You know the routine. The alarm buzzes at 5 a.m. sharp. Your heart races as you “slide to stop” your phone from waking the entire house. You contemplate going back to sleep, but you’re convinced your new schedule will help fix your life.

So you get up, pray for 15 minutes, journal for another 15 minutes, and read and reflect on a Bible verse for 30 minutes. You end your session, feeling accomplished, because you “put God first.” From there, you get ready for work and other activities, and God is never thought of for the rest of the day. But the routine is going, so you’re convinced all is well. But is this really the case?

Now, let me be clear. This is not really written to address those who are clearly in a season where they are adjusting to a new norm and therefore must meet God where He makes the time (like a parent with a newborn or someone getting adjusted to a new job and schedule). I understand that new seasons require adjustments, and so trial and error takes place until we get acclimated with what works.

Who I’m addressing are those who have watched enough content of influencers making a living off of telling us that in order to get the life we want, we just need to discipline ourselves with a strict routine. Wake up early, fit everything into time constraints, get to bed by a certain time and watch everything flow perfectly.

As someone who has tried it all, and gradually grew tired, I’m here to tell you that the routine you’re chasing might be the very thing ruining your walk. In fact, this kind of fixed routine is nothing but control being packaged as discipline. And while it may work for them, it doesn’t mean it will work for you.

We wonder why God does not feel near. Could it be that our obsession to have a productive day (on our terms) is what’s hindering us? I’m not saying we should all wake up and go with the flow every single day. But I know all too well about having a schedule so structured that if God interrupted it, I’d have a fit.

Let’s use my example from earlier. I was once part of the 5 a.m. crew, and boy did I hate it. But that’s not the focus of this clarity.

I woke up that early because I was trying to maximize my time to do all the things I wanted (and needed to do). So I put God at the top of my morning because I knew by the time I got home from work, I wouldn’t have anything to give Him (or so I thought). But I realized during that time, I became less responsive to His leading because I told myself I would pray, journal, read and reflect all in one hour. If the prayer was about to go past 15 minutes, I’d cut it short just to fit everything else. But what if God wanted me to pray for one hour? My routine wasn’t going to allow it. I was structuring my life to match the performance-driven life of someone else.

Am I saying we’re wrong for meeting God before work or that one hour of fellowship is not enough? No. What I’m saying is, what might be scheduled as a 15-minute prayer session might turn into a 45-minute intercession moment for someone God places on your heart. Are you OK with dropping your routine to be led by the Holy Spirit? Or how about God pulling on you to read the Word when you get home, instead of reaching for the remote? Will you respond with obedience, or will you say, “But I already gave You 30-minutes this morning?”

This post is just the tip of the iceberg concerning my thoughts about routine. There’s more to this series that I’d like to expound on. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey!

Until the next post,

The Glory Writer