Matthew 6:33, Matthew 4:4, Philippians 4:6

Ibby Oke on how to seek God's kingdom first.

Ibby Oke

'"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."' (Matthew 6:33).

This is a well-known scripture and one of my favourites, but do we really understand what it means to seek God first? How do we accomplish this when life gets so busy?

What is first in your life?

Seeking the kingdom of God above all else, living righteously, and then receiving from Him everything you need, sounds so simple doesn't it?

The third habit of highly effective people is to put 'first things first'. What you do first each day is what is most important to you. You will always have time for the things you put first.

Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is making God and things that concern Him priority over everything else.

When we strive after God's kingdom, His perspective of what is right, and His attitude and character:

• He gives us everything we need


• We become Bible literate, as we know His word for ourselves


• We develop a deeper relationship with Him

So how do we put first things first?

Start your day right with prayer
Your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. When we start our day connecting to God, we start it right. Spend each morning focusing on God and committing everything to come into His hands.

No Bible, No Breakfast
My Pastor taught me this principle. It's quite simple, if you don't read your Bible in the morning, then you shouldn't have breakfast. Matthew 4:4 says, 'But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."' Jesus knew the importance of the word as daily food. We need the word each and every day to know how to live this Christian life.

Quiet Time, Quality Time
Quiet time is quality time spent with God; it is actively seeking Him. Your quiet time should be the greatest priority of your day. Not only do we learn more about God's word in our quiet time, it also encourages and empowers us for the day ahead.

So don't worry about how you are going to meet your needs or the challenges you're faced with. The birds do not plant or harvest or store food in barns but God feeds them. Are we not more valuable to God than the birds?

God will certainly meet our needs when we place Him first in our lives. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need (Philippians 4:6).

'Put first things first and second things are thrown in. Put second things first and you lose both first and second things' - C. S. Lewis.