7 Ways to Give God the First 15 Minutes of Your Day With the Virtual Jesus Challenge

Key Takeaways: 

How to spend your first 15 minutes of the day with God: 

• Keep it simple and bitesized 

• Leave your phone alone 

• Go outside, away from distractions 

• Spend time in Scripture 

• Be real and honest, not perfect 

• Let God’s presence shape your heart for the day ahead 

We all go to bed with the BEST intentions for tomorrow. 

Tomorrow’s the day. I’m going to spend time with God first thing, get a strong start before the chaos of the day takes off! I’m going to be grounded, peaceful, totally in tune with God. 😇

And then… 

⏰ The alarm goes off. 

😴 I whack snooze. 

📲 Or even worse, I check my phone for “just a second.” (Yeah right!) 

🗣️ Someone yells “MOMMMM.” 

And just like that, the day took off without me. Again. 

You know what I’m talking about? 

You love God, you really do! And you always feel better when you spend time with Him in the morning.

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But mornings race by in a blur, and by the time you have a second to breathe, the demands of the day have already consumed your mind. 

So when you hear, “Give God the first 15 minutes of your day,” it sounds beautiful, but also, how?? 🤔 

What does that actually look like with distractions, a house full of children, and a groggy brain early in the morning? 

And, honestly, is 15 minutes really worth it? It’s so small and forgettable. Surely it’s not that big of a deal. 🤷

The reality is that this habit isn’t actually about those 15 minutes. 

🚨 The point is how those first 15 minutes shape the following 23 hours. 

That small window sets the tone for everything to follow: your thoughts, reactions, stress levels, perspective. 

You’re not alone in wondering how to do this. This question is one of the most-asked questions in the Jesus challenge. 

“I want to give God my first 15 minutes, but I have no idea how to actually do that.” 

So let me walk you through exactly what this can look like in real life, alongside very real demands and constraints. 👇

What Does “Giving God Your First 15 Minutes” Actually Mean? 

Let’s clear this up first, because some people can get stuck right here. 

When you hear, “Give God your 15 minutes,” you might picture: 

• A perfectly quiet house 

• A hot cup of coffee that’s actually still hot 

• Your Bible, highlighters, journals all lined up 

• You sitting there fully awake, excited, focused, and deeply spiritual 

Well if that’s the expectation, no wonder we never start! That’s pretty impossible for most of us! 

I have that picture too, but it’s not at all what this challenge means. 🙅

Giving God your first 15 minutes simply means this: turning your full attention to God BEFORE the world gets it. 

Before your phone. 

Before your to-do list. 

Before planning. 

Before the mental spiral of everything you need to get done today. 

It’s a way to prioritize the MOST important voice before all the other voices come clamoring in and vie for your attention. 

Let me just say this, too, a loving and gentle reminder that I need all the time: 

🚨This is not a time to be a multitasking wizard. 

I know it feels weird and unnatural to be still or quiet without working on 5 things at once. But this isn’t time to catch up on cooking, on Instagram, or planning parties in your head. 

It’s a tiny, intentional pocket of your day dedicated to God alone. Before you give yourself to everyone and everything else today, give those first few minutes to God. 

Now, let’s talk specifics. 👇

Tip #1: Don’t Touch Your Phone 📵 

I know. Bold request. 

But the second you open your phone, your brain is gone. Texts, emails, news, stress, decisions, etc. 

God first. World second. 

Tip #2: Go Outside Immediately ☀️ 

Don’t give yourself time to overthink it. Just get yourself outside the threshold. 

Fresh air + movement = your brain wakes up and your soul tunes in to God’s creation around you. 

This is the PERFECT time to go on a quiet, refreshing walk with Jesus. Before the day comes barreling into your heart and mind. 

Tip #3: Just Start Talking to God 🤲

You don’t need a script. You can just say normal things like: 

• “Good morning, God. I’m tired.” 

• “Thank you for the chance to rest.” 

• “I don’t know what to do about today.” 

