Putting God first means letting Him have the first place in your attention, decisions and time, not just your Sunday. In practice, that starts with giving Him your first words each morning, before your phone, and then bringing your plans and choices to Him through the day.
Jesus put it plainly: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33, KJV). Putting God first isn't one more task on the list. It's deciding what the list is for.
What does putting God first look like?
Your first words. Speak to God before anyone else, including your phone. Even a short prayer as you wake changes the direction of the morning.
Your first decisions. Before you plan the day, ask God to lead it. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5–6, KJV).
Your first fruits. Generosity with money and time is a concrete way of saying God comes first.
Your attention. Notice what gets your best focus each day. If something regularly crowds God out, set it a boundary.
Why is the phone such a big part of this?
For many of us, the phone is the first thing we touch and the last thing we see. It isn't evil, but it's very good at taking first place without asking. Taking the morning back is one of the clearest, most practical ways to put God first.
Simple steps to start this week
- Charge your phone out of reach, or lock distracting apps until after you pray.
- Pray before you read anything: thank God, give Him the day, pray for others, ask for what you need.
- Read a short passage of Scripture before the news.
- Pause at midday for a one-minute prayer.
- End the day by thanking God instead of scrolling.
How can an app help?
It may sound odd to use an app to put God before your apps, but defaults are powerful. Prayer Latch locks the apps you choose at your wake-up time each morning. To open them, you pray first and hold to say Amen. Your apps then stay open until the next lock time. It's a small daily way of saying: God first, then everything else.
Pray before you scroll
Prayer Latch locks your chosen apps each morning until you pray. Your first 7 days are free, no card needed.
Updated October 20, 2026 by the Prayer Latch team at Janus Works LLC.