I recently read that the first 10-15 minutes of your day can determine how the rest of your day will go. I pondered that for a second as I replayed how many of my days turned out when I jumped out of bed and hit the floor running (and I don’t mean working out!). One or more of my children always needed me before I was ready to start the day. On those days I just didn’t feel filled. I had less patience (if any at all!), I felt crabby (nope, coffee can’t fix that kind grouchy), I was bombarded by negative thoughts (some of which I would beat myself up with over and over again), and my cup was half empty all day. That is not the kind of mom, wife, daughter, sister, or friend I want to be.
Three years ago, when our fifth blessing was born, I was hard pressed to find ANY time to myself. The time I spent in prayer was short and usually while doing something or the spontaneous “God, please help me” prayers. I knew this was only for a season. But I still searched and searched for a powerful and efficient way to pray and give God the time He so much deserved (and that I hungered for). So I found a wonderful Bible called “The One Year Bible New Testament for Busy Moms” which breaks down the New Testament into 5- minute readings so you can read the New Testament in one year. It is perfect for using with my “15-minute Prayer Punch” which uses a power punch of scripture to prepare you for your day.
It is so tempting to press the snooze button and get that extra 15 minutes of sleep, but is it worth it? When I take the first fruits of my morning and spend it with God I feel ready to face the day. I want to be the prayer warrior who prays boldly, believing in God’s mighty power. It doesn’t mean my day will be perfect and that nothing will go wrong. It doesn’t mean I will be the “perfect” mom, wife, daughter, sister or friend. Nor does it mean that my kids will be perfect. But it DOES mean God will be with me every step of the way. He will equip me with what I need to enJOY the JOYS of life and get through the tough times so I don’t have to do it in my own strength. I challenge you to set your alarm 15 minutes early and spend 15 Powerful Minutes with God. It will be worth it!
joyfullinspirations.com 
I’ve just published a post on my “Women of Warfare!” blog which makes reference to you Letticia and this post. Thanks for the inspiration! 😃
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Oh Thank You!!! What a blessing! I am humbled and so grateful. To God be the Glory. Blessings.
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You are welcome Letticia.
😃💖
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Hats off to you Letticia for persevering until you found a workable solution. First thing in the morning is usually the best time for me (I am not a mum), but if for some reason I’ve missed my morning devotional then I will try to fit something in during another part of the day.
Thank you for sharing.
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I truly enjoy hearing from you! You always come with words of encouragement and love. I appreciate you so much. Thank you for sharing your heart with me. Indeed, if I don’t spend my time with Him first thing, I miss it so much. I am so grateful for His blessing in my life! 🙂 I don’t know what I would do without Him. Blessings of you my friend.
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Thank you so much for this lovely response and you are so welcome.
Likewise, I do not know what I would do without God in my life. I am grateful for his mercies, loving kindness, divine protection and generous provision.
Have a blessed weekend!😃💖
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Thank you my friend 🙂 Amen! To God be the Glory! Blessings.
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I try to get up too. If I don’t get my TAG (Time Alone with God), my days feel completely different. There is something about giving him our first fruits. Of course there is life and interruptions and seasons, but thankful for his grace and that the desire remains.
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Amen!!!!
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I use to wake up super early, run and read the bible. I just had my 3rd baby and waking up after a long night with him is hard. So my mornings are a big struggle. Maybe why my days aren’t as good as they use to be.
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Boy do I know how you feel! I use to do the same thing. Now after 6 kids I realize my time is tight. My youngest is 7 months and doesn’t sleep much. I the a.m. I do my 15-minute prayer punch and a 15-minute T-tapp workout. Sometimes getting that in is a struggle. Regardless, before I tackle my day, I somehow get Jesus in first. That is the reason I put that 15-minute prayer punch together is because I struggled with that and wanted that quality time with the Lord. I hope you can use the 15-minute power punch to get that jump start on your day! Hang in there…that first year after having a baby is super hard. Thanks for sharing!
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I hear you! I get up early so that I have some quiet time in the mornings. Usually I fill it with Bible study and prayer. Sometimes I get distracted. (Ahem, it’s not even 7am yet and I’m reading blogs.) My days go much better when I spend that time with the Lord. So, now I’m gonna put down the phone and re-focus. 🙂
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You ROCK Maridy! That time with the Lord in the morning is so precious. Sometimes even though I get up early, someone comes knocking and my 15 minute prayer punch gets cut to 5 minutes–but at least it starts right! Thanks for sharing!!!
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