Starting First

You wake up hungry every morning. Even if your stomach isn’t empty, your soul is. Longing. Needy. Restless. That gnawing hunger might push you toward breakfast, your phone, or a few more minutes of sleep. But beneath it all, your soul is craving something far more important than food or comfort.

You were made to wake up hungry for God.

This isn’t a flaw in our design it’s intentional. Each new morning, God gives us a fresh ache that serves as an invitation. Before we rush into the world’s demands, He invites us to draw near. The hunger is the call: come and be filled.

And for one man George Mueller it took nearly four decades to truly discover how.

The Breakthrough of 1841

George Mueller, known for caring for over 10,000 orphans in 19th-century England, journaled a discovery in 1841 that changed the course of his spiritual life. His simple but profound insight was this. “The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day [is] to have my soul happy in the Lord.”

Not to plan, not to serve, not even to pray first. But to feed his soul. To be filled before pouring out. Mueller understood what many of us miss ministry isn’t sustainable without intimacy. And intimacy begins with joy in God.

First Business: Get Happy in God

Mueller reframed his mornings. Instead of beginning with a to-do list or a burden to serve others, he started with a mission to get his soul “into a happy state.” Not superficial cheerfulness, but deep satisfaction in God’s presence.

That might sound self-centered at first glance. But it’s not. It’s biblical. Psalm 90:14 says, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Before we do anything, we were made to be satisfied in Him.

Mueller realized that filling up must come before pouring out. Joy must precede service. Delight must precede discipline.

Not Just Prayer God’s Word First

Here’s where it gets practical. Mueller confessed that for years, he started his days with prayer. But often, he struggled to focus. It could take 30 minutes or more before he felt connected to God.

The breakthrough came when he reversed the order: Scripture first, prayer second.

He wrote, “What is the food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God.”

The shift wasn’t from one discipline to another, but from speaking first to listening first. God speaks through His word. And as we receive it, slowly and intentionally, we are fed.

The Lost Art of Meditation

Mueller didn’t just read the Bible. He meditated.

He described it this way:

• “Not the simple reading of the Word of God… but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”

This is where many of us struggle. We read quickly, check the box, and move on. But Mueller slowed down. He savored. He lingered over each verse, allowing it to nourish his heart before moving to the next.

He let Scripture sink in deep then he turned what he read into prayer. “I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go on, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it.”

This rhythm meditate, then pray transformed Mueller’s devotional life. And it can transform ours too.

Prayer as a Response

Prayer, Mueller discovered, becomes richest when it flows from the Word. After soaking in truth, he wrote, “I speak to my Father and to my Friend about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.”

This wasn’t routine it was communion. And communion, Mueller believed, was the real goal. Not productivity. Not information. Not even ministry prep. But fellowship with the risen Christ.

Why This Changes Everything

The world says, “Get up and get busy.” Jesus says, “Come to Me and rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Starting with Scripture-centered meditation and prayer isn’t about having a polished quiet time it’s about entering into joy. Into strength. Into the only kind of satisfaction that can carry us through hardship, temptation, and spiritual fatigue.

Mueller admitted this practice didn't just help him survive trials it helped him rejoice in them. He could pass “in peace through deeper trials, in various ways, than I had ever had before.”

Why? Because he began his days with full hands and a full heart.

Try It Tomorrow

Here’s how to begin:

1. Wake up hungry. Acknowledge your soul’s ache. Let that longing direct you to God, not your phone.

2. Open your Bible first. Before you talk to God, listen to Him. Let His Word speak.

3. Meditate slowly. Don’t rush. Linger over each verse. Ponder it. Apply it. Ask, “What does this show me about God? About myself?”

4. Let it lead to prayer. Let Scripture shape your adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and requests.

5. Don’t do it for others. Do it for your own soul. Ministry may benefit, but communion is the goal.

As Mueller exclaimed, “How different when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the morning!”

Share this with someone who needs a fresh start in their time with God or subscribe to our newsletter for more truth-filled encouragement each week.