We all have priority's in our lives. What is important is for us to be sure that our priority's are in line with God's, (His plan and purpose for our life). God knows just exactly how to teach us the lessons we need to learn, and what situations to place us in to purge our hearts and minds, and bring us into conformity to His will.

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Micah 6:8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Proverbs 2:1-6 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Those things God repeats in His Word are crucial to our growth and development as children of God. Our responsibility... is to pursue knowing God with all our heart, mind and soul. Time is something the enemy of our souls knows how to steal, if we let him. Today it is easy to get caught in the trap of too many activities, too many demands on our time and attention, till we have no time or energy left at the end of the day to do anything but collapse in our beds exhausted. Time is not the 'limitless commodity' that man assumes it to be. We can't put some things off till tomorrow... tomorrow for some will never come. We need to reclaim our time. We must set our time with God as our number one priority. We must draw close to God, so that God can draw close to us. We need to ask Him what our priority's should be.

It is not necessary for us to participate in every activity that comes along. Many today think that with much activity (for God, in Christian endeavors) they are doing what God wants. For the most part they are doing what some man wants.

Years ago my husband was sent to work for a mainstream evangelist. He had a large Church and a worldwide ministry. When the Lord told him to go to work for this minister, he naturally thought that the man must be a man of God, and that this would be a blessed experience. Instead it was a wake-up call of the first degree. In the year that he worked for this man's ministry, he never saw one person come to the Lord, receive healing, or be ministered to in any way. The thrust of this man's ministry was drawing in big money and building edifices that would impress people, using the name of God. He once told my husband, "If I didn't keep building, I couldn't keep the people." At the end of his time there, when the Lord released my husband to leave, the Lord told him, "this is that you might know."

The enemy knows that if he can keep us busy and distracted with the cares of this life, we will be ineffective. If God did not authorize it, sadly, it falls in the category of dead works. [This is not to infer that we must drop all of our responsibilities to take care of our families and make a living. We do not have to be in a church building or on our knees in prayer to seek God, or for God to speak to us. We can go about our daily tasks, and at the same time keep our heart open to the Spirit. As we are walking through our daily life is when we need to look to the Lord and be led by the Spirit]. The needs of the world are so great... and the time available is so short we can no longer afford to waste time. If what we are working on did not originate in God, and God is not in it, we are wasting that time. [Do not confuse the works of God with the works of men. Some men have their own agenda's and ambitions, and try to pass off their own plans as being from God].

The only way we can know what God is in, and wants us to do, is by drawing close to God and staying there. He will direct our steps. He will give us wisdom and knowledge in Him so that we can walk in the spirit with the peace of God, even in the midst of the turmoil of the world around us. We always have the option open to us of choosing our own way. God will not force us to comply with His will. God's requirements are not harsh or unjust. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

What is hard, is to try and walk in our own strength. Our first priority should be to know God. As we grow in the knowledge of God, our priorities will fall in line. We cannot begin to grasp the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, without coming to grips with our total inadequacy. We must become totally dependent upon God for all things, placing our complete trust in Him. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you, 1 Peter 5:6-7.

But when we pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him, Matthew 6:7-8.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, Matthew 6:34. God knows all that we have need of. Jesus tells us to first of all seek the kingdom of God, then to seek his righteousness, and all else we have need of we shall receive as well.

Many today do not believe, just as many in the days when Jesus walked the earth did not believe. But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Hebrews 11:6.

I find it interesting that though men can turn a blind eye and refuse to accept Jesus as the Christ, devils know exactly who He is. Luke 4:33-34 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

Acts 19:13-16 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This is not only an example of spirits recognizing those who are of God, but also those who are not.

What do you desire from God? His presence? His peace that passeth understanding? His power; to heal the sick, set the prisoners free, to cast out devils? God knows all the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him. More importantly, what does God want? How can we find out and fulfill our destiny in His plan? We each one have a place to fill and a job to do... and individually we must seek and develop our own personal relationship with God, that we might find the answers to these questions. May we all begin to examine what and where our priorities are, making changes as necessary to bring ourselves into conformity with what God has for us.

God deals with us in different ways, individually. What He does with our sister or brother will be for them, but He may take us down a completely different road. We must seek Him, trust Him, and Obey Him. We must realize that the changes it is necessary for God to make in us are within, in our heart, mind and emotions. Often when we begin to seek Him and His will in our life, the things that begin to happen seem anything but heavenly.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

2 Timothy 3:14-17] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

God would not tell us to do something if it were not possible.

If you know that God has planted the desire in your heart to know Him, then know that He will make available to you everything you will require to attain your desire. It is up to you to press in and seek for all that He has purposed for you to walk. Yes, God has a purpose for our lives today... just as He had purpose for those whose lives we read about in the Bible. We cannot be willing to settle for the 'christian status quo.' We cannot be content to wait for some 'leader' to give us God's Word. God did not call us to follow men, but to follow Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Our first priority must be to know Jesus, and to be known by Him, intimately. We need each other, to exhort and encourage one another... for together we make up Christ's body. But we must seek to know, hear and follow the Lord personally. There is so much more that we can experience in a vital, living, relationship with God. We must ask the Lord to fill us with His love, to teach us how to obey, to learn the reverential fear of the Lord... which is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge in God.

Psalms 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

Deuteronomy 4:29-31 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee...

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.