Daily Bread: Companion Article

This article is a companion post to this post from the Iron Habits Instagram Page.

Each morning begins with a choice: will you fuel your body and soul, or will you rush into the day on empty? Spiritual strength requires nourishment just as physical strength does. When you commit to opening your Bible and spending a few moments in prayer before checking your phone or attending to life’s demands, you lay a foundation of peace and purpose. Ten to fifteen minutes minutes—which doesn't even need to be all at once— can completely alter the course of your day, and thus, your life. As days pass, you discover that these quiet moments become anchors, daily bread steadying your heart when schedules grow hectic.

Yet devotion need not be confined to a morning ritual. The second piece of advice is to carry God into every corner of your day. Instead of allowing work meetings, traffic jams, or domestic chores to mentally check you out from spiritual reality, you learn to pause briefly, offering up a whispered “Thank You” or “Lord, guide my next step.” These interruptions—no longer than a breath—remind your mind that God is present even when your hands are busy. Over time, this practice reshapes your entire perspective, transforming mundane tasks into opportunities for divine awareness.

Preparing to lift. Finding peace.

You’ll quickly notice that there are unexpected pockets of time—moments when you might otherwise scroll social media or stare at a blank wall—that can become precious windows of reflection. Finding ways to insert the Bible or a devotional text into your day, in places such as the bathroom counter or starting up your car, inserts of mentality of thoughtfulness and Godliness. Maybe you read one Psalm while waiting for the shower to warm up, or pause to meditate on a short devotional while brushing your teeth. These scattered minutes accumulate, quietly filling your mind with truth and preparing your heart to face the world with strength anchored in Christ.

When your hands are occupied—driving to work, mowing the lawn, or grinding through a tough set at the gym—you might think that spiritual growth has to wait. The fourth bit of advice dispels that notion by encouraging you to fill your ears with faithful teaching and worship. Subscribing to a sermon podcast or a concise Bible-teaching series turns your commute or chore time into small classrooms for the soul. Over a few weeks, you’ll realize that those hours spent listening to stories from Scripture or Scripture-based discussions give you fresh insights to mull over during the rest of your day. You begin to carry the truths you’ve heard into conversations with coworkers, or let them shape your mindset between sets at the weight rack.

Even as these practical habits deepen, it’s vital to remember that your relationship with God is not a checklist of tasks but a living conversation. The sixth slide challenges you to nurture that friendship beyond structured devotion time. Rather than treating prayer like another item to tick off, you converse with God as you would with a trusted friend—sharing hopes, struggles, and moments of awe. In the evening, you might sit quietly before bed and recount aloud the ways you glimpsed God’s hand in your day. By journaling these reflections, you create a tangible record of answered prayers and gentle nudges that, in retrospect, reveal a faithful God guiding you step by step.

As you grow more attuned to this dialogue, something remarkable happens: you begin to perceive God’s presence everywhere, not just in formal “spiritual” settings. In that sixth slide, I call you to look for His work throughout your slate of responsibilities—at the office, on the basketball court, or during a family dinner. You train your eyes to notice seemingly small evidences of grace: a colleague’s timely word of wisdom, the strength to push through a final set when you felt like quitting, or a peaceful resolution to a household tension you expected to escalate. By pausing each afternoon—perhaps during a short walk—to ask, “Where have I seen God at work today?” you cultivate gratitude that seeps into every aspect of life.

One last note: I would encourage you to share your journey as you walk along it. Spiritual growth thrives in community. As you build these rhythms—quiet mornings in Scripture, quick prayers between tasks, brief devotions in unexpected moments—you become a walking testimony to friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. When you tell another man, “I’ve been starting my day with prayer and a Scripture verse before my workout,” or post about how a sermon you heard fueled your perseverance during a tough week, you invite others into the same journey. Sharing isn’t merely about broadcasting success; it’s about creating accountability, extending encouragement, and multiplying the strength God has given you.