Choosing Connection Over Distraction – How to Prioritize Your Marriage and Faith Every Morning

What Do You Reach for First? A Call to Intimacy, Order, and Intentionality

The first few moments of your morning have more power than you realize.

Before your feet touch the floor—before your mind races with to-dos, work demands, or errands—your heart is quietly choosing what matters most. And so often, without thinking, our hands reach for our phones.

But let’s pause and ask the hard question:

What message does that send to your spouse? What message does that send to YHWH?

If your phone is the first thing you reach for—before you look at the one sleeping beside you, before you whisper a prayer of gratitude to your Creator—you’re unintentionally declaring what has your attention, your priority, your affection. Day after day, that choice can quietly create distance, not only in your marriage, but in your relationship with YHWH.

Your phone can’t hug you. It doesn’t breathe life into your soul. It won’t bring healing to your home, or comfort to your heart. And though it may connect you to the world, it often disconnects you from the ones lying inches from your side.

Reaching for your spouse, looking into their eyes, speaking softly, holding their hand—these simple acts cultivate safety, love, and intimacy. It tells them, “I see you. You matter. You are not second to my screen.”

And above all else, the first reach should be toward YHWH.

A prayer whispered in the quiet of dawn.

A page turned in the worn pages of His Word—not just an app, but the tangible Book that reminds us of sacred discipline.

These are the moments that shape your mindset, renew your strength, and align your heart.

“But seek first the reign of Elohim, and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.”– Mattithyahu (Matthew) 6:33, TS2009

 

Phones bring distraction. Constant stimulation. A false sense of urgency. Even with good intentions—checking the weather, opening a Bible app—we can quickly fall into a vortex of scrolling that replaces stillness with noise, connection with comparison.

And I get it—many say, “What about emergencies?”

Here’s the truth: You can set your ringer on and place your phone across the room. Emergencies don’t need to sit on your pillow next to your spouse’s face. You don’t need radiation near your head or the temptation within arm’s reach when the first thing your soul needs is connection—first with the Father, then with your covenant partner.

“Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.”– Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 5:18, TS2009

Marriage was YHWH’s design. It was the first human relationship He established, and He called it very good. But just like anything good and sacred, it must be nurtured. Intimacy isn’t just about physical closeness—it’s about shared space, shared breath, shared focus. That doesn’t come naturally. It comes from intention.

So tomorrow morning, before your fingers slide across your screen, try this instead:

Look into the eyes of the one you vowed to love.

Whisper a prayer for the day ahead.

Open the Word, let it speak to you before the world does.

Hold your spouse for a moment longer. Let them know they’re not in second place.

This is how we put our homes in order—by putting YHWH first, and honoring the sacred covenant of marriage second.

Start your day with presence, not distraction.

Choose intimacy over urgency.

Be intentional, and watch your home be transformed.