Is God Just Another Item on Your To-Do List?

• By candidasullivan
• October 9, 2026
• No Comments

Spending time with God is on my to-do list. It’s a priority to me. So I make time for it every day. My body might be present, but my mind and soul don’t always connect. 

The phone beeps. Noise comes from the other room. My mind starts thinking about something else. The time is up. I move on to the next item on my list. However, my soul is still thirsty for God. 

I showed up, but my mind was checked out. Other things took precedence over my time with God. So I gathered up my problems without answers, my stressed-out nervous system, and rushed to the next thing. 

And there was God, ready to meet me in my uncertainty, with the peace and wisdom my troubled soul so desperately needed.

I was so busy trying to do it all and prove my worth that I missed the most important thing on my heart: truly desiring and connecting to the Lord. When I put Him above the never-ending laundry, dishes, and all the other things I’ve added to fill my day, I find everything I need. 

Being with the Lord, surrendered to His will, and trusting Him is the ultimate to-do. Everything else pales in comparison. God does something inside of me that I don’t fully understand. It’s like He gets deep inside and heals the heartaches and broken places. 

Connecting to Him restores me in ways that nothing else can. It’s like a recharge. When I’m plugged into Him and listening for His word, it comes in the most beautiful ways. But sometimes the voice of the Lord is soft, so if we are not truly listening, we will miss it. 

We can’t always multitask our visits with Him because distractions pull us out of the spirit. God isn’t asking me to perform another task perfectly. He’s inviting me to be present with Him.

Sometimes I pray while doing other things. But this is not what I am talking about here. This is special, sacred time that is not shared. It is a time when we show the Lord that nothing is more important in this moment than our time together. Whether we sit for five minutes or an hour. The key is to be fully present in the time. 

I love it when God’s spirit touches me. I love how His presence makes me feel. It’s a unique gift that only He can give. 

For a moment, time stands still. The things I was worrying about seem smaller in His presence. Hope moves through me. And I know, somehow, in some way, God will take care of me. 

I walk away from our encounters more peaceful and hopeful. Regardless of how big my problem might seem, it seems a little smaller in the presence of my Lord. I feel like He heard me. And more importantly, feeling like I heard Him gives me hope. His words are like beautiful gifts we can commit to memory and replay over and over throughout our days. 

They are special. And so very powerful. The more I have these sacred moments with the Lord, the more I desire them. Each one is so special to me. 

I know the enemy would love nothing more than for me to become so distracted and overwhelmed that I neglect my relationship with God. But sometimes I contribute to that distraction by filling every available moment with something to do. Sweet friends, I have lived the overwhelmed, burned-out, burning-the-candle-at-both-ends kind of life. And it made me sick.

The enemy tried to make me feel like I had to figure it all out. I needed to pave my own way and do the impossible. 

As it turns out, all I really needed to do was make time for the Lord and obey His instructions. Then the never-ending cycle of “do more” stops. Most of the time, the feeling we chase and desire can only be found in the Lord. 

God is our way, the truth we so desperately need, and with Him we can create the life our soul needs. 

Sweet friend, will you make time for Him today? Not just another item on your to-do list or another task to complete. Not another opportunity to measure whether you’ve done enough. Just time with the One who loves you.

Put the phone down. Quiet the noise. Open your Bible. Tell Him what’s on your heart.

And when your mind wanders, gently bring it back. You don’t have to bring your best self or a perfect version of yourself.

You can come tired.

You can come overwhelmed.

You can come with unanswered questions.

You can come as you are.

Because spending time with God isn’t another thing you have to accomplish. It’s an invitation to stop striving and simply be with Him.