SIMPLE40 - Day 8 - Priorities

Katie Donahue
Feb 25
4 min read

As we continue walking through SIMPLE40, gently clearing space and reordering our lives this Lent, we come face to face with something foundational: priorities.

Simplicity is not primarily about what you remove from your life, but about what you choose to put first. If you truly desire a simple life, then your first priority must be your prayer life and your relationship with God. Everything else flows from there. When God is first, the rest of life: family, work, ministry, responsibilities, even suffering...begins to fall into its proper place.

There is so much to learn about prayer. This journey of encountering God unfolds in stages and seasons. Some seasons feel full and vibrant. Others feel quiet, even dry. Each of us is led uniquely and differently.

In my own life, God often seems to work gradually. Slowly. Patiently. Sometimes that feels frustrating. But there is wisdom in His pacing. He is not in a rush. He is forming hearts.

And the good news? You are not left to figure this out alone.

spiritual

One of the simplest and most transformative steps you can take is to intentionally carve out time for prayer. This is why one of the pillars of SIMPLE40 is to “bookend” your day in prayer. When you give God the first moments of your morning, you are making a quiet but powerful declaration:

God, You are first.

You are setting the tone for your day before emails, conversations, needs, and noise begin competing for your attention.

And when you close your day with Him, you return everything to its rightful place.

In between those bookends, keep the conversation going. Share your thoughts with Him. Thank Him for the small blessings, a warm cup of coffee, a kind word, a child’s laugh. Ask for help in the ordinary frustrations. There is nothing too small to bring before Him. He is always present. You can speak to Him anywhere, at any time.

And remember, prayer does not always need words. It can be silence. It can be listening. It can be offering your work. It can be loving well.

As Jacques Philippe reminds us:

What matters in prayer is not what we do but what God does in us during those moments. ~Jacques Philippe

Prayer is where God heals us. Reorders us. Sanctifies us. It is where our restless striving softens into trust.

One final note: keep it simple. Keep it meaningful. Keep it intentional.

You do not need to adopt every devotion or follow every new trend in Catholic media. In fact, that can work against simplicity. Choose what truly draws your heart toward God and be faithful to it. Depth over quantity. Consistency over intensity.

As you grow in simplicity, ask the Lord to show you what pleases Him most. With Christ at the center, the many demands of life no longer compete in chaos, they find their proper order.

Today, return to your first priority. Simplify by putting Him first.

self

Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God's will, what is good, pleasing and perfect. ~Romans 12:2

As we talk about priorities today, we cannot ignore the life of the mind and heart. Renewal does not happen by accident. What you allow into your thoughts through media, conversations, and especially music, shapes you more than you realize.

There is something deeply formative about what fills the background of our lives. When you simplify your playlists during Lent, choosing music that lifts your heart rather than agitates it, you are cooperating with that “renewing of the mind” St. Paul speaks about.

Sacred or reflective music can soften anxiety, lower stress, and help regulate your nervous system. It can also prepare your heart for prayer when words feel hard to find.

Music becomes a bridge:

from distraction to recollection
from tension to peace
from self-focus to God-focus

Ask yourself: Does what I am listening to draw me closer to Christ or further into noise?

One practical step this week: be intentional about what you play in the car, during chores, or while cooking dinner. Let your environment support your spiritual priorities.

The link below is to a more contemporary Lenten playlist that I enjoy, put together by Heather Khym on Spotify.

May it help renew your mind and gently turn your heart toward what is good, pleasing and perfect....especially as you move your body intentionally for 40 minutes today :)

service

As you seek to reorder your life this Lent, service becomes a natural outflow of a heart aligned with God. When your mind is being renewed (Romans 12:2) and your heart is being shaped by prayer and simplicity, serving others moves from being a chore to becoming a joy, a tangible expression of Christ’s love in you.

To help you put this into practice, here’s a reminder of this helpful resource full of ideas for simple ways to serve throughout Lent:

➡️ 100 Ways to Serve This Lent (PDF)

As your relationship with God deepens through prayer and as your mind is gradually renewed by what you allow into your heart (including the music that uplifts and directs you), let that internal transformation overflow into loving service for your neighbor.

Small acts of service, done with great love, not only bless others but also enlarge your own capacity to love as Christ loves.

today's recipe

Green Chili Turkey Burgers This recipe is so incredibly simple and delicious. These burgers freeze well, so I always at least double this recipe.

1 lb. ground turkey 2 4 oz cans green chilies 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon sea salt In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Form into 6-8 patties and grill. Serve with avocado, guacamole, salsa. Eat how you like...on a bun, in a wrap, on a bed of greens.