Pressure, it’s everywhere. It sneaks into every part of our lives. We have pressure in marriage, pressure to keep up and have more, and pressure to give our kids the latest gadgets. We even experience pressure for our time. No doubt about it, life today is stressful! And with stress comes fear. We fear losing it. We fear we won’t be enough for our families. We fear failure. So, we work longer and do more, all in the name of fear. Even though adding more is not the way to handle pressure, we do it anyway. Before we know it our lives can resemble a three ring circus as we try to juggle it all on top of a high wire. One of our greatest fears is having someone discover the truth: We can’t really juggle it all.
Think about your own life for a moment. What stressful circumstances are you facing that seem hopeless? Do you often feel like everything depends on you? Perhaps, you fear that you won’t measure up or you fear what others think of you. Maybe you fear missing out on opportunities so you stretch yourself thin dipping your controlling fingers into every pot. Could it be that discontentment with life is adding undue stress and pressure?
Sometimes peace is a matter of changing our priorities. Balance comes when I lay my to-do list before God and allow Him to prioritize my life. As a Christian, my life doesn’t belong to me. I shouldn’t be the one ordering my days. When I do, my life becomes unstable. When this happens, I’ve learned to do a quick review of my life by using this acrostic on priorities given to me by a friend:
P – Pray. Ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to show you His priorities for this season of your life.
R – Review God’s priorities for your life. Study God’s Word to determine His priorities for you as His child and as a woman.
I – Take Inventory Examine the activities that consume your time. Keep a time log for a week. Then ask hard questions. What are my true priorities? Are they the right ones?
O – Order your schedule. Ask, “What is important?” Make the hard choices based on God’s priorities for your life.
R – Resist the “tyranny of the urgent.” Don’t let the urgent keep you from focusing on the truly important.
I – Input from others. Seek input, counsel, and accountability from authorities, your husband, godly friends, and mentors.
T – Take advantage of the time God gives you. Don’t waste time. Do all to the glory of God.
I – Identify time robbers. What saps your energy and robs your time? Activities, attitudes, distractions, interruptions?
E – Experience this season fully. Be all there in this season of life. Weep, rejoice, work hard, and celebrate with all your heart. Don’t waste time living in the past or future.
S – Sabbaths. Take regular time outs to refresh, regain perspective, reflect and evaluate, and reprioritize. Make adjustments accordingly.
Balancing our priorities isn’t enough unless we’re willing to cast our worries on God and trust in Him to care for us. Are you willing to do that today?
If so, leave a comment and enter to WIN a pair of Faith Earrings. Whenever you feel pressure, wear your earrings as a reminder not to worry but to place your faith in God who is able and willing to carry your load.
Debt has been a real fear lately in my household….and I never seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel. BUT, I’m learning to take things one day at a time and one paycheck at a time and TRUST my GOD.
Love the accrostic reminder! Life becomes stressful when I allow myself to become overloaded, too busy, not allowing enough time with God. Peace is His gift to us, not stress, worry and doubt Just wish I didn’t need this reminder so often! Thank you, Micca, for the encouragement ♡
As I read this just after sending a text to a friend that said things were literally topsy turvy at home because of redoing the hardwood floors and having our whole house turned upside down I was also thinking of a dear friend I visited yesterday who is struggling with cancer. Whether our surroundings are physically in an upheaval or our bodies, minds, and spirits are falling apart only God can give us peace in ALL circumstances. There are things we can do to help the situation in terms of taking care of our bodies, minds, and spirits, but ultimately GOD ALONE can heal us and bring us peace in every situation! I LOVE the earrings too!
I need a reminder to stay committed. My world has been turned upside down due to loss of husband. I find myself angry at God and am trying to work through it. I love your post. Thanks so much.
Worry stops me in my tracks. Father lift this tendency to fret so that my life’s work is full, complete and a testament to You.
I pray that God blesses you with His peace today.
Psalm 29:11 – The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Thanks for sharing this today! I believe and trust God promises and speak them through out the day. I’m trusting still even when anxieties of life happen. Right now read for me today!
Beautiful!
