Welcome to Coffee With The King

Coffee with the King - a story of starting my day with the Creator of the Universe.

Before we dive into "Coffee with the King," I need to share a pivotal chapter of my life with you. It all began in May 2009, a moment in time that altered the course of my spiritual walk. During this period, I experienced an awakening, a profound hunger for God's Word. Looking back, I know it was God Himself that ignited a flame within me, a yearning to delve deeper into the scriptures, and to truly understand His heart and will through them.

At that time, as I reflected on my life, a stark realization dawned on me. The things I professed to value, the priorities I claimed to hold dear, did not line up to how I was actually spending my time. This dissonance led me to a place of earnest prayer; I pleaded with God to instill within me an insatiable thirst for His Word, to create a desire in me that would become the cornerstone of how I started each day. I wanted to know Him and I knew that He revealed Himself in his word. There was no substitute.

God, in His infinite grace, answered my plea. Since that transformative month now over a decade ago, there have scarcely been any days when I haven't spent time in His word. Yet, as my journey with the Word flourished, I found myself yearning for something more—a prayer life that mirrored the depth and intensity of my engagement with Scripture.

Over the years, I experimented with various approaches to prayer, from dedicating specific days to praying for different individuals to assigning themes for each day of the week. Despite these efforts, my prayer life felt void of the spontaneity and intimacy that characterizes a genuine relationship.

It was within this context that "Coffee with the King" was born. I am convinced that this a gift from God designed to enrich our communion - just like He did in years prior with His Word. This practice transcends mere routine; it is an invitation to sit in the presence of the Almighty, to converse with Him as with a dear friend, and to nurture a relationship as a father to a son.

Each morning, as I sit with my coffee, I am not just partaking in a ritual; I am engaging in a sacred meeting, a cherished appointment with my King. This time has become a source of joy and renewal that I eagerly anticipate each morning. I pray that my sharing of this journey will bless and encourage you.  

The Heart

Before starting this journey - ask the Lord to give you a desire for time with Him. Ask him to turn an ember into a flame - to soften your heart and cherish time with Him in prayer. 

(Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.)

The Agenda

Getting started…I use a working list. That’s right, over the days, weeks and months ahead just jot down anything you want to talk with God about. This will be your go to discussion list. It could be a situation you're facing, someone you’d like to pray for, lyrics to a worship song you’ve had in your head, or seeking clarity on some specific scripture -anything you want to talk with God about. Keep this list handy and add to it as you go about your day.  I have a folder in the Notes app on my iPhone called Coffee with the King. It’s helpful to have a way you can write something down during your busy day and be able to come back to it when you are going to have time to pray about it. 

(Philippians 4:6 - Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.)

The Coffee

First thing in the morning, make your favorite coffee brew. This part is called “habit stacking,” a term popularized by author James Clear in his book “Atomic Habits.” Habit stacking is based on the idea of pairing a new habit with an established one to increase the likelihood of the new habit sticking. This method leverages the brain’s existing neural pathways associated with the established habit to incorporate the new behavior more seamlessly. With Coffee with the King, you are stacking your morning coffee with time in prayer.  God cares about what we do and how we do it. He created us for good purpose and is glorified by actions. 

(Philippians 4:7-9 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.)

The Room

Next, find a place where there are no distractions. I have a chair that I specially use for this purpose…call it a prayer chair. This where I can be present with God.  

(Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.)

The Tone

Cue some tunes. I go for instrumental music - something about peaceful worship piano music that just sets the right tone in my mind. I think of it as holy background noise that helps keep the outside world on mute and my mind focused on time with the King.  This is particularly helpful during longer pauses. He gave us music as a way to worship of Him.

(Psalm 150:3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!)

The Prayer

Pen to paper or in my case fingers to iPad keyboard. I start with a written prayer to set the stage for my time with my Savior. It’s a living document - and I’m always adjusting it.  Essentially, it’s a prayer interwoven with scripture starting with Lord Jesus, your mercies are new every morning...and there’s a weekly rhythm with people and things I pray for each week.

(Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.)

