Where do you focus your attention?
Are you distracted by trauma, living in the past, or consumed by the pain?
The Bible tells us that the direction in which we focus our attention is the way in which we will go.
Luke 9:62 – But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Farmers know that when you plow a field, you have to focus your attention on the destination. If you look back or to the side, the plow will veer off the straight path necessary to plant seeds. Even when driving an automobile, we know that the car will also veer where we focus our attention.
Worshipping the Lord is focusing our attention on Him. Focusing our attention on Him and not allowing demonic distractions to usurp our time and devotion will be a sure way of always heading to our God-appointed destination.
The dictionary defines “attention” as follows:
- Notice taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important.
- 2) The action of dealing with or taking special care of someone or something.
I emphasized some of the phrases in the definition to show worship is giving attention to God, the one we love. We worship Him as the one we find the most interesting and important. We all want to show our love and affection to Him and consider it a privilege to worship Him who is worthy.
Now most of us will emphatically declare that we do not worship the devil when at times we may, in fact, be doing just that! Using the above definition of attention to describe the act of worship, we can see that there are times we focus on what the devil is doing.
We cannot take our eyes off the pain, disease, trauma, the doctor’s report, the thoughts he puts in our minds or whatever havoc he is trying to wreak in our lives. He loves to consume our attention, and he wants us to consider his evil acts more important than what God has done for us. It is as worship to him.
The Devil Loves Attention
In fact, most of what he does is to get us distracted and cause us to focus on and pay all our attention to, his antics. If he can get a rise out us, he is happy, and the last thing we should want to do is make the devil happy! He knows our buttons and which ones to push to get a reaction. When we view his actions and behaviors as meaningless or of little consequence, we can actually discourage his advancements.
I remember as a young Christian reading a testimony by Smith Wigglesworth. He was on a ministry trip and sleeping in a motel when he was awakened by something shaking the bed. He sat up and saw a very large demon looming over him at the foot of the bed.
He was not moved by fear nor did he give it any attention. He only responded with, “Oh, it’s just you,” and Brother Wigglesworth went back to sleep. The devil left disappointed! He did not get the attention (worship) he had anticipated.
In the gospels, there is an account of the disciples caught in a terrible storm, and they feared for their lives as the boat was filling with water. Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat and not the least bit moved by the storm. He was resting in what He knew His Father had told Him: “Go to the other side.”
He paid no attention to the storm nor did He regard it as important, but for HIs disciples’ sake, He arose and took authority over it. That is the only attention we should give storms! We can either rest or take authority over them. Jesus is our example and model that we are to follow, and He knows how to rest, even in a life-threatening situation.
“You can only have authority over the storms you can sleep in.” (Bill Johnson)
Determine today that demons will not distract you from your destiny or the promises of God. Your time, affection and focus belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. We often spend too much of our time paying attention to demons by rebuking them when we could be giving our attention to God and His Word.
I am not saying that we should not rebuke demons. Nevertheless, how much time should that take and which is more important: what God has done or what demons are doing? What actions are we taking to express that He is special and important to us?
Remember the definition of attention:
- Notice taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important.
- The action of dealing with or taking special care of someone or something.
The wicked hope to destroy me, but I focus on your instruction. Psalms 119:95 CJV
The sinners have been waiting for me to give me up to destruction; but I will give all my mind to your unchanging word. Psalms 119:95 BBE
Pay attention! If you “pay” money for something, you get something in return. If we pay attention to (worship) Jesus — not to get something, but simply to show Him our love — then He rewards us with His presence, His peace, and His love. Moreover, we will always be victorious in any storm.
Pay attention to the devil, and we all know what he produces in our lives. He is not interesting or important and certainly…Continue Reading…@https://aandbcounseling.com/
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“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior and to yield back the life given to me by You, back to You. Take Control of my life Lord, and let only your will be done in my life from now on. Amen.”