The Law of Priority by Pastor E.A Adeboye
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY JULY 10TH 2024
THEME: THE LAW OF PRIORITY
MEMORISE: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
READ: Matthew 6:25-33
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
MESSAGE
The law of priority states that if you put the right thing first, everything else will fall in place. Jesus clearly stated the law of priority in Matthew 6:33. When a person seeks other things above God, such a fellow will struggle, but if he or she seeks God first, other things will be added unto him or her.
What you prioritize determines the quality of your life. When you receive your first harvest in any field, you must take it to God. This is a sign that you honor and put Him first, and as such, other harvests will be secure (Proverbs 3:9-10).
Many people put money before God; this is why they experience sorrows that money cannot solve. Some wealthy people cannot sleep at night and will gladly trade their wealth to have peace and joy. The problem is usually what or whom they prioritize. The rich man in Matthew 19:16-22 knew that something was missing in his life. He had been obeying the law and had lots of money, but he felt incomplete. He met Jesus for a solution and was told that his problem was with his priorities; he prioritized money above following Jesus.
If God tells you to sell all you have, forget about your dreams, and go into full-time ministry, will you do it? Your answer will determine if you prioritize Him or not. When you check through the Scriptures, those who prioritized God were greatly rewarded. For example, the blessings of Abraham exist today because He prioritized God over everything, even his own son (Genesis 21:10). I am a living example of the benefits of prioritizing God. I left my thriving career in academics and my dream of becoming
the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa to become the General Overseer over a church whose monthly income was less than my salary because God said so. Today, the name Adeboye is known all around the world because I prioritized God above my dreams.
God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14); He cannot take second place in your heart. Whatever or whomever you prioritize above God has become a god to you. God said that you should have no other god before Him (Exodus 20:3). You must love Him with all your heart, soul and mind; this is the greatest and foremost commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). When you do this, everything else will fall into place in your life. Put God first.
PRAYER POINT
Father, I will put you first in every area of my life. Please, never let anything be more important than You in my life, in Jesus’
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 5-8
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 10: IN CHRIST ALONE
1 In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand
2 In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
3 Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
