Prioritizing our relationship with God is a fundamental principle in Christianity. The Bible contains verses that underscore the significance of putting God first in our lives. Join us as we explore these scriptures and learn how to align our priorities with our faith.
Also Read: Bible Verses About Differences
Bible Verses About Putting God First
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
This verse reminds us of the importance of prioritizing God’s kingdom and righteousness in our lives. When we make seeking God’s will and living righteously our top priority, He promises to provide for our needs. Putting God first means trusting Him to take care of us and aligning our desires and actions with His will.
Deuteronomy 6:5
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
This verse emphasizes the wholehearted love and devotion we are called to have towards God. It challenges us to give Him our all – our thoughts, emotions, actions, and strengths. When we love God with everything within us, we prioritize Him above all else and make Him the center of our lives.
Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
This verse encourages us to submit every aspect of our lives to God. When we acknowledge His authority and surrender our plans to Him, He promises to guide and direct our paths. Putting God first means seeking His guidance and following His lead in all our decisions and endeavors.
Psalm 37:4
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Putting God first involves finding our joy and satisfaction in Him. When we delight in the Lord, our desires align with His desires, and He graciously fulfills them. It means prioritizing our relationship with Him above our earthly desires and finding contentment in His presence alone.
Mark 12:30
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Similar to the verse in Deuteronomy, this passage emphasizes the importance of loving God wholeheartedly in every aspect of our being – heart, soul, mind, and strength. It challenges us to devote our entire selves to Him and make Him the primary focus of our thoughts, emotions, and actions.
Matthew 22:37
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus reiterated the importance of loving God wholeheartedly. He calls us to give everything we have – our heart, soul, and mind – in loving devotion to God. Putting God first means making Him the utmost priority in our lives and loving Him with all that we are.
Psalm 16:8
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
This verse speaks of the steadfast focus and trust we should have in God. When our eyes are fixed on Him, we are not easily swayed or shaken by the challenges and uncertainties of life. Putting God first entails keeping our gaze on Him, relying on His strength, and finding stability in His presence.
Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
Putting God first means seeking to honor Him in everything we do. Whether it is our work, studies, relationships, or daily tasks, we are called to do it all with wholehearted dedication as if we were doing it for God Himself. This verse encourages us to prioritize pleasing God above seeking the approval or recognition of people.
1 Chronicles 16:11
“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”
In our journey of putting God first, we are called to consistently seek and depend on His strength. By fixing our eyes on Him and seeking His face continually, we draw closer to Him and tap into His power. Putting God first means recognizing our need for His strength and relying on Him in every aspect of our lives.
Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”
This verse may seem contradictory to the commandments related to honoring our parents and loving others. However, Jesus’ words here highlight the radical call to prioritize God above all earthly relationships. Putting God first requires a strong commitment to follow and obey Him, even if it means making difficult choices that may be perceived as “hating” in comparison to our love for Him.
Psalm 37:7
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
Putting God first involves cultivating a patient and trusting spirit. This verse encourages us to be still before the Lord, patiently waiting for His timing and intervention. It reminds us not to be anxious or discouraged when we see others prospering through ungodly means but to trust that God is in control and has our best interests at heart.
James 4:8
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Putting God first demands a commitment to drawing near to Him. God promises that when we seek Him with a sincere heart, He will draw near to us. However, this verse also reminds us of the importance of repentance and a pure heart. To put God first, we must continuously examine ourselves, turn away from sin, and purify our hearts before Him.
Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Putting God first often requires patience and endurance. This verse encourages us to wait for the Lord, being strong and taking heart in His promises. As we wait, we can find comfort and strength in knowing that God is faithful and will fulfill His plans in His perfect time.
Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Putting God first involves surrendering ourselves completely to Him. This verse challenges us to offer our bodies, our lives as living sacrifices to God, which is our true and proper act of worship. It means yielding our desires, ambitions, and will to God and allowing Him to work in and through us for His glory.
Matthew 10:39
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
Putting God first often requires sacrificing our own desires and plans. This verse highlights the paradox that in losing our lives for the sake of Christ, we actually find true life and fulfillment. When we let go of control and surrender our lives to God, He leads us on a journey that exceeds anything we could have imagined.