These are what helps me every day: Faith. (1 Peter 1:21)Courage.(Joshua 1:9/Deuteronomy 31:6)Love. (1 John 4:18-19). Plus all include three goes with 1 Corinthians 16:13. This reminds me that have a faith in God, be courage by Him and His love for me is greatest than anything else.
Wow, Micca I clicked on here to enter to win earrings as I Love Crosses etc. I started reading, next thing I knew I was writing down the Priorities and went ahead and wrote down the ending after. Went back to read all again as I was reading I thought this is amazing and so Me and at certain points was wondering had you been reading or seeing some of my post. As all of this has totally hit home with me back when I was a working Mom and thought I had to do everything even wit a Spouse, because that’s just thekind of Iindependent type person I am. Then in 2009 I unfortunately became disabled & lost my Spouse in 2010, yet I’m a very caring and giving type person. I still try to handle and take on Everyone’s problems close to me with a Mother that’s been fighting Cancer for 14 yrs and yet too find out sometimes I just really get down because I can’t do it all like I used to be able too. This I did wound up writing all of it down as it Really hit home with me. I do read your stuff often and enjoy everything I’ve ever read. Thanks for sharing and Good Timing, Kinda needed this right now! Thank You & God Bless!!
What a great reminder. I would love those earrings.
I, too, love the acrostic! I live in a constant state of urgent, yet I say that I know that God is in control of everything. Hope I win the earrings to have a visual reminder that I need to have faith in God and set my priorities accordingly. Bless you and your ministry.
God I surrender ALL worries, hurts and pain and life’s distractions to you !! I ask that you please help me to leave them in YOUR hands where they belong and help me to be strong enough not to take them back into MY control !!!!!!
This acrostic is a great reminder for me! I feel like God has been prompting me lately to consider my priorities and how I can better serve my family. Thank you for the encouragement!
As the oldest of 6 children – I thought it was my job to worry about everything. This thinking has spilled over for many years into my adult life. I have finally learned to lay my worries at God’s feet and let him handle them. What a relief it has been to turn it over to God.
You’re welcome, Staci! I’m so glad God used this devotion to remind you of His sweet peace.
I needed to read your blog today. Thank you for the reminder of right thinking and priorities. I’m encouraged to especially Experience this season fully and to stop fretting about the past and how I failed! God bless your ministry.
Micca –
I was walking through Barnes and Nobles yesterday and saw a pencil case and cell phone case that said “I am too busy”. In this life we glorify the spirit of busyness as a badge of honor. We fill our time with activities to get the most out of life that we miss what is important. Without us realizing it we give away the internal peace that comes with fellowshipping with the Spirit for the fears and anxieties of keeping up our appearances. As result, God becomes an afterthought rather than our main focus.
The Bible says Proverbs 19:15 says “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.” It is funny to couple being busy with slothfulness, but the busier one is in the natural the more slothful one becomes in the spirit. The natural is just a counterfeit of the spiritual. It took me years to figure that out. It was not until, I brought my to-do list in front of the Lord that my priorities changed. Renewing the mind daily with the Word is a big part of that equation without Him nothing is possible, but with Him…watch out…all things are possible and are at peace to boot.
~Lia
It was no mistake reading this after a hectic day at work…. In a place like lagos.. His peace is truly like a river… The earnings will be a lovely reminder.
I always struggle with surrendering all, yet feel overwhelmed by the weight of the world. How, as women, we are but to multi-task so well that a second of peace can’t make way between the crevices? I will need this constant reminder and nudging that freedom is to let go and let God. Thank you for your whispers of encouragement to my soul. I hope to see you again soon.
As I think about how stressful my life has been for the pass 22 months. My husband passed away Nov 24,2013 a week after our second son was born. So I am trying to find peace dealing with that on top of the financial struggles that has taken place in the last couple of months. I’m truly learning that the more time I spend with God the more peace he gives me.
Thank you for the timely article. I’ve been going thru a rough financial time and it’s been a struggle to let go and truly trust God that He will come thru for me. I appreciate the reminder to continue to cast my burdens on Him.
I can relate so much to everything you said. Such a great reminder to trust in GOD and not my own understanding when I feel overwhelmed. Thanks for sharing! God bless your weekend.
