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You know that place between sleep and awake, that place where you still remember dreaming?
That’s where I’ll always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting.

—Peter Pan

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Reclaim Your Mornings: Why the First Hour is Sacred

You’ve probably realized when you first wake up, the mind is in a unique state.

Neurologically, we’re transitioning out of sleep through theta and alpha brainwaves—the same states associated with openness, creativity, learning, and deep receptivity. This is when our inner world is more impressionable and our outer world less rigid.

In other words, the soul is awake before our defense mechanisms are.

That’s not an accident. God designed your mind to be especially open in the moments between sleep and alertness. It’s a sacred threshold—when what you set your mind to doesn’t just inform you, it forms you. A place where possibility becomes potent.

Sadly, studies show most of us reach for our phones within minutes of waking. We scroll, process messages, get a jump on our day, etc. But this habit floods our souls with noise, urgency, and comparison—training our minds toward self- and sin-consciousness rather than God-consciousness, ending this unique state of liminality.  

The bottom-line, my friend, is smart mornings don’t include smartphones.

The First Hour Challenge: How to Start Your Day with God

That is why I want to invite you to join me in what I’m calling the First Hour Challenge. I must warn you, though, it’s simple but not easy.

For the next 14 days, do not look at your phone for the first hour of the day.

I’ve followed this practice for years and have invited many others to join me. And what I hear from virtually every person is, “This changed my life!” Yes, you’ll need to use something else for an alarm. Yes, you may need to wake a bit earlier. Yes, you’ll need to put your phone outside of your bedroom. Yes, it will be uncomfortable and unnatural at first. But I promise you, it will come with a peace and clarity that will reshape how you engage the people, problems, and possibilities of your day.

Practices for a Phone-Free, God-Focused Morning

You may be thinking, What am I supposed to do during that hour? Well, I’m glad you asked. Here’s a list of practices. Each one of these will help you move from self-consciousness (a focus on what you’re doing or not doing) to a God-consciousness (an awareness of God’s nearness and the power of the Spirit).

The first hour will look different for each of us, so feel free to move through these and be honest about which practices work best for you and your season. Again, remember these practices are not about religious performance—they are meant to foster sensitivity to God’s presence, the reality of Immanuel, God with us.

• Rest in Prayer: Sit (or lay) quietly with eyes open or closed for 5–15 minutes, resisting the urge to fill the space. Let awareness itself become prayer.
• Honor Your Body as God’s Temple: Stretch or move gently. You can also scan your body in prayer, naming and releasing tension while asking for God’s peace.
• Read Scripture: Don’t try to master the Bible. Surrender to it. Pay attention to what leaps inside of you. And when a person, problem, or possibility comes to mind, pause and pray rather than rushing past the thought.
• Move in Prayer: Take a walk or run—indoors or outdoors—with no music, podcasts, or distractions. Prayer is more about listening than speaking but give God your words as they form in you. Reading other inspired books can be helpful, too.
• Write It Down: Journal whatever comes to mind: fear, concerns, things you need to get done. Capture and release them to God. You can come back to your list and process it later. Beginning with gratitude is always a great option, too.

If you have it already, the 40-day prayer journal is a great companion for this challenge. If you don’t have it, you can get it through Amazon or wherever you get your books.

Closing Prayer

Father,
Awaken my heart before my feet touch the floor.
Teach me to give You my first glance, my first thought, my first breath.
Guard my attention from distraction and draw it toward delight.
Open my eyes to watch for Your hand at work around me.
Let every moment become worship—
every task a quiet yes to Your presence.
Meet me in the morning, and move through my day.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Praying with you,

Addison Bevere