INTRODUCTION
In a world saturated with distractions, ambitions, relationships, and endless pursuits, one timeless divine principle stands above all others as the foundation of a truly successful and fulfilling life — PUT GOD FIRST. This is not merely a religious slogan or a motivational phrase. It is a sacred, non-negotiable commandment from the Creator Himself — a Kingdom principle that, when genuinely embraced and consistently practised, sets the trajectory of a believer's entire life on a course of divine order, supernatural provision, and unending blessing.
To put God first is to acknowledge that He is the Source of all things, the Sustainer of all life, and the Sovereign over all creation. It means giving Him the priority of your time, your thoughts, your talents, your treasures, and your total being — above career, above family, above pleasure, above self.
1. THE COMMANDMENT TO PUT GOD FIRST
The call to put God first is not a suggestion — it is the first and greatest commandment."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment."— Matthew 22:37-38When the Pharisees tried to test Jesus by asking which commandment was the greatest, He did not hesitate. Above all laws, above all duties, above all religious obligations — loving God supremely comes first. This love is not passive or sentimental. It is an all-consuming, wholehearted devotion that places God at the very centre of every area of life.Even before the Ten Commandments addressed murder, theft, or adultery, God established the first commandment:"You shall have no other gods before Me."— Exodus 20:3
This reveals the heart of God — He will not share His throne. He demands and deserves first place.
2. SEEK GOD FIRST — THE MASTER KEY
One of the most powerful and practical expressions of putting God first is found in the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."— Matthew 6:33This single verse is a divine formula for a life of abundance and peace. Notice the structure:SEEK — It requires intentional, active pursuit. God is not found by accident.
FIRST — Priority matters. Not second, not when convenient —
FIRST.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS — Not your needs, not your wants, not your plans — His Kingdom and His way of doing things.
ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED — When you put God first, everything else falls into divine alignment. Provision, peace, direction, favour — they follow naturally.This is the great paradox of the Kingdom: when you stop chasing things and start chasing God, the things you need begin to chase you.
3. PUTTING GOD FIRST WITH YOUR RESOURCES
One of the most tangible and practical ways of putting God first is in the area of finances and resources. God specifically commanded Israel:"Honour the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."— Proverbs 3:9-10
The concept of firstfruits is deeply significant throughout Scripture. It means giving God the first and the best — not the leftovers. When you honour God first with your finances, you are making a bold declaration of faith that He is your Provider and that you trust Him to take care of the rest.
The prophet Malachi reinforces this principle with an extraordinary promise:"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."— Malachi 3:10God literally challenges His people to test Him in this. When you put Him first financially, He opens the very windows of heaven over your life.
4. PUTTING GOD FIRST WITH YOUR TIME
Time is perhaps your most precious commodity. How you invest your time reveals what you truly value. Putting God first with your time means beginning each day in His presence — before the noise of the world, before the demands of the day, before the distractions of the phone.
King David, a man after God's own heart, modelled this beautifully:"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."— Psalm 63:1David sought God early — at the very start of the day. This was not duty; it was desire. It was the cry of a soul that had discovered that nothing else could satisfy.Jesus Himself, though He was the Son of God, demonstrated the priority of time with the Father:"Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."— Mark 1:35
If the Son of God prioritised early morning communion with the Father, how much more do we need it? Starting your day with God sets the divine tone for everything that follows.
5. PUTTING GOD FIRST IN DECISION-MAKING
Many believers make decisions based on logic, emotion, or the counsel of others — and then ask God to bless what they have already decided. But true Kingdom living demands that God be consulted first in every decision."Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."— Proverbs 3:5-6"
In all your ways" — this is comprehensive. Your career choices, your marriage, your business, your friendships, your ministry — in all of it, acknowledge God first. The promise is breathtaking: He shall direct your paths. When God directs, you cannot go wrong.
The psalmist affirms this:"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way."— Psalm 37:23
When God is first in your decision-making, your steps are not random — they are ordered, purposeful, and divinely guided.
6. THE DANGER OF NOT PUTTING GOD FIRST
Scripture is equally clear about the consequences of dethroning God from first place. Israel's history is a sobering testimony of what happens when God is displaced.
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, began his reign by putting God first — and God blessed him beyond measure. But gradually, Solomon allowed his wives, his wealth, and his worldly pleasures to push God from the centre:"For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God."— 1 Kings 11:4
The result? His kingdom was torn apart. Wisdom, wealth, and achievement could not compensate for a displaced God.
