Study, work, family, prayer Which comes first?

I pray, work, study and spend time with my family, but which comes first?

I think they all come first and they all come last. Being a family means you do the bits that you can when you can. Having said that, I have set times for: work ,study and prayer. My family time fits inbetween these as this is my relaxation time, but sometimes I must make specific time allocations to be with my family too. Being a human, I need routine to help me fulfill all requirements in these areas.

My family time is particularly special as it can be a place where the other elements come together: where I can talk about how my day went, exams, work, prayer etc. Where I can discuss and ask for advice about work and study. Also we can pray together each day as a family. It is during family time that I can really be "me", the good and the bad.

The great thing about prayer is that all these areas come together here too. In this special place, all these areas can be contemplated, debated and prayed for. The place where the whole "me" comes together. Where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Prayer makes sense of them all and enables me to make the right choices whether relating to work, study or the relationships I have with my family members.

It appears then that prayertime and familytime have a lot in common. Perhaps its because prayer is really just another family relationship: with my family in heaven.