I really enjoyed your blog. It brought back so many memories of when the kids were home and we were pulled in so many directions. God Bless you and your ministry.
I realize a lot of stress in my life comes from not relying on God or seeking Him first. The way I handle my life is asking myself “what can I do to fix this”. I’m ashamed to say that I think I’m capable of fixing everything on my own. I want to rely on God for everything. I know I can’t do anything without God. I will from this day forward remind myself to seek Him first. Giving Him the first part of my day. Thank you for this article!
Love the anycroym!! I’ve been living life by casting all of my worries on him for about six mths and don’t ever want to go back. During this time, my husband was sentenced to prison for 25 yrs leaving me to raise our six and four yr old. He was committed a crime that he says he didn’t commit. He is appealing, but it takes forever. Relinquishing control over my life to the Lord was the best thing I’ve ever done!! I recommend it to everyone!! Without Gods help. I don’t know what to do. He has been helping me every step of the way and what the next step it.
Thank you for the poem in order to remind us to prioritize.
Thank you for your words about peace and the stress that comes from our priorities. I love the idea of wearing Faith Earrings to remind me to “hear” God’s word in my heart and be encouraged.
When we come to the foot of the cross and lay everything there, we will finally have the “peace that passes understanding” and we can only have that in knowing Jesus Christ as all we need for our every need!
I surrender all and die daily at the foot of the cross. I can do nothing on my own.
Thank you for that devotional! We all need the LORD’s peace and only He can give us real peace!
Yes! These are great things to remember when feeling so much pressure from our constant state of business. I may just print this out for my mirror so I can remind to check my self everyday. Thank you so much for your wise words. Jesus ‘s peace is the only peace .
these words couldn’t come at a more appropriate time! It’s so hard not getting caught up in doing more, & adding more.sometimes It’s hard to juggle all the tasks of the day and make time for Him. You feel like you are pulled in 100 different directions. This is a great reminder to lay it all out front of Him. For priority, for strength, for wisdom and sometimes even patience. Thank u Micca!!
Thank you for your inspiring words. It really made me stop and think about treasures that God blesses us with, it’s about how you might be going from day to day life that you don’t pause long enough to use them. So thank you for being a servant of God and passing this along for others to read.
This really spoke to me. I am leaving my past behind and learning to live in the season I am in. I’m feeling God working in my life. I hear him speaking to me about my use of time, my selfishness, and I know that my life is changing even as He is presenting the changes I need to make to me in so many connected ways in my life.
Thank you for this blog! It couldn’t have come at a better time! My husband and I are going through some financial stuff and I really needed to read this.
I love this article and I especially love this quote “Sometimes peace is a matter of changing our priorities. Balance comes when I lay my to-do list before God and allow Him to prioritize my life”. This was a great message for me today. Thank you so much
I started a new job about 2 months ago. It has really taken me out of my comfort zone. I ask for God’s help daily! Thank you for this pertinent reminder that God always wants the best for our lives, and He wants us to fully trust Him and His plans for us.
What an awesome reminder of just how much God loves us; His son, our Savior, left His peace for us to “rest” in. We can be so busy until we simply do not rest in the peace that Jesus left for us. Thank you so much for this encouraging and inspirational reminder. Peace to you !!
Thank you for the much needed reminder! I’m going to print it our and put it by my mirror.
So need this now balancing the needs of a special needs daughter, building a house and all that that entails and life in general.
Thank you. Your remarks are encouraging. May the peace of Christ continue to rule your heart. In His name.
I can remember several specific times in my life when I felt God’s perfect peace. I am learning to surrender all to Him. Thank you for the Proverbs 31 devotion and the message on your blog. God is using you to speak to my heart!
Thanks for your truthfullness. My life is not overly filled with things to be done, however, I do have much stress and worry and lack the peace you wrote about. I’ve been out of work for 7 months and now have no further unemployment insurance, I care for my elderly mother who lives with me. I suffer from bipolar depression which has not been under control while I’ve been off work due to the stress. I have lots of time to pray and read my Bible and books and devo’s but I remain peaceless and wonder how long this will go on, and why. And right now, how am I going to financially survive. I am alone fighting this battle and need God’s peace, perhaps the earrings would be a helpfull reminder to me. Thanks, please pray for me, Karen
I plan on reflecting upon this today to create boundaries in regards to how much I work while I’m home. Thank you for sharing this.
