At the beginning of January, I started fresh with a new calendar. Looking at the smooth clean pages, I relished the feeling of SPACE on my calendar. Just a few weeks later, the calendar is filling up at a pace to make my head spin.
In all the busyness of daily life, it takes intention and purpose to focus on God. There’s a seemingly endless stream of distractions to dilute or weaken our attentiveness to God. (Click here to read a list of common distractor’s from last week’s post)>
Spiritual attention shifts our focus from…
Our way of thinking to God’s way of thinking.
Our purposes to God’s purposes.
Our way of doing to God’s ways.
Our weakness to God’s strength.
Our preferences to God’s priorities.
Our lack to God’s provision.
Our self-oriented desires to the mind of Christ.
Intimacy with God.
Intimacy with God grows as we come to know His heart and cherish His presence in all the comings and goings of our days. Listening to God transforms us—bringing us to willing obedience and forward motion.
Loving God and valuing His Word is the heart of living present with God.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him…” (John 14:23).
Begin with asking God to show you one thing to focus on when you spend time in His word. Ask Him to open your ears and awaken your attention.
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”–John 16:13a
God develops spiritual focus and intimacy as He opens our ears, wakens our attention, and we respond…one day at a time.
“Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.”–Psalm 119:17-18
If you’re fighting distractions that weaken your spiritual focus, take time to pray through the verses in this post. Depend on Christ to open your eyes and ears. Believe He will teach and guide you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Day by day and step by step, let God draw
You’re not in this alone, and no one is keeping score.
This is between you and God. Begin with asking God to show you one thing to focus on when you spend time in His word[/ctt_hbox]. Ask Him to open your ears and awaken your attention.
7 ways to increase your spiritual attention:
- Identify your distractions.
- Pray–ask God to help you find practical ways to minimize distractions.
- Ask God to speak through His word and show you one thing to focus on.
- Open your Bible and read.
- Ponder and pray about the one thing that stands out to you as you read.
- Reflect on one way you can apply what you’ve read.
- Write it down.
What helps you stay spiritually focused?
Content from this post originally published on GingerHarrington.com
