Day 17: Clear Schedule

VERSE: “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33 


DEVOTIONAL: Have you ever had a time where it seemed like the calendar was running your schedule instead of you? What seemed like every free moment was already planned with something else that needed to be done? It is in these moments of realization that we must make a change—to slow down and ask: what are we trying to accomplish by being so busy?

There have been times in my life where I have needed to remove things from my schedule because I wasn’t trusting the Lord. I felt that I needed to work as hard as I could and as long as I could to make sure things got done. Instead, I should have been trusting God to take care of those things. This doesn’t mean to neglect your responsibilities; it does mean to trust that the Lord can do more in one day of rest than you could do in seven days of work.

Matthew 6:31-33 reminds us that we need to be reliant on the Lord and know that He cares for us so much that He has everything under control. Once we do this, there is a massive peace that we will notice—the kind of peace that surpasses all understanding. Knowing that our Abba Father, the King of the Universe, has it all under control and for our good will take a lot of stress out of our lives. So, GIVE IT TO GOD!

I hope that when you do this, you will use those free minutes to go to the Father in prayer on behalf of your ONE. Pray for them to have soft hearts and attentive ears. So, when you tell them the good news of Jesus Christ, they will be receptive and inquisitive. In fact, take the next several minutes to spend in prayer. Ask God to show you the ONE that you need to share the Gospel with and invite to church. Pray that God will give you the words to say to them as you invite them in.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, show me the areas in my schedule where I can remove things to make You my top priority. I give You all the worry, stress, and anxiety that’s in my life. Help clear my schedule so I will spend more time with You. Give me the words to say as I invite my ONEs to know You and come to church. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.