0:01 Have you ever stopped to wonder whether
0:03 your morning routine might be making God
0:07 grieve or even stir his anger? Most of
0:08 us go through life convinced we're
0:10 decent people, not realizing that the
0:13 smallest daily habits, especially how we
0:15 start our day, can quietly cut us off
0:18 from blessing, peace, and even the very
0:20 presence of God himself.
0:22 Imagine just for a moment that your
0:24 heart is like a beautiful garden at
0:26 dawn, fresh open, ready to be tended.
0:28 But what happens if each morning you let
0:31 weeds take root, the soil dry out, or
0:33 the gates swing open to thieves? You
0:35 wouldn't see the damage right away, but
0:37 by midday you'd start to notice the
0:40 wilt, the mess, the sense that something
0:42 precious has been lost. That's how it
0:45 works in the spiritual realm, too. What
0:47 we allow in the first moments of the day
0:49 can set the course for blessing or for
0:51 battle, for intimacy with God, or a
0:54 slow, subtle drift away from him. Let's
0:56 get honest. Most of us underestimate how
0:58 small repeated decisions become the
1:00 steering wheel of our destiny. Science
1:02 confirms it. The human brain is at its
1:04 most impressionable in the first 30
1:06 minutes after waking. That's when
1:09 habits, beliefs, and emotions are most
1:12 easily imprinted. Neuroscience tells us
1:14 that what we focus on early in the day
1:16 primes our brain for more of the same
1:19 negativity begets negativity. Gratitude
1:22 begets joy. That's why even secular high
1:25 achievers fiercely guard their morning
1:27 rituals. The Harvard study of adult
1:29 development showed that people who
1:31 practice gratitude and mindfulness on
1:33 waking are more resilient to stress and
1:36 enjoy better relationships while those
1:38 who rush into distraction, comparison,
1:40 or worry are more likely to feel
1:42 overwhelmed, irritable, and disconnected
1:44 all day long. But this is not just
1:47 science. It's spiritual truth that the
1:49 Bible laid out long before any research
1:52 study confirmed it. Proverbs tells us,
1:54 "In all your ways acknowledge him, and
1:57 he shall direct your paths." The first
1:59 15 minutes, even the first five, are
2:01 like spiritual seed in the garden of
2:04 your soul. Plant bitterness, busyiness,
2:06 or distraction, and you'll reap
2:08 exhaustion and emptiness. Plant
2:10 gratitude, trust, and focus on God, and
2:13 you'll walk with him all day. So, let me
2:15 ask you, what habits are you sewing
2:17 every morning? Are you unintentionally
2:20 doing things that anger God? Closing the
2:22 door to his favor before you even get
2:24 out of bed? Here are four habits that if
2:26 you let them take over, can not only
2:29 grieve, but actually provoke the anger
2:32 of God. Each one is subtle, easy to
2:34 excuse, but devastating in its long-term
2:37 effect. Let's break them down and expose
2:39 them in the light because freedom starts
2:42 with awareness. First is the habit of
2:44 neglecting prayer and forgetting God as
2:47 soon as you wake. Imagine a child living
2:49 in a house provided by loving parents,
2:51 food on the table, a roof overhead.
2:53 Every need met, yet that child walks
2:55 past the parents every morning without
2:58 so much as a nod, never pausing to say
3:00 thank you, never asking for help, never
3:02 acknowledging the ones who give them
3:04 everything. How would you feel if you
3:06 were that parent? Yet this is how many
3:09 of us treat God. We rise from sleep. His
3:12 gift draw breath. His gift step into a
3:14 day full of opportunity. His gift yet
3:17 rush straight for our phones, our tasks,
3:19 our plans as if God were invisible or
3:21 unnecessary. The Bible says, "In all
3:23 your ways acknowledge him, and he will
3:26 direct your paths." Proverbs 3:6. But
3:28 how can we expect God's direction,
3:30 blessing, and protection if we won't
3:32 even stop to acknowledge him at the
3:34 start of the day? David, the man after
3:36 God's own heart, declared, "In the
3:39 morning, Lord, you hear my voice. In the
3:41 morning, I lay my requests before you
3:44 and wait expectantly. Psalm 53. This is
3:46 not just a good idea. It is spiritual
3:49 survival. Prayer in the morning isn't
3:51 about checking a religious box. It's
3:53 about tuning your soul to heaven's
3:55 frequency. About inviting God to lead
3:57 you, fortify you, and protect you from
3:59 the battles and temptations you can't
4:02 even see coming. Neglecting this is like
4:03 a soldier going into battle without
4:06 armor or a driver getting on the highway
4:09 with no fuel. Jesus himself, sinless,
4:11 all powerful, rose early and withdrew to
4:14 solitary places to pray. Mark 1:35. If
4:17 he needed to do it, how much more do we
4:18 ask yourself? Is the first thing you do
4:20 in the morning an act of devotion or an
4:23 act of distraction? Do you wake with
4:25 gratitude? Or do you go straight to your
4:28 emails, news feeds, and social media?