Mecca , this devotional was a great fit for where I am today. The acronym is a perfect thing to print out and put on the fridge. It’s always good to hear confirmation of what God is speaking to you. Thank Micca!
I so deeply needed this ! I have a position at work that is requiring so much more of me that I can give . Some of it is me and some it’s the lack of leadership to be given by my 2 opposite end bosses . I feel guilty wanting to change to another lower position that was just offered to me with less hrs, less pay and no more insurance . I want this job, but am I running away from what God is trying to teach at were I am now or am I simply giving up and thinking this road will be better 😔
That you for your devotional today. Prioritizing is very difficult with a woman sometimes. Letting loose and letting God as well. Although we know he is the ultimate sacrifice, he tend to lead when it comes to responsibilities. This devotion was inspiring to me this morning, he one that stuck out most was, taking inventory. Great… Thanks!!! Can’t wait to share with friends..
Life is full! Being a working woman and wife and having a daughter and baby granddaughter move back home due to our son in laws deployment has made for some huge changes in my life. Slowly worry and a huge to do list has overtaken my life and my peace flew out the window. After seeing The War Room, my husband and I realized we weren’t using our biggest weapon against the enemy that comes “only to destroy”. I’ve been asking for reinforcements to our change in strategy and God sent me the email with the link to this blog. Isn’t He always right on time to help His children??!! How refreshing it is to know others struggle with the same issues and also to receive your acronym for getting my priorities straight. Thank you for being the instrument that spoke to my heart today. what a mighty God we serve!
Thank you Micca, I am relocating from CA to TN and only taking what can fit in my car! It’s so hard to let go of some of my things…I too I’m having to prioritize, and find myself with anxiety. When I remind myself to stop and ask my Father for his help its the only time I feel peace… The earrings are a beautiful way to remind myself and others of His love & peace….
Your Peace piece mentioned some of my favorite verses so truly a blessed reminder. On my knees today with gratitude and faith. Thank you🌻
I think today’s society encourages us to be more and do more as women, to prove ourselves “worthy” so to speak and in doing so we are losing ourselves. When we might say that our family is our priority and we work to provide for them, but our employer demands more and more of our time, are we really making our family our number one priority? I personally have trouble resting and keeping the Sabbath. I feel like I must always be working through pressures from comments my own mother has said to me to making sure everything is done. God wants us to rest, to rejuvenate our souls and be in Him and trust in Him. He will always provide what we need.
I commit my priorities to be God’s priorities. As I travel this journey of life, I am focused on seeking God with all my heart and pray to do His will, not my will. The priority listing above is a great tool to help me as I seek to give it all to Him.
So, so true! I need reminded of this everyday! Sometimes I think I can “do it all” when I realize that I can’t! Need to remind myself everyday that it s about what He wants me to complete today to glorify him, not about what I want to complete today for myself! Thank you so much for your article. Love, love, love the earrings!
I love this! I’m so willing to cast my cares on God and trust in Him to care for me. This was so encouraging to read this morning. I love the earrings.
Thank you for this post! Great reminder to not hold onto our baggage but lay it at the feet of Jesus!
I just found this, I love the priorities. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and forget God is for us and has a peace for us if only we seek Him and trust in Him. My number one priority is my relationship with the Lord and serving him, I’m every aspect of my life,
This blog was a divine appointment because I am a terrible people pleaser and have trouble saying no to people. I struggle with balance and priorities.. this acrostic on priorities is going in my prayer journal. This is such a practical biblical way to find and keep Gods peace while living out day to day life serving him. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome remember.
That should be reminder.
As I entered the “real world”, I assumed by age 30 my life would be perfect – children, big house, no financial worries, etc. – in other words, the American Dream. However, over the past 38 years I’ve experienced numerous ups and downs. I encourage women of all ages and stages of life to incorporate this acronym into their daily routine. I would have loved to have had it to reflect on in the past, but will be doing so starting today! Blessings to all!
Thank you for sharing, this devotion was a reminder of the real peace that God gives to us.
