Bible Verses About Putting God First

What does the Bible say about putting God first?

The phrase “God first” or “just put God first” is usually used by an unbeliever. If you have ever watched an award ceremony many people say, “God comes first.” But many times it was wickedness that got them that award. Was God really first? Was He first when they were living in rebellion?

Your god might have been first. The false god in your mind that allows you to live in rebellion, but not the God of the Bible. You can’t put God first if you’re not saved.

I’m tired of this phrase being shamelessly thrown around. We need to learn how to put the Lord first and this article will help you do just that.

Christian quotes about putting God first

“If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.”  William Law

“Put God first and you’ll never be last.”

“The secret of a happy life is giving God the first part of your day, the first priority to every decision, and the first place in your heart.”

“If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.” William Law

“As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand problems are solved all at once.” – A.W. Tozer

“When you seek God first in your daily pursuits, He promises to add unto you those things which you were pursuing (as long as they are in His will).”

“Placing Him first in your life should be your daily goal, the main pursuit in the midst of all your other pursuits.”  Paul Chappell

“Remember to ALWAYS put God first in your relationship, your marriage, & your home, because where there is Christ your foundation will always remain solid.”

“When I put God first, God takes care of me and energizes me to do what really needs to be done.” David Jeremiah

“Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God.” Oswald Chambers

“When you give God first place in what you do you will find him in a good outcome of your work.”

“When you put God first, everything else falls into their proper place.”

What does it mean to put God first according to the Bible?

I would never say that God is not first. Would you?

No professing Christian would ever say that God is not first in their life. But what does your life say? You might not say that God is not first, but that is exactly what your life is saying.

1. Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

2. Revelation 2:4 “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”

Putting God first is realizing it’s all about Him.

Everything in your life is to be directed to Him.

Your every breath is to go back to Him. Your every thought is to be for Him. Everything is about Him. Take a look at this verse. It says do all things for His glory. Every single last thing in your life. Is every one of your thoughts for His glory? Is every time you watch TV for His glory?

How about when you walk, give, talk, sneeze, read, sleep, exercise, laugh, and shop? Sometimes we read the verse and we don’t truly see how important the verse is. It doesn’t say do some things for His glory, it says do everything. Is everything in your life for His glory?

3. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Are you loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?

If you say no, then you are being disobedient to this command. If you say yes, then you are lying because no one besides Christ has ever loved the Lord with everything, which also makes you disobedient. As you can see you have a big problem and you’re not putting the Lord first.

4. 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.”

5. Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

Everything was created for Him and His glory. Everything!

You probably said to yourself today, “I need to learn how to put God first in my life.” I say to you how can you put God first when He is probably not even third in your life? Examine yourself. Examine your life. Would it be a problem for you to give God everything?

6. Romans 11:36 “Everything is from him and by him and for him. Glory belongs to him forever! Amen!”

7. Colossians 1:16 “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

When you put God first you know that you are nothing and the Lord is everything.

You didn’t choose Him. He chose you. It’s all because of Christ!

8. John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

9. John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Putting God first by trusting in Christ for salvation

I know by now you know that you can’t do what is required of you. You fall flat on your face. There is good news.

2000 years ago God came down in the form of man. He was fully God. Only God can die for the sins of the world. He was fully man. He lived the perfect life that man can’t live. Jesus paid your fine in full. Someone had to die for sin and on the cross God died.

Jesus took our place and for those who repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation they will be saved. God no longer sees your sin, but He sees the perfect merit of Christ. Repentance is not a work. God grants us repentance. Repentance is the result of true faith in Jesus Christ.

When you truly believe on Christ you will be a new creation with new desires for Christ. You won’t desire to live in sin. He becomes your life. I’m not talking about sinless perfection. I’m not saying you won’t struggle with sinful thoughts, desires, and habits, but God is going to work in you to conform you into the image of Christ. There will be a change in you.

Have you truly put your trust in Christ alone? Today, if I would have asked you why should God let you in Heaven would you have said Jesus Christ is my only claim?

10. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

11.  Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.”

You can’t put God first without being saved.

When you trust in Christ you become a light. That is what you are now.

You start to imitate Christ who put His Father first in all He did. Your life will start to reflect the life of Christ. You will seek to submit to the will of your Father, spend time with your Father in prayer, serve others, etc. When you put God first you think of yourself less. Not my will, but your will Lord. Not my glory, but for your glory Lord.

For the advancement of your kingdom. You begin to bear the burdens of others and make sacrifices. Once again I’m not saying you are going to do everything perfectly, but the center of your life will change. You will imitate Christ who was never empty because His food was to do the will of His Father.

12. 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

13. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

14. 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Is God first in your life?

Don’t tell me God is first in your life when you don’t spend time with Him in prayer.

You have time for everything else, but you don’t have time for prayer? If Christ is your life you will have time for Him in prayer. Also, I want to add that when you pray you do it with His glory in mind, not your selfish desires. That doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for things like an increase in finances, but it is going to be to further advance His kingdom and to be a blessing to others.

Many times you’re not going to even want to ask Him for anything. You just want to be alone with your Father. That is one of the beauties of prayer. Alone time with Him and getting to know Him. When you have a passion for the Lord it will be seen in your prayer life. Are you seeking a lonely place every day to be with your Father?

15. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

16. Jeremiah 2:32 “Does a young woman forget her jewelry? Does a bride hide her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me.”

17. Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Scripture teaches us to count the cost.

The cost of following Christ is everything. It’s all for Him. 

What does your mind always focus on and what do you talk about most? That is your god. Count the different idols in your life. Is it TV, YouTube, sin, etc. There are so many things in this world that shine that seeks to take the place of Christ.

I am not saying that you have to separate from watching TV or from your hobbies, but have these things become an idol in your life? Change that! Do you long for Christ? Readjust your spiritual life. 

18. Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”

19. Matthew 10:37-39 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

20. Luke 14:33 “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

How to put God first in everything?

Putting God first is doing what He wants us to do over what we want to do even if it seems like our way is right.

I was going to do this article a day ago and I really wanted to do this article for a long time, but God wanted me to do an article before this one. He confirmed it by three people asking me the same thing.

Even though I wanted to do my will and this article first, I had to put God first and do the one He led me to do first. Sometimes what God wants us to do might be hard for us, but we must listen.

Listen to what God wants you to do and usually He confirms this by His Word, the Holy Spirit, and by 1 or more people coming to you.

21. John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Part of putting God first is repenting daily.

Bring your sins to Him instead of trying to hide it. Remove things in your life that you know He is not pleased with such as bad music, bad movies, etc.

22. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Live in eternity

I have to constantly ask God throughout the day to help me set my mind on Him because there are so many distractions in this world. There are so many things that seek to slow us down. Live with an eternal perspective knowing that everything will burn soon.

In 100 years it’s all going to be gone. If you see the glory that awaits believers in Heaven you would change your whole lifestyle. Use your time wisely. Readjust your mind, prayer life, devotion life, giving, helping, priorities, etc. Allow God to be the center of every decision that you make.

Use the gifts that God has given you to advance His kingdom and glorify His name. Seek to glorify Him in all that you do. Pray for more passion and love for Him. Start getting to know Jesus more in prayer. Pray for a greater understanding of the gospel and trust the Lord in all situations. Allow God to be your joy.

23. Proverbs 3:6 “In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”

24. Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

25. Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

“God if I don’t get to know you more I’ll die! I need you! Whatever it takes.”