4:30 Who truly rules your morning's God or
4:32 your notifications? If prayer isn't your
4:34 first response, why not what or who is
4:36 ruling your heart? Here's a challenge
4:38 starting tomorrow. Don't let your feet
4:40 hit the floor without first pausing to
4:42 say, "Thank you, Lord, for this new day.
4:44 I give you my mind, my choices, my
4:47 plans. Lead me. It doesn't have to be
4:50 long." 5 minutes of real focused
4:52 gratitude and surrender can shift your
4:54 entire day. You'll find that your
4:56 perspective softens, your burdens
4:58 lighten, and a quiet strength carries
5:01 you. Try it and see how the spiritual
5:04 climate of your home and heart changes.
5:05 The second habit is the spirit of
5:07 complaint. Starting the day not with
5:09 praise but with grumbling. Complaining
5:12 is like painting dark clouds across your
5:14 own sky before the sun even rises. It
5:16 shuts the windows of blessing and opens
5:19 the door to frustration, anxiety, and
5:21 defeat. The Bible says, "Do everything
5:23 without complaining or arguing."
5:25 Philippians 2:14. Yet, how many of us
5:28 upon waking immediately start focusing
5:30 on what's wrong? the aches, the to-do
5:32 list, the dread of work, the little
5:34 irritations. God gives you breath
5:35 strength, a new beginning, but your
5:38 first words are, "I'm tired. I don't
5:40 want to do this. Why does it have to be
5:43 so hard?" Complaining is more than a bad
5:45 attitude. It is spiritual rebellion, a
5:47 declaration to heaven that God's
5:49 goodness isn't enough, that his gifts
5:51 aren't sufficient, that you'd rather
5:54 focus on your lack than on his love.
5:57 Israel wandered the desert for 40 years,
5:59 not because God was unwilling to bless
6:01 them, but because their complaining
6:03 angered him. They magnified their
6:05 problems, minimized his miracles, and
6:08 forfeited the promised land. Numbers 14.
6:10 Complaining repels God's favor and
6:12 attracts trouble. Gratitude, on the
6:14 other hand, draws heaven's attention.
6:16 The Bible says, "Give thanks in all
6:18 circumstances, for this is God's will
6:20 for you in Christ Jesus." 1
6:23 Thessalonians 5:18. Gratitude is not a
6:25 feeling. It is a choice, a weapon
6:27 against negativity, depression, and
6:29 anxiety. So, what are your first words
6:32 in the morning? Praise or complaint. Do
6:34 you wake up counting your blessings or
6:36 counting your burdens? Here's a simple
6:39 experiment for one week. Write down
6:41 three things you're thankful for as soon
6:44 as you wake up. Speak them out loud. See
6:46 how it changes your mood, your
6:48 relationships, even your health.
6:50 Neuroscience shows that gratitude
6:52 rewires the brain, boosting immunity,
6:55 lowering stress, and improving sleep.
6:57 Spiritually, it opens the floodgates of
6:59 blessing. But if you wake up every
7:01 morning magnifying your problems, don't
7:03 be surprised if that's all you see the
7:05 rest of the day. Now, the third habit is
7:07 filling your mind with worldly
7:08 distractions before you fill it with
7:11 God's truth. Picture your mind as a
7:14 garden. What you plant first thing in
7:16 the morning will set the course for
7:17 everything that grows throughout the
7:20 day. If you start your day scrolling
7:22 through news feeds, gossip, or
7:24 anxietyinducing headlines, you're
7:27 planting weeds, fear, comparison,
7:30 insecurity. If you wake to music or
7:31 media filled with negativity, or
7:34 immorality, you're letting toxins seep
7:37 into the soil of your soul. The Bible
7:39 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of
7:42 this world, but be transformed by the
7:45 renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2. The
7:47 first thoughts and images you expose
7:49 yourself to become the blueprint for
7:51 your day's emotions, decisions, and
7:54 spiritual sensitivity. Jesus said, "Seek
7:56 first the kingdom of God and his
7:58 righteousness, and all these things will
8:01 be added to you." Matthew 6:33. Seek
8:03 first not after social media, not after
8:06 email, not after your favorite podcast.