Awesome reminders of Who God is and what He can do. Even though I know that I am a child of the living God, I at times regress and fear that others won’t accept me, that I am not good enough or that I don’t have the talent to do much of anything. I try to keep these negative thoughts way down but sometimes things happen and they all come crashing back in my mind. I am trying to keep my mind focused on who God is and His love for me, faults and all. He accepts me for who I am because He made me. He knows everything about me. And He still loves me. I am truly blessed in so many ways. I was hurt really bad in school by words and they have stayed with me. Every time something happens those word echo in my heart and mind. I try to push them away, but sometimes they shout so loud it drowns out every thing else. But still God is good.
Yes, He is Betty! He Loves you and He wants what’s the best for you! I totally understand! Those voices of doubt and fear can be overwhelming,but the Blood! The Blood of Jesus covers All and what I have been doing is covering my mind/thoughts day and night with His Blood! And I can honestly say it has made a world of difference! So, I challenge you to do the same! And even at times through out the day when a thought comes in that is not of God from God for me , I say Jesus,Jesus thank for the Blood,cover my thoughts and cast out these thoughts in Jesus name. Amen!.. It works! I pray that this will help you ,as it has help me!
Good Morning Micca!
What Beautiful words to remind us that God wants us to totally depend on Him for our peace and that we need to call on Him for guidance/direction! I am so ready and willing to have Him order,direct and guide my steps today/all the days of my life! Have a Blessed day!
Thank you for your devotional this morning. I needed it so badly. I woke up feeling overwhelmed and discouraged and this help me to put things back into perspective.
God’s peace is what I need.
I am willing to cast my cares on him. Every time I do I instantly feel a burden lifted. I thank him for carrying my cross! Praise the Lord!
Thank you for the Godly wisdom which is so timely. And, I love acrostics!! I especially like the “I” of take inventory. I find myself spinning my wheels of busyness and then end up exhausted (and with health problems) and I know God loves me and wants more than that to accomplish His purpose. Just even slow down and love on that neighbor or stranger that needs to talk, etc. And, I love the earrings – it would be a priviledgd to explain their purpose and share my Faith in God to someone who may compliment or comment on them. 🙌🏼
*priviledge
This has offered me encouragement email especially entering into a new position that is very demanding. Ty
If our god is a small god, we’ve got BIG problems, but when our God is a BIG God, our problems are small.. He rose Christ from the grave. Death was defeated, the world overcome.
The peace of Christ, gets me through the hardships, for it is those hardships that shape us to become ready for His kingdom. There never Was, IS, or WILL, be another YOU.
Thank you for this reminder.
God’s peace in my daily life is a necessity to keep me focused on the Lord Jesus. I experience stress when I try to please my husband or even the Lord, striving to measure up to their standards. But the Lord is so merciful to reassure me that He is all I need.The acrostic reminder will be a valuable resource to keep me in His way. Then I can have the source of peace by resting in Him, not mindless activities.
Perfectly timed. I was just saying to my accountability partner, ” I am trying to sort through all the loose end junk on my desk from work and in my head to only give time to what truly important. I think I need a better organization and filtering system!” 🙂
Enjoyed you devotional reminded me how many times the Lord has been there to battle for me an the faith I had battling cancer! Which I can praise the Lord I have been cancer free 3/12 years he is my rock I can never thank him enough for all the times he just wrapped me in his arms and took care of me! I would love to have the earrings to remind me of the faith he gave me! He always gets all the praise and glory! Thank you Micca for sharing!
I needed this encouragement today!
Thank you!
These are beautiful and with everything going on right now your message today was perfect.
What a great reminder! Love the earrings as a daily reminder.
It’s hard not to hold on to the worries even when trying to trust but it gets a little easier each time we do it.
I really needed your devotional today. I struggle with holding on to God’s peace more than I normally do since my husband died of cancer. I know my God provides…..it is my humanness that gets in the way. God Bless you in your special ministry.
Excellent advice! thank you. I would love the earrings. Faith is something that I keep working on developing, especially total TRUST in my Abba God. It is easy to get overwhelmed and forget to be grateful and that takes me down faster than anything. The earrings would be a good reminder that GOD is faithful. I can TRUST in HIM. thanks again for the suggestions to prioritize my life.
