Quiet Time Series: When God Becomes the Priority

The Blank Page of Today

It was still dark when I reached the beach that morning. The waves rolled in like steady breath, and I whispered my prayers into the wind. My mind was full, money, travel, unfinished projects, and that gnawing question about what really matters. I thought about time, how fast it goes, how I blinked and found myself nearing half a century. Yet as I stood barefoot at the water’s edge, I realized something simple and freeing: today is a blank page, and what I choose to seek first fills it.

That’s the heartbeat of Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It’s not a verse about spiritual multitasking, it’s a compass for how to live when the world keeps spinning faster.

Seek First, Not Second: Reordering the Day

I used to start my mornings by checking emails, scrolling messages, or planning my day before even acknowledging God. It wasn’t rebellion, it was habit. But over time, I noticed how rushed and scattered I felt. The more I prioritized everything else, the more anxious I became.

Now, before my feet even hit the floor, I whisper a prayer: “God, I give You this day before it gives itself to me.” That small shift changes everything.

As Corrie ten Boom once said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” Seeking first isn’t about adding another to-do, it’s about aligning the heart before the world pulls it in every direction.

Building the Kingdom in Everyday Places

Seeking the kingdom doesn’t always look like grand acts or church ministries. Sometimes it looks like listening to your sister’s worries and reminding her to feed faith, not fear. Or hosting a small group dinner even when you’re tired, creating a space where people feel seen and safe.

I think of how Jesus described the kingdom of heaven as something small but living, “like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33). The kingdom spreads through presence, patience, and purpose, not pressure.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth ‘thrown in’: aim at Earth and you will get neither.” When you make God your aim, through small, consistent obedience, you start to see His fingerprints on even the ordinary moments: conversations, commutes, creative work.

Trusting God with the “All These Things”

I’ve learned that seeking first also means trusting last. It’s believing God with the parts I can’t control, like whether my book will sell, or if I’ll have enough saved for my next trip, or when love will finally arrive. I still wrestle with those things.

But Jesus reminds us earlier in Matthew 6: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink… look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” That passage always catches me, especially when I’m at the beach, watching seagulls dance over the tide. They don’t panic about tomorrow and somehow, they always have enough.

As Dallas Willard once said, “The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. It’s an invitation to live in the reality of God’s reign now.” Living Matthew 6:33 isn’t passive waiting, it’s active surrender. It’s saying, I’ll do my part faithfully, and I’ll let You handle what’s beyond me.

Self-Assessment: Checking Your Kingdom Alignment

1. What’s the first thing that claims your attention each morning and what does that say about your priorities?

2. In what ways are you building God’s kingdom through your everyday interactions, not just your “spiritual” activities?

3. What’s one area of your life where you need to stop striving and start trusting that “all these things” will be added in time?

Final Reflections: The Art of Seeking First

Every day, life offers a hundred directions to run in. The kingdom way is quieter, it’s about seeking before striving, aligning before acting. I’m still learning this, one sunrise at a time.

When I pray at the water’s edge, I’m reminded that God doesn’t ask me to have everything figured out. He asks me to seek Him first, then the rest takes shape.

Maybe that’s what Matthew 6:33 looks like in real life: showing up, praying anyway, creating with purpose, forgiving quickly, tithing faithfully, trusting deeply. The details change, but the rhythm stays the same, God first, always.

And somehow, mysteriously, when He becomes the priority, everything else begins to fall beautifully into place.

Your Turn

Today, before the world fills your mind, fill your heart with Him. Take five minutes to pray, “God, show me what it means to seek You first today.” Then act on whatever He whispers, one small act of alignment at a time.

Soul Path Insights