Jesus Christ also warned sternly against the love of money and material things taking God's place:"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."— Matthew 6:24There is no middle ground. Either God is first, or something else is. And whatever takes God's place ultimately leads to emptiness, disorder, and destruction.
7. EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO PUT GOD FIRST
Abraham
When God asked Abraham to offer his only son Isaac — the very son through whom all of God's promises were to be fulfilled — Abraham obeyed without hesitation. He put God first, even above his most precious relationship. And God honoured his obedience spectacularly: "...because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — blessing I will bless you..."— Genesis 22:16-17
Solomon at the Beginning of His Reign
When God appeared to Solomon and said, "Ask! What shall I give you?" — Solomon put God's purposes first, asking for wisdom to lead God's people rather than riches or long life. God was so pleased that He gave Solomon not only wisdom, but everything else as well: "Because you have asked this thing...I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honour." — 1 Kings 3:11-13
Daniel
In Babylon — a hostile, godless empire — Daniel refused to compromise his devotion to God. He prayed three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem, regardless of the cost:"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days."— Daniel 6:10Daniel put God first even at the risk of his life — and God shut the mouths of lions for him.
The Widow of Zarephath
During a devastating famine, a widow with only a handful of meal and a little oil — enough for one last meal for herself and her son — was asked by the prophet Elijah to make him a cake first: "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first..."— 1 Kings 17:13
She obeyed. She put God first in her most desperate moment. And God supernaturally multiplied her resources — the bin of flour was not used up, neither did the jar of oil run dry (1 Kings 17:16) — until the day the famine ended.
8. HOW TO PRACTICALLY PUT GOD FIRST DAILY
Morning — Begin each day with prayer and the Word before anything else. Before you check your phone, before you speak to anyone, before the demands of the day crowd in — open your heart to God first. Let His voice be the first you hear every morning.(Psalm 5:3; Mark 1:35)
Finances — Give your tithes and offerings faithfully and cheerfully. God with the first and the best of your income. Do not pay every other bill before God. Let your giving be a bold declaration that He is your Source and your Provider.(Malachi 3:10; 2 Corinthians 9:7)
Decisions — Pray and seek God's will before making any major decision.Do not decide first and pray later. Bring every choice — big or small — to God before you act. His wisdom will never lead you astray.(Proverbs 3:5-6; James 1:5)
Relationships — Choose relationships that draw you closer to God.Be intentional about who you walk with. The wrong associations can quietly pull God from first place in your life. Guard your inner circle jealously.(2 Corinthians 6:14; Proverbs 13:20)
Speech — Let your words honour God before they please men.Before you speak, ask yourself: Does this glorify God? Let your conversation be seasoned with grace, truth, and the fear of the Lord.(Psalm 19:14; Colossians 4:6)
Ambitions — Align your goals with God's Kingdom purposes.Dream big, but dream within God's will. Submit your plans, your career, and your vision to Him. What He ordains, He sustains.(Matthew 6:33; Jeremiah 29:11)
Worship — Make corporate and private worship a non-negotiable priority. Never let busyness rob you of your worship. Gathering with believers and worshipping God in spirit and in truth must remain a sacred, unmovable appointment in your life.(Hebrews 10:25; John 4:23-24)
9. THE REWARD OF PUTTING GOD FIRST
God is not a debtor to any man. When you genuinely, consistently, and wholeheartedly put Him first, He responds with blessings that go beyond human calculation:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."— 1 Corinthians 2:9
"Now to Him who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."— Ephesians 3:20
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."— 2 Chronicles 16:9
God is actively searching for those who will give Him first place — so He can show Himself mighty on their behalf. Putting God first does not cost you — it PAYS you, in ways that eternity alone can fully reveal.
CONCLUSION
PUT GOD FIRST — in your mornings, in your money, in your marriage, in your ministry, in your mind, and in every moment of your life. This is not a burden; it is the greatest privilege available to a human being — to walk in conscious, deliberate alignment with the Creator of the universe.
When God is first:
- Everything else finds its proper place
- Your needs are met before you voice them
- Your path is ordered and your steps are secure
- The enemy loses his grip and his power over your life
- Heaven opens its windows over you
- You fulfil your divine purpose and destiny
The wisest investment you will ever make is not in stocks, property, or education — it is in giving God the first place in your life, every single day."But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."— Matthew 6:33
