Matthew 6:33, New King James Version

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Here's the scenario: your alarm goes off, you wake up and get out of bed or if you are like me, you hit snooze a few times. Eventually, you get out of bed and start your day. But how do you start your day? Immediately making to do lists and thinking about all that you have to do, or do you spend quiet time with the Lord? 

Where we fix our minds is where we find our peace, whether it be short-term peace or true lasting peace. For lasting peace, we need to fix our minds on Jesus first thing when we wake. 

There are so many things that fight for our attention and devotion: our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our hobbies - the demands and distractions of life. And we have to be careful not to let them become more important or more of a priority than our relationship with God. The first of the Ten Commandments states we will have no other gods before Him. Yet how many of the things that occupy our time, thoughts and attention have taken the place where God is supposed to be?

Make it your goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God. So deep and intimate that He is the very first thing you think of and spending time with Him be how you spend your very first moments of the day. Let Him into every area of your life. If you find yourself looking at or thinking about other things when you wake up, pray and ask the Lord to help you stop doing that and instead look to Him first, above anything else.

Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “God, I want to make You my first priority every day, but I can’t do it without You.” He doesn’t expect you to live for Him in your own strength or ability, and He understands when you make mistakes.

So, if you mess up and grab your phone or start to worry about the day ahead, don’t be discouraged and let it hold you back; confess it and keep going. God will give you grace to do what you need to do. 

Remember, what you focus on will either drain your faith or strengthen it. Focus on Jesus and start your day right!