5-Day Devotional: First Things, First

Jan 12, 2026 | Sunday Messages

5 Day Devotional

The direction of your life in five years is being formed by the habits you practice today. This devotional will help you put “first things first,” learning to seek God before everything else so He can bless the rest. Each day builds a foundation of priority—daily, weekly, financially, and spiritually—so your future is shaped by God, not by default.

Day 1

Matthew 6:33

Jesus doesn’t just invite you to add God to an already crowded life—He calls you to reorder it. When Christ says to “seek first” the kingdom and God’s righteousness, He’s teaching that priorities shape outcomes. The sermon’s picture of how much time we spend on sleep, media, and routines reminds us that time will be filled either intentionally or accidentally; seeking first is choosing intentionality with God at the center.

Putting God first isn’t about earning His love; it’s about aligning your life with the King of the kingdom you belong to. When you ask, “What does God want in this relationship, this schedule, this decision, this habit?” you’re letting His rule reach real places—not just church moments. As you practice first things first, you’re choosing a direction for your next five years that is guided by obedience rather than impulse.

  • What does “seek first” need to change in my current priorities this week?

  • Name one habit that is taking me in a direction I don’t want to be in five years—what would a kingdom-first alternative look like?

  • Where have I treated God like an add-on instead of the center, and what is one concrete step to reorder that area?

  • What is one decision I’m facing that I should bring under God’s rule by asking, “What does God want?”

  • Write a short prayer of surrender that names the area where you most need to put God first.

Day 2

Mark 1:35

Jesus had urgent demands on His time, yet He chose an unhurried beginning: getting up early to pray in a solitary place. That shows us that spiritual strength is not accidental—it’s cultivated. If the habits you have today shape who you become tomorrow, then “first of the day, seek God” is one of the most destiny-defining habits you can build.

Starting with God doesn’t guarantee an easy day, but it reframes everything you face. Prayer and Scripture in the morning aren’t a checkbox; they are an act of trust that God leads better than your anxiety does. When you give God the first part of your day, you’re training your heart to listen before you speak, to worship before you worry, and to obey before you negotiate.

  • What is a realistic time and place I can meet with God first each day for the next seven days?

  • What distracts me most in the morning, and how can I remove or reduce that obstacle?

  • Choose one simple plan for tomorrow morning (Scripture, prayer, silence)—what will I do exactly?

  • How might my tone, patience, and decisions change if God is truly first in my day?

  • Who could support me with accountability for a consistent daily time with God?

Day 3

Exodus 20:8

God commands His people to remember the Sabbath, not as a burden but as a gift that protects what matters most. Weekly worship and rest are a way of declaring, “God is first, and my life is more than output.” When you practice a weekly rhythm of gathering, resting, and re-centering, you resist a culture that trains you to run on exhaustion and distraction.

The sermon emphasized that order matters—so does spiritual order. Setting apart a day (or a consistent weekly rhythm) for worship, church, and spiritual renewal shapes you over time. In five years, you won’t simply become more spiritual by accident; you’ll become what your calendar consistently honors. A kingdom-first week has an anchor: God’s presence with His people and God’s peace for His child.

  • What currently competes with worship and rest in my weekly schedule, and what needs to move?

  • How can I prepare ahead of time so gathering with the church is prioritized rather than rushed?

  • What does real Sabbath rest look like for me (not just stopping work, but receiving from God)?

  • Is there a relationship or responsibility I need to reorder so my week reflects God’s priorities?

  • Choose one weekly practice (worship, rest, hospitality, unplugging) to begin this week and keep for a month.

Day 4

Proverbs 3:9-10

Honoring God with your wealth is another way of living “first things first.” Scripture doesn’t present generosity as leftover kindness; it describes it as firstfruits worship—giving God the first and best, trusting Him with the rest. This trains your heart to believe that God is your provider, not your paycheck, your budget, or your savings plan.

Putting God first financially is deeply practical and deeply spiritual. It confronts fear, breaks the grip of materialism, and reshapes your future by reshaping your habits today. When you give as an act of worship, you’re declaring that God is King over your resources, and you’re choosing a five-year direction marked by trust, contentment, and purpose rather than constant grasping.

  • When I look at my spending, what does it reveal about what I truly put first?

  • What is one step I can take this week to honor God financially (budgeting, giving, paying off debt, generosity)?

  • Where do I feel the most fear about money, and how can I bring that fear to God in prayer?

  • If I practiced consistent generosity for the next five years, what kind of person would I become?

  • Decide on one specific action today (set up giving, create a budget line, reduce one expense) and write it down.

Day 5

Galatians 5:16-17

Even when you choose God first, you’ll feel a real battle inside: the pull of the flesh versus the leading of the Spirit. The problem isn’t just lack of information—it’s competing desires. Walking by the Spirit is a daily practice of surrender that keeps “first things first” from becoming a one-time decision and turns it into a lifelong direction.

The habits you feed become the habits that form you. Over five years, small repeated choices become strong spiritual patterns—either toward freedom or toward bondage. When you choose the Spirit’s leading in your thoughts, relationships, sexuality, time, and media, you’re not just avoiding sin; you’re becoming someone new. God’s priority isn’t merely behavior modification—it’s transformation as you learn to live under His rule with joy and strength.

  • Where do I most feel the conflict between what I want and what God wants right now?

  • What is one “flesh” pattern I need to starve (a trigger, a routine, an app, a relationship dynamic)?

  • What is one “Spirit” practice I can feed daily (Scripture, prayer, worship, accountability, service)?

  • Who can I invite into my journey for honest support and prayer this week?

  • Write a one-sentence commitment that summarizes your “first things first” direction for the next five years.