8:07 If you feed your spirit with junk food
8:09 first, don't be shocked when you're
8:12 hungry, irritable, or anxious by noon.
8:14 Imagine a farmer who wakes up, surveys
8:16 his field, and instead of planting wheat
8:18 or fruit, deliberately sews weeds and
8:21 thorns. Would he expect a good harvest?
8:24 Yet, that's exactly what we do when we
8:26 fill our minds with the world's chaos
8:28 drama or shallow entertainment before
8:31 seeking God. Jesus set the pattern. He
8:33 began every day seeking the Father's
8:35 voice before any other. That's why he
8:37 walked in clarity, peace, and power no
8:39 matter the storm. Try this for three
8:42 mornings. Resist the urge to check your
8:44 phone or turn on any media for the first
8:47 30 minutes. Instead, read a psalm,
8:49 listen to worship, or simply sit in
8:51 silence and let your mind be shaped by
8:53 truth. Watch how your decisions,
8:56 reactions, and energy shift. Watch how
8:58 the voice of the spirit becomes clearer
9:00 when you tune out the world even for a
9:02 little while. The fourth habit is
9:04 rushing into decisions big or small
9:07 without first seeking God's direction.
9:09 Picture a sailor setting out to sea
9:11 without checking his compass. Or a pilot
9:14 taking off without a flight plan. That's
9:15 what it's like to rush into your day,
9:17 your plans, meetings, relationships,
9:19 even your breakfast without asking,
9:21 "Lord, what do you want? What's your
9:24 will for me today?" Proverbs 16:3 says,
9:26 "Commit your work to the Lord and your
9:28 plans will be established." God wants to
9:30 lead you, but he won't force his way
9:32 into your schedule. The Holy Spirit is
9:35 gentle, never intrusive. If you move too
9:37 quickly, you'll miss his whispers, his
9:39 warnings, and his wisdom. The Bible
9:42 gives a haunting example. Joshua, after
9:44 leading Israel into the promised land,
9:46 was tricked by the Gibeonites. Simply,
9:49 Boo, make a major decision whether to
9:51 take a job, send a text, commit to a
9:53 meeting, invest your money, or confront
9:57 someone. Pause. Give God 60 seconds.
10:00 Ask, "Father, is this your will? Is this
10:03 the right step? Am I moving in your
10:06 timing, Jesus himself?" Though all wise
10:08 spent nights in prayer before choosing
10:11 his disciples. Luke 6:12.
10:13 The pattern is clear. Those who wait for
10:16 God's direction never lose their way for
10:18 long. Let's pull all this together.
10:20 Neglecting prayer, complaining, feeding
10:22 your mind with the world's noise, and
10:24 rushing through decisions without God.
10:27 These are not just minor bad habits.
10:29 They are subtle yet serious ways of
10:31 pushing God away, closing off his
10:34 guidance, his comfort, and his blessing.
10:37 Over time, they create a climate in your
10:38 heart that is cold, anxious, and
10:41 spiritually dull. But here's the hope.
10:44 God's mercies are new every morning. He
10:45 is eager to meet you at the break of
10:48 day, ready to refresh, to lead, to love,
10:50 to restore. The door to intimacy with
10:52 him is always open if you will simply
10:54 pause, acknowledge him, and invite him
10:57 in. Let this be your turning point.
10:59 Choose one habit to change tomorrow
11:02 morning. Try a 4-day challenge. Commit
11:04 to praying first, giving thanks before
11:06 you complain, reading scripture before
11:08 social media, and pausing for God's
11:10 direction before making decisions.
11:13 Journal your experience. Share your
11:15 victories and struggles with a friend or
11:17 in your faith community. The
11:19 breakthroughs, peace, and sense of God's
11:21 presence you've been longing for might
11:22 be waiting on the other side of the
11:25 smallest morning decision. [Music]
