Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.

COMMENTARY

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself
The fact that it is hard to prioritize God is not a mistake. That you find it difficult to do is not an indication that you are broken. Perhaps you have told yourself that it’ll be easier to make time for God later. It won’t be. It’s not going to be easier once you have your degree, or the kids are a bit older, or you’ve retired. Coming to God will always be a challenge. It has been designed that way.
Because the obstacle in your way is your own self. Coming to Him will always mean denying what you want right now in favor of what He wants. The self is always with you, and so the challenge forever remains. The sooner we accept that this battle is with the self, and not our circumstances, the sooner we can take a stand against it.

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls
So yes, it is hard to prioritize God, and for that reason alone, making time for Him builds character. By devoting ourselves to Him, in spite of all the noise in this world, we are learning the essential art of self-mastery.
All of the spiritual blessings that follow acts of faith are then extra blessings on top! Learning how to govern yourself is already worthy enough of a cause. You are bending your will to higher things, and becoming a better version of yourself for that effort. You are becoming godly.