End your hour by writing a “Thank You” note to God. Tell Him what’s on your heart and listen for a minute or so. He will tell you what’s on His. don’t write it as if anyone else will ever see it. Make it personal. Remember, He’s you dad and He loves you.
Yes, these tips are simplistic. But they work and if you begin and apply even these God will show you a more personal way for you. I have changed bits and pieces over the years and you will too. That’s not the important thing. What is important is the practice and making it non-negotiable. The tips are just to help those of you who need them to get started. The principle in practice will change your life eternally. By the way, today is my 7761st day at this. It’s in my journal! I guarantee that if you follow this practice for 90 days, making it non-negotiable and keeping a short daily journal, that your life will never be the same and you will have established a foundation that provides great benefits now and in eternity.
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Buck Jacobs, Chairman and Founder of The C12 Group, LLC - Christian CEO and mentor. Buck has an extensive background in successful organizational development based on the principles found in scripture. The motto of the C12 group is "Building great companies for a greater purpose." 
Buck, I really liked this article. So true because my day’s have been way to busy and your article hit what I’ve been thinking about the last few days.
Thank you Susan, Starting each day quietly with the Lord is soooo important! It makes it the best part of the day. Press on!
Just like Susan, I needed this article today. I’ve been losing my morning prayer time to thinking company and work emergencies come first. Thank you for great advice.
Good post: Critical First 5 Steps To Winning Your Morning Quiet Prayer Time Back – http://ow.ly/Z8lj via @BuckJacobs
Thank you Mark, “We must never let the greater things be at the mercy of lesser things.” Press on! hope to talk yo you soon.
Buck,
A good word. The days i miss are clearly different than the days I accomplish it.
Be Blessed,
Tim
Tim,
Thank you brother, I know that you have many more good ones. Many more hits than misses! Press on! You are an encouragement to many.
Buck
Amiable brief and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Gratefulness you for your information.
Just like in Daniel when he was in Babylon. He studied the language, the culture but he had that one thing that reminded him that he was a child of GOD. For Daniel it was not eating the meat like the other students. For us it needs to be our one hour reading so we can get our meat. Thank you for caring about Gods children Mr Jacobs.
Thank you Brett, I do care and you are right on!