• “I’m worried about ____.” 

Unload it all (and I mean EVERYTHING) into His capable hands before the day unloads on you. 

Tip #4: Read God’s Word 📖

Keep it really simple. The easiest option is to read your assigned passage of the Jesus virtual challenge. You can read it at home or listen to it while you walk. This takes the decision-making OFF your plate, and you can just autopilot turn to the assigned Bible passage of the day. 

There’s no pressure to show up a certain way as you open God’s Word. HE is the One working through it, not by anything you can or can’t bring to the table. Just come as you are, and let God’s truth wash over you. 

He knows what He’s doing, and He’ll show you what you need to see. 

Tip #5: Be Quiet Before God 👂

I know, it sounds too simple to be effective. But give it a try! Sit quietly, still before the God of the universe. 

Don’t do anything. 

Don’t talk about anything. 

Let God speak and minister to your heart without trying to fill every second. 

Let me tell you, this is powerful. Perfect for a busy parent who’s forgotten what silence sounds like. 😅

Tip #6: Wake Up Before Everyone Else (When Possible) ⏰

This is your peace window. 

Even 10-15 minutes before the house wakes up changes your whole perspective on the day. No interruptions or “I’m hungry’s.” Just you and Jesus sharing a few sweet minutes together. 

Tip #7: Do It Anyway When Life is Loud 💥

Kids awake? Life exploding around you? Do it anyway. 

Let them see you. 

Let them sit next to you. 

Let it be imperfect. 

Let them learn their own routine to give God their first 15 minutes. 

This challenge isn’t meant to force a perfect morning, but to intentionally invite God into your REAL life. And that means messy, loud, emotional, and imperfect. 

What If I Miss a Day (Or a Few?) 

You will! Plain and simple. 😊

A kid will wake up early. You’ll sleep through your alarm. Real life happens to all of us. 

And when it does, nothing is wrong. 

The goal is not to prove how disciplined or “spiritual” you are. 

You’re building a rhythm, a relationship. As you practice it, you develop a natural hunger for Jesus that propels this habit deeper. 

And if you have kids watching you (they always do!), they need to see how to be human AND keep coming back to God. THAT is the reality they'll face in their own lives someday too! 

So when you miss a day, you have a choice: ⚖️

1. Beat yourself up and quit 

2. Spiral into guilt and shame 

3. Accept that you’re human and say with a smile, “Alrighty! Let’s try again tomorrow.” 

Only ONE of those options builds a long-lasting, healthy life with God. 

The only real “failure” here is stopping altogether. So miss the days you need to. Just don’t miss the invitation to keep coming back to Him. 

Making it Stick With the Virtual Jesus Challenge 

Now you might be worried that all this sounds great, but…. 

Tomorrow morning will still come. 

And life will still happen. 

And you might forget. 

And the day runs off with you again. 🫣

And I want to let you know that that’s ok! That’s exactly why I created the virtual Jesus challenge.

I’m a busy mom, wife, business owner, and member of our community, so I get it, I really do. 😅 Like you, I need something that makes this practice simple and automatic. That I just habitually do without thinking. 

The Jesus virtual challenge takes care of all of that for you. Instead of waking up and thinking, “How should I spend this time?”, “How do I start?”, or “What should I read?” it’s all laid out for you. 

Here’s what’s included in the Jesus challenge: 

• Daily pre-planned Scripture reading for 40 days (goodbye, decision fatigue) 

• A commitment to walk 1 mile daily 

• A community of people, also busy and tired, doing it right alongside you 

It’s simple, guided, and designed for busy Christians or non-Christians who want to spend time with Jesus, but need a little support getting back on track. 🤝

So no, you don’t have to overhaul your entire morning routine. You don’t need to wake up at 5am or become a totally new person overnight. 

Just try it out tomorrow morning. 

15 minutes. One small step out your door. One important “yes” to God before the world gets you. 

And if you want to hold on to this habit and make it a lifestyle, join the Jesus virtual challenge below. 👇

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