Making God Your Priority - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - February 17, 2026

Daily Hope with Rick Warren

Audio By Carbonatix

By Rick Warren, Crosswalk.com

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“Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

You’re never going to become a friend of God in your spare time. To become his friend, you have to make knowing him your number one priority.

Paul says it like this: “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NLT).

So let me ask you: Are you doing that? Are you seeking God with all your heart each day?

Remember: You are as close to God as you choose to be. Becoming a friend of God starts when you decide that’s what you want.

If you feel far from God, think about who moved. It wasn’t God. And you can’t blame anyone else, not your spouse, your parents, or your kids. It’s simply that you didn’t make him your number one priority.

Knowing and loving God is humanity’s greatest privilege. And being known and being loved by God is our greatest pleasure.

I’ve noticed that you can tell what’s important to people by what they brag about. If their kids are most important, they brag about their kids. If their job is the most important thing in their life, they brag about their job. If travel and having experiences are most important, that’s what they talk about. If partying or buying new clothes is what you talk about most, guess what you value most? You brag about what you value most.

God says in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me” (GNT).

Knowing God is what matters most—it’s what life is all about. The God of the universe loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. And getting close to him will give you peace and perspective. That’s good news!

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

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