January 7 – First Things First

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Welcome to Bible Chat, where we
have devotional conversations

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rooted in Scripture and relevant
for today, January 7th.

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First things first, it’s so easy
to promise God will give him our

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time later.
After the notifications slow

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down, after the schedule clears,
after we’ve handled what feels

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urgent.
But most days later never really

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comes.
We wake up reaching for our

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phones, rush into
responsibilities, and by the

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time we finally slow down, we’re
running on empty.

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And without even meaning to, God
gets the leftovers of our

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attention, energy, and
affection.

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Proverbs chapter 3, verses 9 to
10 gently but firmly challenge

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that pattern.
Honor the Lord with your wealth

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and with the first fruits of all
your produce.

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Then your barns will be filled
with plenty, and your vats will

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be bursting with wine.
God isn’t just talking about

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money here.
He’s talking about priority.

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First Fruits mean first place,
the first part of your day, the

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first say in your decisions, the
first claim on your heart.

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When God comes first, he
promises fullness.

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Not an empty kind of busy, but a
life filled with purpose and

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provision.
Psalm 5 adds another layer.

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Verse 4 says, for you are not a
God who delights in wickedness.

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Evil may not dwell with you.
God isn’t interested in sharing

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space with compromise.
When we try to keep God on the

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side while holding onto habits,
mindsets, or choices we know

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don’t honor Him, we end up
crowding Him out.

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Putting God first means making
room for Him to truly dwell, not

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just visit occasionally.
Then in Matthew chapter 4, we

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see Jesus face temptation in the
wilderness.

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He’s hungry, tired, and alone.
Satan offers him a shortcut.

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Meet a real need in an easy way.
But Jesus responds with

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Scripture.
Man shall not live by bread

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alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God.

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Jesus shows us that real life
isn’t sustained by what we

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consume, achieve, or accumulate.
It’s sustained by God’s Word.

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That’s our fuel.
That’s our strength.

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When you put God first, you’re
not losing anything.

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You’re gaining clarity,
stability, and depth.

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Your days become anchored
instead of scattered.

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Your choices become guided
instead of reactive.

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Life doesn’t just get fuller on
the outside, it gets richer on

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the inside.
Let’s pray.

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Heavenly Father, I don’t want to
give you what’s leftover.

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I want to give You my best.
Teach me to put You first in my

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time, my thoughts and my
choices.

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Help me hunger for Your word
more than anything else and

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remove anything in my life that
competes with You.

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I trust that when I honor You
first, You will fill my life

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with true abundance in Jesus
name, Amen.

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What if the ache you feel for
more is actually God calling you

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deeper?
Thirst for God is a powerful

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Seven book prayer scripts series
inspired by Psalm 63, created

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for believers who refuse to live
on spiritual leftovers.

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This is a journey from longing
to encounter, from dryness to

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delight.
Seek teaches you how to pursue

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God with passion and
intentionality.

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Savor trains your heart to
recognize and enjoy His presence

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in every season.
See opens your spiritual eyes to

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God’s power, glory and beauty at
work in your life.

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Satisfy leads your soul into
fullness, strength and deep

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contentment in Him alone.
Sing ignites joy, gratitude, and

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worship that rises naturally
from intimacy with God.

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Stay anchors your heart in
steadfast devotion when

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distractions try to pull you
away, and Stand equips you to

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remain firm in God’s justice,
protection, and victory.

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With over 210 prophetic
Scripture anchored prayers, this

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series helps you cultivate daily
communion, personal revival, and

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a lifestyle of holy pursuit.
If you’re spiritually hungry,

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weary, or simply longing for
more of God, this is your

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invitation to drink deeply.
Order Thirst for God on Amazon

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today or visit prayerscripts.org
and begin your journey into

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deeper intimacy with the God who
satisfies.

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Now I invite you to spend time
with God in today’s three-year

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Bible reading plan.
Proverbs chapter 3, verses 9 to

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10 World English Bible Honor
Yahweh with your substance, with

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the first fruits of all your
increase.