Proverbs 16:3
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
Putting God first means entrusting our plans and endeavors to Him. When we commit our ways to the Lord and seek His guidance, He promises to establish and bring success to our plans. We recognize that our own efforts are futile without God’s involvement, and so we rely on Him to direct our steps and guide our paths.
Luke 9:23
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'”
Being a follower of Christ means denying ourselves and carrying our cross daily. This verse reminds us that putting God first requires a willingness to let go of our own selfish desires and embrace the challenges and sacrifices that come with following Jesus. It is a call to surrender our lives to Him and live in obedience to His teachings.
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Putting God first involves dying to ourselves and allowing Christ to live in and through us. This verse symbolizes the transformative power of the Gospel. When we choose to surrender our lives to Christ, we are crucified with Him, and He takes control. We live by faith, fully relying on His love and sacrifice for us.
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Putting God first requires perseverance and fixing our eyes on Jesus. This verse reminds us to let go of anything that hinders our relationship with God and entangles us in sin. We are encouraged to run the race of faith with endurance, allowing Jesus to be our example and guide as we pursue Him with unwavering devotion.
Psalm 37:5
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:”
To put God first, we must commit our ways and plans to Him. This verse encourages us to place our trust in the Lord and rely on His faithfulness. When we commit our paths to Him, He promises to bring about His purposes and fulfill His promises in our lives.
Joshua 24:15
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Putting God first involves making a conscious choice to serve Him. This verse presents a challenge to choose whom we will serve – the false gods of this world or the true God. It calls us to commit ourselves and our households to the Lord, acknowledging Him as the only worthy object of our worship and allegiance.
Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Putting God first means allowing His Word to guide and illuminate our lives. This verse describes the Scripture as a lamp and a light that directs our steps and path. As we prioritize God, we immerse ourselves in His Word, seeking wisdom, guidance, and understanding to navigate the complexities of life.
1 Peter 5:6
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
Putting God first requires humility and submission. This verse urges us to humbly surrender ourselves under God’s authority, acknowledging His sovereignty and wisdom. When we humble ourselves before Him, He promises to exalt and lift us up in His perfect timing. Making God the priority means recognizing that He is the one who holds our lives and future in His hands.
Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Putting God first involves trusting in His sovereignty and goodness. This verse assures us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. When we prioritize God, we can have confidence that even amidst difficult circumstances, He is at work and will bring about His purposes for our lives.
Isaiah 40:31
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”
Putting God first means placing our hope and trust in Him. This verse reassures us that when we hope in the Lord, He renews our strength, enabling us to overcome weariness and obstacles. By relying on God’s strength, we can soar above the challenges of life and persevere without growing faint.
As we meditate on these verses, let us be challenged and inspired to put God first in every area of our lives. May we seek His kingdom and righteousness above all else, love Him with all our heart, mind, and strength, and willingly surrender ourselves to His will and guidance. When we make God our top priority, He promises to bless us, provide for us, and lead us on a fulfilling journey of faith.
What Does the Bible Say About Putting God First?
In the Bible, putting God first is a fundamental principle that is emphasized throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus teaches us in the Gospels that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). This means that God should be our top priority in every aspect of our lives.
When we put God first, it means we dedicate our time, talents, and resources to Him. This is reflected in the book of Proverbs, where we are encouraged to honor the Lord with our wealth and the firstfruits of all our produce (Proverbs 3:9). By doing so, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him.
Putting God first requires us to seek His kingdom above all else (Matthew 6:33). This means seeking His will in every decision we make and aligning our lives with His purposes. It also involves prioritizing our relationship with Him through prayer, worship, and the study of His Word.
Furthermore, putting God first means obeying His commandments and living in a way that glorifies Him. In the book of Exodus, God commands His people to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). This speaks to the exclusivity of God’s rightful place as the priority in our lives.
When we prioritize God above all else, we experience the abundant life that Jesus promises us (John 10:10). Our faithfulness in putting God first demonstrates our love and devotion to Him, and in return, He blesses us and provides for our needs.
In summary, the Bible is clear that putting God first is not just a suggestion but a commandment that is foundational to our faith. When we make God our priority, we experience His faithfulness, blessing, and guidance in every area of our lives.