Christian Morning Routine for Anxiety (and Depression)
You wake up, and before your feet touch the floor, your mind is already moving. Thoughts stack on top of each other. Responsibilities. Conversations. What-ifs. As a Christian, you know you should begin the day with peace, yet anxiety often arrives before prayer does.
Mornings set the emotional trajectory for the rest of the day. And without structure, anxiety quietly takes the lead. If you’re struggling with anxiety in the mornings as a Christian, you’re not alone. A structured Christian morning routine for anxiety can calm your mind, anchor your thoughts in Scripture, and build emotional steadiness before the day begins.
When we go to sleep, our body is relieved of any pain and suffering we may have endured during the day because the soul (psychological mind) is unconscious during sleep, leaving only the subconscious active. And our brain and body reap the benefits of sleep.
When our soul awakens from sleep, our conscious mind becomes active again, and all the troubles we are enduring come to our awareness. And so, it is in this way that one can awaken to the flood of anxiety and the weight of depression within them as they’ve just woken up from sleep.
How Christians Can Reduce Morning Anxiety
What we need to do as we awaken from sleep, is tell our mind where to go, instead of it flooding itself with whatever it sees fit. The mind is like a supercomputer. It is a tool. A tool that can be programmed to behave a certain way. All we need to do is train in it in the way that it should operate. All we have to do is renew it with light, goodness, and peace, which we find abundantly in Christ, through the Word of God, the Bible.
When our soul becomes conscious and we are awake, we should intentionally through self-control initiate the first thought our mind should think, and that thought should be you thinking of how Jesus Christ is very real and very alive and seated in glory at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
Picture the Son of God from the Bible, not an image of a white man in the churches, because any image claiming to be God is an idol, but picture the Word of God reigning as King of all kings in heaven. Feel this in your heart. When you are feeling and thinking and envisioning this reality, you are meditating on the living Word of God, and what you are not doing is being made anxious by any worldly circumstance.
When troubles come to mind, respond to them by telling them that the Lord Jesus is very real and alive and glorified in heaven, and what that means is that I will live forever without any pain or trouble when this world and you, its troubles, fade away to nothingness. Tell your troubles that you will live forever and they will cease to exist forever, very soon. Tell them you are an eternal being, and the Almighty God is in your midst this very second.
Ask your trouble(s): “What are you to eternity? What are you to me now when I will continue forever and you cease as if you’ve never existed before?” When we are doing this, we will be practicing being new creations in Christ, heirs of the Heavenly Father, inheritors of the earth, one with the Holy Spirit, and beings who have possessed eternal life even in the right now. This is not motivational speaking, it is embodied truth.
Whenever a feeling and its thoughts try to overwhelm you, overwhelm them back with your eternal existence and their temporary existence. Do this meditative practice morning till evening, for as long as troubles and trials have anything to say, and for as long as they still temporarily exist.
Biblical Habits for Starting the Day in Peace
As we will have made meditating on the Word of God day and night a reality in our lives through the meditative practice of being aware that we are already eternal beings even in the here and now, we will also wholly reinforce living life like the children and heirs of God Almighty that we are. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” – John 14:27 ESV.
What does Christ’s peace mean within us? It means when someone offends or hurts us, we keep our peace by saying, “this won’t exist or matter in my eternal life,” and that is how it may cease to matter in our now.
This peace is not to be a cure for just anxiety and depression, but for even the small things in life that trouble us in our daily lives, we conquer them through the freedom of truth: having eternal life. The intentionality of responding to whatever tries to overcome us with our salvation and eternal life is the fruit of self-control that we have from the Holy Spirit.
It is one thing to read, “Be anxious for nothing,” and it is another thing to actually practice not being anxious for anything. The Holy Spirit teaches us to “…be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” – James 1:22 ESV.
As long as we believe it is impossible to not be anxious for anything, we can never practice this Word. We will live as deceived by not only ourselves because we know what the Bible says and yet wonder why we don’t have it, but we remain deceived by the spirit of the world as well because it is what has convinced us of a lie and made us not grasp truth.
