Enjoying Your Walk With GodSample

Let Your First Stop Be God

A bright red cardinal sat on a limb of a tree outside a man’s office. The man saw the bird’s beauty and burst into prayer thanking God for the bird. He found it easy to tell Him how grateful he was for the love and kindness that God had shown him. The next day, the cardinal sat on the limb again. The man felt great joy and at once started to pray. A few days passed, and he had not seen the bird. His heart was sad at first, but soon he thought: Why wait for the cardinal? Why shouldn’t I pray to God when I see a bird of any kind? In this, the man grew a habit of letting his first thoughts turn to God. Karla Akins shares about how a growing awareness of God’s kindness motivates her to pray in a similar way.

Listen to Karla...

Praising God with a thankful heart makes us more in tune with God’s love, kindness, and faithfulness in our lives. Our confidence and trust in God grows. We become more willing to bring everything, even the hard things in our lives, to him.

These are great examples of "let your first stop be God." When our minds wander, they will let God be our first thought. It is the idea of "giving thanks in everything" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Or the reminder from Philippians 4 to not be anxious but to bring things to God.

How many times in a day could you give thanks to God? Could you use a wristband, a ring on your finger, an alarm on your phone, or some object you see to help remind you to pray?

Kind and loving, God waits for our praise. In all things, will you let God be your first thought?

Application Questions:

• What are some simple, daily things that remind you to let your first stop be God?
• Are there any small changes you can make in your routine to help increase the times you think about God and pray?