Seek first the Kingdom of God

This year I'm sharing a spiritual journey along with more than a billion others, as together we pray and fast for the Muslim month of Ramadan, the 9th month in the Islamic calendar.

Like Advent, Ramadan is a time of introspection. A time to focus on myself and God and my relationship with Him.

To check my progress on the plan He has for my life, and to put this relationship FIRST, above all other demands that my worldly life style would place as distractions from that purpose: the many distractions that, unless I stop and examine then, I scarcely realise have crowded Him out.

And this takes some doing!

Esentially the demands of Ramadan are simple, fasting during daylight hours, observing works of mercy and praying 5 times each day. Apart from the fasting, pretty basic Religion 101 stuff.

However, changing your daily routine to to make sure this actually happens requires planning and commitment.

It means,for example; cooking breakfast (ready to be heated next morning) before I go to bed, making sure my alarm is set so I wake in time to pray and eat before sun rise, planing my morning prayer BEFORE baby arrives at 7:00am, ordering daily activities in order to fit in other prayer & study times and watching I don't break my fast accidentally, like licking the spoon or tasting babies vegetables, making sure I have a well balanced evening meal ready for sundown!

Because I don't understand the Arabic prayers I need to plan my prayer regime as well. For me using the Christian Monastic Office is the easiest. The 5 daily set prayers, psalms, reading and intercessions seems to fit well. But it all takes forethought.

And most of all, time to reflect and listen to what God is saying to me.

All things we should all do every day: but how easliy and subtly life helps us put God on the back burner.