In the Christian Night Routine for Anxiety and Stress, I discuss how, because we are in a physical body, we must not neglect to regulate our bodies through how we treat and nurture them. I discuss how the ultra-processed foods in this world aim to keep us in constant anxiety and stress by being filled with chemicals that aren’t food or nourishing.
It is important to remember that the deceiver is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV), and we need to live by the Spirit of knowledge and evade the grasp of the spirit of the world.
How to Read the Bible for Intimacy with the Spirit of Peace
As we have woken up to the thought of Christ being in heaven and His Spirit being within us, and respond to all negativity and trials by telling them they will soon cease to exist forever while we continue to live forever, having already begun to meditate on the Word of God without yet opening our Bibles, the time then comes to open our Bibles and pray, as the first and second thing we do physically and externally.
We only read our Bible book to book, chapter to chapter, and verse to verse, meaning we never read a random verse in a random book on a random day. We read the Bible as one would read a novel or any other book, only intentionally slower as we are meditating, thinking of, pondering, understanding, asking, praying, concerning what we read.
Sometimes, depending on the nature of the chapter, I can read the whole chapter in one sitting multiple times throughout the day. Sometimes I stay on one verse for a couple days. Sometimes I stay on a couple verses for a couple days, but I am always reading as if it were a novel book.
The Bible chapters and books are stories that flow logically and cohesively from the first to the last chapter, from the first to the last book, having gotten there through verses cohesively starting from the first verse to the last verse, and so it must be read like any other book would be read.
The Importance of Traditionally Chronological Reading
No one takes a novel or non-fiction book and starts reading on the 5th chapter, we always start on the first chapter and follow those chapters cohesively until the last. So whatever book you choose to read, start from its beginning, till its ending.
And because the Bible has two first books: the first book of the Old Testament being Genesis, and the first book of the New Testament being Matthew, when you embark on reading either the Old or New Testament, I advice you to start at the first books of these Testaments.
Flow cohesively reading book to book, till the last book on that Testament. Do this at least once, so you’ve read the bible from start to finish in the traditional chronological order (without considering time at all). I have found deep understanding in having done that.
From then on, I chose books I felt led to read, sometimes I would choose any book again, sometimes I would read the following book, but no matter what I would read from the first chapter to the last chapter. Non-negotiable. When you go to church on Sundays or Wednesdays or whenever, make sure you have a marker that depicts where your personal Bible reading was left off, so you continue there as you get back to your daily Scriptural meditation.
Prayer is the Most Powerful Tool
We should never forget to pray. We should pray about everything and anything. I kid you not, consider this: if ever you are not praying about a thing, especially a thing that troubles you, then you are declaring that you want to go through that thing alone and you do not need God’s help.
That is what not praying means. It is you telling God, “I got this.” I don’t know about you, but the only thing I want to have “got” is His peace, joy, love, kindness, all His goodness, and if it is anything else but these, I need His continued intervention.
I need His help and strength and might. I need the Holy Spirit to handle that matter, instead of handling it myself. This is why we have the Holy Spirit in our midst. This is what it means to have Him as our Helper, Comforter, Redeemer, Provider, and Sustainer.
We never have to handle anything by ourselves, but if we don’t pray and make our requests known to God, then we are subsequently telling Him we don’t want help, relief, healing, comfort, provision, etc., from Him, because we are handling it all by ourselves. We are okay with our suffering.
Are you okay with suffering? I reckon not. So, pray. And we should always lead with what we are thankful for, and if ever one is not even grateful for their breath, I’m sure they can be grateful for any of their senses or limbs. Meaning, we always find something to be thankful for as the door to making our requests known.
This is good because it also reveals to our minds the goodness of God that we already have. That we are not a stranger to God’s goodness, and so as we’ve received from Him, He will continue to be there for us. In How to Start Your Day Without Anxiety as a Christian, I discuss how anchoring ourselves in this goodness and truth is the key to our emotional and mental freedom.
