DAY 11: PRAY AGAINST DISTRACTIONS – PASTOR WES HODGES
PASTOR WES HODGES
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SCRIPTURE
1 Corinthians 7:35 (NLT)
35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
DEVOTION
Beep Beep. Buzz. Chirp. Ding-Dong. Face it there are distractions all around us today. Every app on our phones competes with notifications for us to open the app and spend time doing something that will take up a portion of our time. How many times have you glanced at your phone in the middle of doing a task or having a conversation with someone when it buzzes just to see a notification that needs your immediate attention? But does it?
Honestly even as I started writing this devotion the TV was on and I had to rewrite a few sentences before I said enough and found a quiet place to continue. The enemy knows we have short attention spans and anything he can use to keep our eyes off of God he counts as a win. This happens to me when I take time to read the Bible, pray and spend time with God. I have to turn things off, find a quiet place and pray to ask God to help my mind not wander.
In the verse above Paul knows we are going to have distractions and encourages us to serve the Lord with as few distractions as possible. When we allow distractions to consume our life we get pulled away from God. We don’t have the right motivation for serving when we are far from God. When distractions are decreased our focus on God increases. For me, I can hear Him more clearly and my heart is more set on serving Him the best when I am focused and free of distractions.
PRAYER
Lord, please help guard me against distractions. Those that come from the enemy, those I bring on myself, and those I fall to from the world around me. I want to keep my eyes on you. Help me to serve You the best way possible for Your glory. In Jesus name, amen!
ACTION STEP
- Evaluate how you are best serving the Lord. Write a list of three ways you have been distracted and actions to overcome those distractions.
IDEAS:
- Put your phone/computer on Do Not Disturb when you want to stay distraction-free on a task or conversation.
- Find or make a quiet place you can spend time in God’s Word.
FITNESS
IDEAS:
- Run, jog, or walk the eleventh mile out of the total of 21.
- Do 20 sit-ups and 20 push-ups.