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So your barns will be filled
with plenty, and your vats will

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overflow with new wine.
Psalm chapter 5 World English

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Bible for the chief musician
with the flutes, A Psalm by

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David.
Give ear to my words, Yahweh.

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Consider my meditation.
Listen to the voice of my cry,

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my King and my God, for I pray
to you, Yahweh.

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In the morning you will hear My
voice.

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In the morning I will lay My
requests before you and will

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watch expectantly.
For you are not a God who has

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pleasure in wickedness.
Evil can’t live with you.

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The arrogant will not stand in
your sight.

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You hate all workers of
iniquity.

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You will destroy those who speak
lies.

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Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty
and deceitful man.

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But As for me, in the abundance
of Your loving kindness, I will

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come into Your house.
I will bow toward Your holy

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temple in reverence of You.
Lead me, Yahweh, in Your

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righteousness, because of my
enemies, make Your way straight

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before My face, for there is no
faithfulness in their mouth.

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Their heart is destruction,
their throat is an open tomb.

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They flatter with their tongue.
Hold them guilty, God, Let them

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fall by their own counsels.
Thrust them out in the multitude

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of their transgressions, for
they have rebelled against You.

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But let all those who take
refuge and you rejoice, let them

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always shout for joy, because
you defend them.

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Let them also who love Your
name, be joyful in you, for You

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will bless the righteous Yahweh.
You will surround him with

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favor, as with a shield.
Matthew chapter 4 World English

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Bible Then Jesus was led up by
the Spirit into the wilderness

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to be tempted by the devil.
When he had fasted 40 days and

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40 nights, he was hungry.
Afterward the tempter came and

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said to him, If you are the Son
of God, command that these

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stones become bread.
But he answered, It is written,

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Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that

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proceeds out of God’s mouth.
Then the devil took him into the

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holy city.
He set him on the pinnacle of

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the temple, and said to him, If
you are the Son of God, throw

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yourself down, For it is
written, He will command his

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angels concerning you, and on
their hands they will bear you

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up, so that you don’t dash your
foot against a stone.

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Jesus said to him, Again, It is
written, You shall not test the

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Lord your God.
Again the devil took him to an

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exceedingly high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of

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the world and their glory.
He said to him, I will give you

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all of these things, if you will
fall down and worship me.

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Then Jesus said to him, Get
behind me, Satan, for it is

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written, You shall worship the
Lord your God, and you shall

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serve him only.
Then the devil left him, and

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behold, angels came and served
him.

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Now when Jesus heard that John
was delivered up, he withdrew

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into Galilee, leaving Nazareth.
He came and lived in Capernaum,

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which is by the sea in the
region of Zebulun and Naphtali

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that it might be fulfilled,
which was spoken through Isaiah

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the prophet saying the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naftali

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toward the sea beyond the
Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

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The people who sat in darkness
saw a great light.

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To those who sat in the region
in shadow of death, to them

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light has dawned.
From that time Jesus began to

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preach and to say repent, for
the Kingdom of heaven is at

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hand.
Walking by the Sea of Galilee,

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he saw two brothers, Simon, who
is called Peter, and Andrew his

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brother, casting a net into the
sea, for they were fishermen.

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He said to them, Come after me
and I will make you fishers for

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men.
They immediately left their Nets

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and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two

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other brothers, James the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother,

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in the boat with Zebedee their
father.

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Mending their Nets, he called
them.

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They immediately left the boat
and their Father and followed

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him.
Jesus went about in all Galilee,

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teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the

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Kingdom, and healing every
disease and every sickness among

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the people.
The report about him went out

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into all Syria.
They brought to him all who were

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sick, afflicted with various
diseases and torments, possessed

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with demons, epileptics, and
paralytics, and He healed them.

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Great multitudes from Galilee,
Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and

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from beyond the Jordan followed
Him.

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Thanks for joining us on Bible
Chat, where Scripture meets

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everyday life.
If today’s devotional encouraged

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you, share it with a friend and
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you won’t miss the next
conversation.

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Until next time, stay rooted in
truth, anchored in hope, and

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walking daily with Jesus.