Casandra Martin

Everybody is busy. We all have full calendars, long to-do lists, and priority-filled agendas. Sometimes in the midst of all my busyness, it becomes hard to see God. The days become blurs of activity, and I miss His presence. I run, try to catch up, cross things off my list, and don’t connect with the One who loves me beyond measure.

What if I could look at my to-do list differently? My to-do lists tend to be “me” focused. This is what I have to do. These are the places I have to go, the things I have to accomplish with my time and effort. What if, instead, I could see that list as a roadmap for spending the day with God?

Here are a couple of ideas that might change the way we look at our to-do lists –

Make your to-do list a pray-do list. Use your to-do list as a prayer guide for the day. God wants to be intimately involved in each piece of your life. He wants to help you with the laundry, your work deadline, and paying the bills. He longs for you to be as aware of Him at the grocery store as you are reading your Bible. Praying through your to-do list invites God into each movement of your day. Ask Him to bless you and walk with you as you complete each task. Ask for His wisdom as you make decisions. Open the door for God to be a part of each conversation you have, and present in the places you go.

Put God on the list. Plan specific times in your day to meet God. You have other appointments on your list. Why not God? Take two or three minutes every couple of hours to be still before the Lord. Refocus your mind and your heart. Come back to center. Seek His face. He promises you will always find Him.

Let your list be a living record. As you cross things off your to-do list, make a brief note of where you saw God in the moment. Pay attention to beauty seen, prayers answered, doors opened, wisdom bestowed, energy infused, comfort felt, resources provided, friendships deepened, and blessings received. Crossing something off the list is only half the fun. Let each part of your list become a testimony to the way you and God have walked through the day together.

My Jesus Resolution today is to look at my to-do list with new eyes. Instead of a mountain I have to climb by myself, I am going to look for all the opportunities that my list gives me to meet God and allow Him to touch my day. I am going to pray for the people and activities on my list, asking God to fill each part of my day. I want to meet God throughout my day. so I am going to be deliberate about turning off the noise and turning my heart to Him. I am going to keep track of the way I discover His fingerprints on my to-do list. I am going to see my to-do list as a record of God’s movement in my life, rather than a speedometer of my day.