Thank you so much for this post. It’s a great reminder that God cares for the things we care about. We need to surrender every area of our lives in order to experience His peace.
Thank you for the reminder that I need to cast ALL my worries on God. Also, you helped me to realize that a lot of my worries are caused by me not allowing God to help me focus on my priorities. I am pretty sure that if I would have prayed about my time and schedule more, more often than not, He probably would have told me, “No, you don’t need that on your schedule,” or “Lisa, are you doing this for MY glory, or your own?” Being a people-pleasing wife, mom, friend, church member, returning-to-college adult student, I allow myself to be overbooked and too busy for the real priorities of my time spent with God and dwelling in His peace. I will start today by redirecting my focus on Him and trusting in Him!
What a great reminder!! Speaks straight to my soul on this busy day!
I have a hard time with pressure. Right now I’m going through trying to find a different job because of various issues with my current job, and it’s stressful and frustrating! I’m often so focused on ‘other’ things that I neglect my time with God or even my family. I love this acrostic; it really is a good reminder of what is important in day to day life. And I love the earrings! Beautiful.
It’s in deed true that our lifes are in his hands and only in him we find the true peace.Thanks Micca for the message.It matches perfectly with the earrings.
Thank you for revealing how we (I) try to bring peace by working harder instead of focusing and resting in Jesus.
I love that you can’t let the urgent get in the way of other things. My children are only young once, my text message can wait!
Thank you Micca for sharing the importance of peace in our lives… I know for me it takes a few days of crazily busyness to recognize how frazzled I get on the inside not realizing the peace has slowly slipped away. And everything suffers from relationships -with family, co workers, myself and especially with God. Your reminder to ask Him to help me recognize what the “robbers” are in my life was the nudge I needed to regroup, refocus and reconnect letting the little peace stealers go 🙂 keep sharing!! Erica
Just wanted I needed today. I’m trying to not get overwhelmed with my problems. I need to seek peace in Him.
Thank you so much for sharing the acrostic reminder about priorities! God has been putting this concept on my heart a lot this week! Sometimes you have to step back and remember what really matters in this life. Aligning your priorities with His can give almost instant peace. This post also makes me think about releasing control to Him. When we try to control our lives, they get even messier. We must relinquish control to Him. How blessed we are that we get to do that! God is so good! I hope that these practices become even more consistent in my life!
So yes, most of us are under time constraints, pressure and sometimes just insanity, but I also think that is exactly the way God meant it. It helps us see where our focus should be, our one true and lasting prize! Hallelujah !
Thank you for sharing the acrostic on priorities. Helpful reminder.
Thank you for such a great reminder. I have always struggled with setting priorities in my life. I will definitely try to use this acrostic on priorities to reevaluate my life. Thanks
Thank you for this article, I needed to read that tonight.
After losing my husband a year ago and my sister 6 months ago the grieving process has not been easy. The pain is unbearable up to now. All i have been praying for is inner peace which comes from God. I have faith that i will rest in inner peace.
Fantastic!! Just what I needed! God is always right on time! Thanks so much for sharing! What a Blessing!
Thank you so much for such encouraging words!! I definitely feel a heavy load, especially on the weekend when we’re trying to get groceries, do laundry, change the sheets, attend church, serve others, attend bible studies and participate in classes. God is in control and watching all that we do and he will make time for everything!!
We make our lives so stressful with the demands of the world… this is the enemy trying to destroy our lives with the mindset of everything else takes priority over our time with the Lord. Our time with Him shouldn’t be a struggle but we allow the enemy to steal that away from us… and some days I get so angry with myself for allowing that to happen. Thank you for shaking my shoulders …. reminding me that as a Christian, my life doesn’t belong to me… I am here to serve HIM!
Such a fabulous list that I have printed to remind myself daily of my priorities! Truly needed this message today.
Thank you for the devotional on P31 and for the acrostic. I am worn out from a very busy work and personal schedule, and I am finding myself unable to get it all done. I decided to take a day off from work today just so I could catch my breath and regroup. I will be using your advice!