How to Pray Unceasingly
How do we pray unceasingly? We do not always need to have our eyes closed when praying as that is the only way it is unceasingly. When we’re washing the dishes and we feel bad within, we right then and there pray for help as we’re washing. We don’t stop to park the car to pray, we pray right then and there. We don’t wait for the meeting to be over, in that very moment, we take those seconds to ask for help from the Holy Spirit about that matter.
Saying: “Holy Spirit please help, I’m feeling unpleasant right now.” And sometimes, it’s not talking to the Holy Spirit, it is a prayer: “Father, please help me I’m hurting really badly. In the name of Jesus, Amen.” We do this throughout the day and even, as long as we are conscious and in need, we ask.
These are desperate moment prayers, they’re short, and they don’t need to be perfect like involve thankfulness. Because the one that is intentional and acknowledges the Lord’s requirements is the one when our eyes can be closed (or not), after waking and before sleeping, thanking Him for all the help throughout the day. The knowledge we have is not there to imprison us, it is there so we can know how to practice it.
Be Occupied with the Presence of God
And finally, we should not forget to make melodies in our hearts to the Lord. To be with Him in silent moments that are not occupied by screens and music about sex and money and worldliness. It is better to be in stillness and silence, feeling the presence of the Lord within you through His peace and joy, etc., than to fill stillness and silence with the world.
Learn how to enjoy the presence of the Lord by outwardly being alone, but not actually being alone, because you are with the Lord. If suffering depression, tell that depression that: “I am with the Lord. I am not alone. The Lord is in my midst. I am not lonely. I am not forsaken. And I practice to be aware of the Lord within and subsequently feel Him by feeling His peace, joy, gentleness, holiness, and all His goodness.”
Scriptures to Read When You Wake Up Anxious
We do not go read about anxiety when we are anxious, we read about freedom, joy, peace, etc. We read about how we are heirs of Christ and inheritors of the earth because we are humble. We read about what the blood of Christ has made us to be.
P.S. Galatians 3:28 ESV, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” So, do not be offended when Bible translations refer to us all as “sons.” And that is not to say we are not male and female, because we already know God made male and female and that is why we are in these bodies, but it means that now we are the one body of Christ, not individuals.
Scripture for Anxiety and Depression:
“But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” – 1 Corinthians 6:17 ESV
“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” – Galatians 4:6-7 ESV
“… Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” – Revelation 1:5-6 KJV
“by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” – 2 Peter 1:4 ESV
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” – Romans 8:16-17 KJV
P.S. Do not fear when scripture says we suffer with Christ, consider this: because He conquered. We conquer too. And we cannot conquer what doesn’t come against us. Remember the battle is already one. The suffering is enduring the fact that we have to fight at all, however, we always win, for we have eternal life, and all we fight is at its last breath.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5 KJV
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” – Matthew 5:14 KJV
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” – Galatians 3:29 KJV
“And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.” – 1 John 2:25 ESV
Write these Scriptures down where you can easily find them when you might need to remember who you are.
Summary in Conclusion:
- Constantly respond to all negativity, trials, and tribulations by telling them you are eternal and they are temporary.
- Through the self-control fruit of the Holy Spirit, embodying the peace of Christ through bringing your perfect eternal life to mind in the present for even the small offences that are now nothingness.
- Meditating on/Reading the Bible as if it were a novel, only reading much slower, always starting where you last read.
- Pray. Pray above everything and anything. Tell God about all your negative feelings and thoughts, and thank God for all your positive feelings and thoughts. Always lead with thankfulness, whether for your breath or your limb. Always find what to be thankful for as the door to lay down your troubles at His feet.
- Make melodies in your heart to the Lord.
- Be still and be silent with the Lord.
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If you’re looking for a more in-depth, guided approach find it here:
May your mind be renewed, your faith be strengthened, and your peace be anchored in Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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