Our highest priority should always be our relationship with God and fulfilling His will for our lives. We shouldn’t ever let that priority slip. There’s a serious illustration of this in a parable told by a prophet in the Old Testament. A soldier was given custody of an important prisoner. He was told, ‘Guard this man; if for any reason he gets away, you will either die or pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver!’ (1 Kings 20:39 NLT). In spite of the warning, he allowed his prisoner to escape. How did it happen? Through carelessness and busyness. ‘“While I was busy doing something else, the prisoner disappeared!.” “Well, it’s your own fault,” the king replied. “You have brought the judgment on yourself”’ (v.40 NLT). Keeping our spiritual priorities in place is our own responsibility and no one else’s. If we don’t do it, we’ll end up paying a high price. Beginning our day with prayer is a great way to start putting God first – but there’s more to it than just that. We also need to take time to listen to Him and get His direction and wisdom before we rush into the day. We need to keep in mind all the Scriptures that tell us to ‘wait on God’. He’s working in our lives right now. We might not be fully aware of it, but without His input, we’ll never be equipped to handle what God has in mind for us. The Bible says, ‘Jesus often withdrew…and prayed’ (Luke 5:16 NIV). Spending time with God is the price we must pay for hearing from Him and doing His will. There are no shortcuts in building our relationship with God.

What Now?

Have a think about how you spent your time yesterday. Were there any times when you pushed God aside for some reason? Start today by resolving to keep Him as your top priority.