The Meeting

cThe heart of Coffee with the King…here’s where I open up my list and just go with it, typing as I pray. Most often, it’s just one item on the list. But the unique problem this has solved is in the past, if I would sit down to pray, I would either not be prepared and not have something specific I wanted to pray about or I would repeat the same prayer I had been praying. This allows me to bring anything and everything to God. I have a piece of scripture on my wall just to remind me that God cares about everything…it’s from Matthew 10:31 “more than many sparrows.” It reminds me that He cares…even about the little things and this time with him each morning, Lord willing, I’ll have the opportunity to bring the things on my heart to him. It’s intentionality, it’s earnestness, it’s honoring my Lord and King. Sometimes I start with a question, other times I’m diving into scripture (I’ll often use a search engine to see what scripture might have to say about a specific topic), then just waiting to seeing where the Spirit leads. No, I don’t hear an audible voice (yet), but I do feel nudges from the Holy Spirit. Prompting me to continue to seek or just be still and know I am on Holy Ground and this is precious time with the Author of Life.  As I pray, I write my prayers, there are so many benefits to writing down prayer (I won’t go into that here) but just to say it’s one of the practices that makes this so special. Getting very practical here, I’ll often just write a question…I’ll tell the Lord how awesome he is and just pause. I’ll wait and then I’ll start typing again just leaning into the Holy Spirit and asking for guidance as I pray. 

(Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!)

The Time

So, how long does this whole thing take? It depends. I can tell you for certain it’s not about clocking in and out a specific amount of time. I can also say that I’ve found that a nice cup of coffee in an insulated cup often starts to get cool.  This whole process has been a game changer for me which is why I’m sharing it with you.  I’m a doer, so sitting still has not come as naturally for me. God made all of us unique and we are wonderfully made. Embrace the way he made you and ask Him how you can reflect His goodness. For me, there’s something powerful about writing down my prayers during this Coffee with the King. I didn’t think about this until recently, but think about all the prayers that are in scripture - they were written and we wouldn’t have them as examples if someone didn’t write them down - so why not follow their example?

(1 Corinthians 9:26: “So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.)

The Day Ahead

Since you’ve already put first things first, why not move to something else that God values - taking care of the body he gave you through some stretching and exercise? And as you go about your day and something comes to your mind that you want to talk with God about just write it down for your next Coffee with the King. I pray you will look forward to starting your day with the King and a warm cup of coffee to enjoy the His mercies that are new every morning. The clarity you’ll enjoy will be profound when you go into deep conversations with your Maker.  

(James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.)

The Backstory…

Confession: I used to have the excuse that I “prayed without ceasing” as why I didn’t have specific and intentional time in prayer with the Lord every day. My guess is that many would fall into that same category. Don’t get me wrong, I still talk with Him throughout the day, but our time together is so rich and meaningful that it would be hard to imagine starting my day without Coffee with the King

The backstory to "Coffee with the King”

Sometimes, the most profound spiritual practices emerge from the simplest daily routines. For me, the journey to "Coffee with the King" began in the world of business, where face-to-face conversations hold more weight than a text or email. It’s so much more effective to get a point across to someone if you are speaking face to face, so recognizing the power of intentional dialogue, I developed a system to ensure meaningful conversations with those in my professional and personal life. I created a "discuss with" folder on my phone, categorizing thoughts and topics for future conversations with many people I have I have regular communication with, and yes, even my wife - she gets two - one for date nights and another for business talks.

This approach not only improved my communications but also deepened my connections. It was through this practice of mindful planning and genuine engagement that God planted a seed in my heart. If such intentionality could enhance my relationships with others, how much more could it enrich my relationship with Him?  

This seed finally blossomed into my morning ritual, "Coffee with the King." I truly believe it was a divine nudge to prioritize God above all, to start each day with a dedicated space for our conversations. Just as I had created space for others, I made a special place for God, where I could bring my thoughts, questions, and prayers into our daily meetings.

"Coffee with the King" is more than a morning routine; it's a sacred space for authentic communion with the Creator God through his Holy Spirit. It’s about taking the most important relationship - that with my Lord and Savior seriously and treating him in a manner that points to his worth. If you were going to sit down with a king or president for coffee, would you not prepare ahead of time? Wouldn’t you want to have an idea of all the questions you’d like to ask or ideas you’d like to share? How much more should I prepare for coffee with the ultimate King of the Universe? This practice is a daily reminder that God desires our affections and our open hearts. It's an invitation to start each day grounded in His presence, guided by His wisdom, and surrounded by His love and peace.

This journey from a business practice to a spiritual discipline just shows how God can use every aspect of our lives to draw us closer to Him. It's a testament to the power of intentional living and the transformative potential of bringing God into the center of our daily routines.

As you experience "Coffee with the King," know that it's more than just a method; it's a move towards a deeper, more intentional faith. Ask God to bless the time you are spending with him. He will. I trust that if you seek him in earnest, you’ll find a unique rhythm of communion with Him, making Him the first and most important conversation of your day, every day.

Since beginning this practice, I’ve reflected on why has this stuck when my other attempts have failed?  Has God “habit stacked” my daily practice of drinking coffee with putting first things first? Yes, it seems so, and I’m forever grateful.  

Brian Baber