I don’t always manage my time wisely, and even when I do, there are times when I can’t help but run late for things. Fortunately, the Lord taught me that because He is the great Redeemer, I can ask Him to “redeem” the time, so that I can be more punctual on a regular basis. “Redeem” in this sense means that the Lord will save or stretch the time for us in ways that will spare us from embarrassment and problems.

One of the reasons why I feel confident about asking the Lord to redeem the time for me, is that I spend time in His presence and His Word every morning before I start my day. I believe that when we give God the best part of our day, instead of leftovers, He rewards us by stretching the time for us when we need it most. If I have an especially busy day ahead of me, or if I have an event, activity, or appointment that I’m very concerned about, I know that I must spend extra time in prayer if I want to experience the best outcome.

Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” When we have a full or challenging day ahead of us, we shouldn’t spend less time in prayer and Scripture reading, but we should spend more. I’ve discovered that when we give God the attention He deserves each day, He can make up that time for us by causing all of our efforts throughout the day to go more smoothly, more quickly, and to achieve better results.

In Psalm 90, Moses prayed, “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 NLT) Ask the Lord to help you to make the most of your time each day, so that you can give Him His rightful place in your schedule, and fulfill your God-given purpose and potential!

Prayer: Lord, teach me how to manage my time wisely each and every day. Show me how to give You the best part of my time each day, and how to work my schedule around You. Equip me to fulfill my divine purpose in every area of my life. Anoint me to perform my tasks with a holy ease and joy. Thank You that as I follow Your lead in managing my time each day, I will experience life at its very best!