Christ is the center of all things he is the first and the most important thing in our lives God
always needs to be first in all things in our time in our conversation in our thoughts in our actions
our entertainment our attitude our decisions God always needs to be first always
Proverbs 3:6 says acknowledge God in all of your ways not some of your ways not just the big things
if you'll start acknowledging God in all of your ways he will crown your efforts with success that
means when you get up in the morning acknowledge God good morning Lord I love you today Lord
I wouldn't be alive without your goodness when you see your children God thank you for these amazing
children at the office Lord thank you for your favor thank you that I excel at what you've called
me to do even mowing the lawn Lord thank you that I'm healthy and strong this should be a lifestyle
where it's so ingrained in us it's automatic anything you do you include God you've developed
that habit of acknowledging him that's when God will fight your battles that's when God will make
the crooked places smooth we need to be careful that we always keep God first place in our life
and really how do we know that we're doing that well we spend time with him
regularly not occasionally when you get time but you give him the first part of your time
for me I love to give God the first time in the morning I know that's different for different
people depending on what stage of life they're in when I had little kids at home I couldn't spend
as much time as I can now but God can be in your thoughts and in your conversation all throughout
the day you can talk to him about anything anywhere anytime prayer is simply talking to God
sometimes religion makes things complicated makes us think we had to pray these long
fancy these and thoughs prayers no talk to God in your everyday language if you talk country
the good news is God talks country if you talk New York God talks New York he understands you
we don't but he does when you pray talk to God like you're talking to your best friend
tell him your needs your concerns ask him for help and then thank him for what he's already done
our praise should outweigh our petitions don't spend your whole quiet time telling God your
problems your needs he already knows your needs take time to thank him thank God all the time I
mean we need to we need to our thank yous need to far outweigh our petitions you can thank God
for little things for big things you can thank him for things that you've had for a long time
thank him for something he does for you that's brand new thank him for himself not just what
he does for you where would we be without God my parents taught me the importance of honoring God
I wasn't perfect I made plenty of mistakes but for as long as I can remember I would get up every
morning and take a moment and thank God for that day ask him for wisdom and production every day
I would read a chapter in my bible didn't always understand it still don't and I'm the pastor of
a big church God has not blessed me because I'm the smartest the most talented the most skilled
God has blessed me because I've made it a goal to seek him to please him to honor him
I still take the first half hour of every day to thank God for his goodness read my bible and pray
I ask every day God let everything I do today bring honor to your name God has taken me places
that I've never dreamed of he's blessed our family more than I can imagine I'd love to tell you I'm
just that smart I'm just that talented I'm just an overachiever you know I've done my part to develop
what God's put in me but I know the blessings the favor the honor has come because I've done
my best to diligently seek God to keep him first place in my life that's what I'm asking you to do
Jesus said in Matthew 6 seek first the kingdom of God that word seek is a strong word
one definition is to require as a vital necessity you have to see spending time with God
as being vital to living a victorious life because some mornings we think I don't want
to get up early I don't feel like reading my bible I don't feel like going to church today
but once you get in a habit and you see the benefits of how you feel refreshed and restored
you make better decisions you're more creative you have God's favor then you'll think I can't
afford not to do it when I don't spend time with God I don't feel right something is missing
it says seek first that indicates take time for God at the start of the day seek ye first
the kingdom of God and seek is a very strong word it means to crave and pursue and go after
seek ye first the kingdom of God and his way of being and doing and all of these other things
will be added to you besides you know if you if you call yourself a Christian and you just kind
of have tacked God onto your life and want him to bless it and make it all good your thinking is all
wrong you need to put God first and then live the kind of life that would please him and if you're
doing things that you know don't please him then you need to ask him to help you have the strength
to get rid of those things in your life Hebrews 11:6 says God is a rewarder
of those that diligently seek him notice who God rewards not people that half-heartedly seek him
people that just think about him on Sundays people that just pray once a week no God rewards people
like you that get up every morning and thank him for his goodness people that go through the day
meditating on his promises people that acknowledge him in all of their ways you can keep God first by
seeking his guidance on everything Proverbs 3 says trust in the Lord with all your heart and mind
and lean not to your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your steps
even if you start out every day say God I need your guidance today in everything that I do
sometimes if you're going to make a decision just take a few minutes get by yourself for
a few minutes three minutes five minutes and just quiet your mind and see what your heart is saying
if you'll acknowledge God before you go into that meeting ten seconds under your breath God
give me your favor God I need your blessing that meeting will go better God will give you the words
to speak he'll give you ideas creativity he can even cause those people to like you
Jesus put it this way without me you can do nothing he was saying without inviting
me into every area of your life that day is not going to be what it could have been
we should live with this attitude God I realize this day is not going to be as productive as
successful nor as easy without your blessing and your favor so I'm going to make it a priority to
acknowledge you in all of my ways you know so many people today complain about their schedule
they complain about not having any time and what everybody expects out of them
but you need to start your day with God even if it's five minutes in the bathroom you need
to start your day with God everything's so busy hectic noisy these days but when you get quiet
and say God I love you today Lord thank you for my life my family my dreams Lord I realize every good
thing comes from you that's what's going to keep you strong Jesus said I am the living water if you
drink of me you'll never thirst again during the day things come against you it's easy to get upset
maybe stressed out you need to take a two minute break and go drink of the living water get quiet
and say God I need you I'm asking you God help me to stay strong help me to stay in peace when you
do that you're taking a drink you're strengthening your inner man whatever you put your time into
whatever you put the most of your time into that is the thing that is the most important to you
let me say it again whatever you put your time into the more time you put into something the more
important it is to you when you acknowledge God that's a sign of humility you're saying God I know
you created the whole universe you flung the stars into space you tell every raindrop where
to fall I'm not here by accident you breathed your life into me you made me in your image
you crowned me with your favor now God I can't do this without you I can't make it on my own
I need you in my life when you show that kind of dependency on God there is nothing he won't
do for you God will move heaven and earth to get you to where you're supposed to be