What time of day is best to meditate?

The short answer is – morning.

But I also recommend you try a variety of times and see what works for you.  Each person is different, and even your life circumstances can change.  Having said that, here’s the options:

1. Morning.  This is definitely the most preferred time of day. The reason for this is that when you start your day off with sitting in God’s presence, you calibrate your day to him.  You start from a place of rest, and then you can move into the day with clarity.  Rather than the opposite, ending the day with meditation, because then you’ve already had the busy, stressful day.
2. Before bed.  Now, if you’re having sleep problems, this is a great choice – do the meditation at night.  This can help you set aside the events and emotions of the day and help prepare you for sleep.  So often your mind is racing and your thoughts and worries prevent sleep.  Becoming aware of God’s presence, his love, and being quiet with him can really help prepare you for sleep.
3. Any other (consistent) time. This isn’t about just jamming it in whenever.  Habits are best formed with repetition, and a “just do it” type of attitude can work, because just getting it done every day is much better than not doing it at all.  But try connecting it with something else that you reliably do most days.  Exercise, reading, coffee breaks, etc are all good options.

I like to do it after I’ve exercised, read my Bible and journaled, but your mileage may vary.  If you’re interested in a powerful morning routine, make sure you read that article too.