No Distractions!

No Distractions!

Children have issues with distractions at the place of prayer, that is a general phenomenon we all agree to.

I asked my children and their cousins on a visit at a devotion, why we close our eyes when we pray when there's no direct scriptures that command us to do that.

The answer came in two formats, to avoid distractions and to honor God with our concentration.

I have realised that growing up doesn't remove distractions from us in the place of prayer.  Rather we are the ones who will find the virtues of concentration and solitude to develop it in our walk with God.

As I prepare to write this from the inspirations of God, a pastor, Dr Charles Stanley of First Baptist Church, Atlanta Georgia came on on Daystar television teaching on the benefits of solitude. What a confirmation of what God is saying to us today.
Jesus had said when we pray we should go into the secret place of our rooms to talk to our Father who is in secret who will reward us openly.
Our Lord Jesus Himself often separated from the crowd to speak with the Father...

Today, more than ever, we have so many things that distract us from concentration at the place of prayer and worship.

Psalms 26:3 says God will keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him for he trusts in Him.

God wants our heart stayed riveted in Him and it seems the more concentration and attention we give to God, the stronger the relationship we have with Him. Real fellowship is of the heart and it requires a strong devotion and commitment to the process either with man or with God.

It is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous that avails much, the Amplified Bible rendered that as the effectual heartfelt prayer of the righteous... the communication with God is of the heart and not only would the noise from without distract us, the vehicles, the people the blaring music and the noise coming from everywhere, including the churches around...

And those are even little compared to the distractions from a wandering mind, a bodily discomfort or comfort that even a perfect external quietness can't handle...

That's also different from the unending activities that can't permit a 10 minute per day absolute solitude with God...

The distraction that bothers the most is the one church services brings in worship and in prayer.

It is a distraction when our worship attitude and activities bring us into the physical and mental realms than taking us into the sanctuary of our hearts to worship and pray.

We shout outside rather than shout within. We concentrate on mental entertainment satisfaction than real connection with God, forgetting that the joy of the Lord doesn't necessarily come from good music, we want to be happy and dance and jump for gladness and that's wonderful in our gatherings but that must obey the rule of concentration without distraction towards God.

Jesus, our Lord once chided the religious leaders of His days when He reminded them of the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet, where God said these people draw near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips but their hearts are far away...Mathew 15

Aside such distractions, is the church administrative and political distractions. Acts 6 shows us how Satan attempted to use the weapon of distraction to destroy the unity of the early church...

The Apostles had to tell themselves that the first thing to do was to identify exactly what the core purpose and activities must be and then build other activities around those. So they gave themselves first to prayer and to the ministry of the word instead of the distractions of serving food.

Today, we need also to isolate what matters and so learn to isolate ourselves to those things which focus us on God.

Today, as we go to church, we must know what really matters and what those things are which are there to only fill space.

We must avoid those non important issues that distract us from reaching God. Sometimes they look so legitimate and necessary but we must not forget that if we lose focus through much church business we rob ourselves of the presence of God and rob other believers of God by our own distractions!

I pray that God strips us of every activity of distraction, every issue that draws us back into the flesh, and every issue that takes our eyes away from the worship of God to the distractions of men.

It's time we cut off whatever or whosoever would bring distraction to our concentration on God...it's time we learn that our public and private devotions aren't about us but about reaching God... they aren't about building worldwide organizations, amassing wealth, creating influence or protecting self, our wealth or influence....these are distractions and pursuit of winds, futility and vanity!

As we go to church today, please face God's business and leave those other things that don't add to our fellowship with God. When you reach God, every other thing will fall in line in obedience to God who you have found!

Happy Sunday.

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