The Morning Routine of Jesus: A Life-Changing Week of Prayer and Worship

Most Christians Want to Be Like Jesus—But Few Dare to Live Like Him

We admire Jesus for His miracles, His wisdom, and His love. But what about His habits? His rhythms? The sacred, unseen moments before the world even knew He was awake?

For one week, I committed to following Jesus’ morning routine—rising while it was still dark, retreating into solitude, and seeking the Father before anything else. What happened next transformed the way I will approach prayer and worship forever.

The Beauty of Early Morning Stillness

There’s something about the hush of the early morning—before the noise, before the demands of little ones, before the world starts pulling you in a thousand directions. It’s a chance to connect with the Lord in stillness, to hear the world wake up, to start the day with peace.

Jesus embraced this time, too. Mark 1:35 tells us:

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

I was reminded of this when I was pregnant with my third child. Unable to do my usual workouts, I took to walking early in the morning, before the sun rose. I had a flip phone instead of a smartphone, so I left it behind—just me and the Lord, rain or shine. Much like Jesus withdrew to desolate places to pray, I found solace in those quiet moments.

But over time, I drifted away from that habit. My mornings became filled with tasks and distractions. I still prayed and read my Bible, but my posture had become lazy, my devotion scattered.

Learning from Jesus’ Morning Rhythms

Jesus’ mornings weren’t rushed. He didn’t check off a “prayer time” box before moving on. He sought the Father intentionally, in a way that nurtured earnest communion. I can only imagine He craved it. He recognized His desperate need for connection with the Father.

John 8:2 shows that after prayer, Jesus moved into teaching—stepping into His purpose for the day with clarity and peace. His mornings had a rhythm: prayer, worship, obedience.

And yet, most of us start our mornings with anything but that.

I was convicted. How could I claim to follow Jesus while skipping over the very habits He practiced?

So, I committed to waking early—not just to be awake, but to truly pray. But I quickly ran into an unexpected struggle…

How Body Language Shapes Prayer

Did you know that even your body language can shape the way you pray?

I used to think prayer was just about my heart. Folding hands, bowing heads, kneeling—those were just traditions, right? But then I read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and became painfully aware of how apathetic my body language had become during prayer.

In the book, the senior demon Screwtape advises his nephew, Wormwood, to encourage humans to neglect the physical aspects of prayer—treating it as just a mental exercise rather than an embodied act of worship. He warns that posture matters. Kneeling fosters humility. Standing conveys readiness. But if a person prays in a casual, lazy posture, their prayers may become weaker or less sincere.

Lewis’s insight struck me deeply. My prayers had become comfortable, casual, and even robotic. If I was going to follow Jesus’ morning routine, I needed to reclaim the physical act of prayer.

Biblical Postures of Prayer

The Bible doesn’t prescribe a single required posture for prayer, but it does highlight different positions that reflect attitudes of the heart:

• Kneeling (Humility, Submission)
  Luke 22:41 – “And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed.”
• Standing (Respect, Readiness)
  Mark 11:25 – “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone…”
• Prostration (Deep Reverence, Urgency)
  Matthew 26:39 – “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed…”
• Lifting Hands (Surrender, Dependence)
  1 Timothy 2:8 – “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands…”

So, I started kneeling every morning. At first, it was uncomfortable—both physically and mentally. I even set a timer because I ran out of things to say after 60 seconds. But by day four, something shifted—I wasn’t just speaking words; I was truly conversing with the Father.

Yet, one element was still missing…

The Call to Worship Like Heaven

We were made for worship. Even creation worships. But are we truly worshiping with adoration toward the Father?

I’ve always been a quiet worshipper—mumbling lyrics, keeping my hands still, afraid to draw attention to myself. But then I studied Revelation, and what I found crushed me.

Heavenly worship is not timid. It is all-consuming, whole-hearted, continuous. The elders fall before the throne. The angels cry out day and night:

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8)

And yet, I was barely offering a whisper.

Embracing Wholehearted Worship

If I wanted to follow Jesus’ rhythm, I needed to engage in worship with the same passion and reverence seen in heaven. So, I chose one song—CeCe Winans’ Holy, Holy, Holy—and every morning, I let myself worship fully. Raising my hands. Singing with my whole heart. Letting go of self-consciousness and standing in awe of God.

And something in me broke open.

By day seven, I realized something profound about my faith…

We say we want to be close to God—but are we actually making room for Him?

At the start of this journey, I thought I was already a prayerful person. But what I learned was humbling.

I was good at quick prayers, urgent prayers, prayers of gratitude. But I had neglected the deep, intentional, devoted prayer that Jesus modeled.

The Power of a Christ-Centered Morning

This one change—dedicated morning prayer and worship—transformed my faith:

• I found deeper intimacy with God.
• I prayed for my family with greater intention.
• I worshiped with my whole being instead of holding back.

I’m still far from the heavenly worship described in Revelation, but I know I’m closer.

If you want to see the full morning routine I follow—including how I wake up at 4 AM without exhaustion—be sure to come back for my next post.

And don’t forget to join my free workshop to transform your mornings and become the peaceful, patient mother God has called you to be.