Word of the Day: Distraction

Yup. One word yet SO much power.
The power of distraction, that is.

I actually have been thinking about this word more and more lately.
It probably is because I have so much I want to do and so much I need to do {two different things} that the lines get blurred and I end up doing nothing! Feel me?

I was organized at some point in my life but then life takes different turns and you find yourself spinning from them all. I am in NO way an expert at how to keep things together, believe me, but I do want to encourage someone today. As I am typing this, it took me about an hour to even get to clicking the "New Post" button!

Before that, it was "Email" then "Facebook" then "Twitter" then "Email" again then opening "Photoshop" to go through some photos because I needed to return an "Email"...blah. That was NOT what I wanted to do! haha I had planned on sitting down and writing blog posts...but I was easily distracted.

This is kinda scary because I realize how easy I get distracted now and it makes me wonder...God, am I leaving you out? I mean, I pray and read the Bible. I talk to Him daily and sing praises. However, deep in my heart, I can't help but wonder...do I just go from "Prayer" to "Bible" to "Prayer" to "Bible" to "Worship Song" without really listening to His voice? Seems like a silly question, but think about it. If my heart is not connecting right in prayer and the scriptures, and I'm just checking off my spiritual to-do list, was it a distraction from actually listening to what God needed to say to me that day??

Prayer and Bible reading is essential. I'm not saying if we do it, it's a distraction from God. That would be quite dumb if I meant it that way. What I'm saying is, we can get distracted by our own voices in prayer and distracted by those "feel good" scriptures we like to read, without getting deep and listening to what God really wants for us to hear...does that make sense? We can get distracted by our daily traditions and feel good but God is in the background asking "What about me? Isn't prayer suppose to be conversation between us? Aren't I suppose to guide you to the scriptures that will prick your heart?"

Here is my prayer right now:
Lord Jesus, you know how easy I can get distracted, especially in my daily life.
God help me to be organized and prioritize, not just my time, but my thoughts and my intentions.
I don't want to be distracted from hearing Your voice and listening to what You want to tell me.
Let me not get caught up in my spiritual traditions but let me approach You first for guidance. Amen.

What prayer is on your heart today? Share below and let us pray for one another, in Jesus Name!

Sunday Devotion: The Daily Struggle

I'm going to be up front and honest...

I'm not where I want to be spiritually or where I need to be.
Every day is a struggle against my flesh: "Should I do this? Should I do that?"

I'm finding it difficult to concentrate on what's important to God because my to-do list that I have in this world doesn't look like there's room for it. Lately, my heart has been heavy and my mind foggy...and I know that's not how it should be.

So I took a moment with Jesus today. I laid out everything and said:
"Lord, why do I always do this to myself? I know what you expect, but I allow myself to get pulled away!"
Then God gave me a word...a word that I've been hearing all week, just not listening to it...do you know what I mean?

This is a word that has been a theme in many Christian lives daily, especially recently. 

"DISTRACTION"

Whoa, that hit me so hard!!! Distraction...it's definition says it's the state of being distracted, or mental confusion. Wow! I was allowing myself to get distracted because my mind was in a mental state of confusion.

This got me thinking...how can we possibly listen to God, focus our minds on Him, if our minds are filled with confusion? 

Proverbs 8:17 says this:
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."

I know Christianity talks and talks so much about having early morning prayer time, but that's what scripture says! That's what God says!
We need to take time and seek him EARLY before we start planning our day. He will provide us with a clear mind and path. He will direct our thoughts and where they should go.

The Word also says:
"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." 1 Corinthians 14:33

If we find ourselves in a confused state, we need to stop and think how it got that way. Obviously, we allowed ourselves to be influenced by the wrong spirit!

The Lord also put this in my heart:
Spiritual growth is a process and we have to go through something if we want to get to a place we've never been!

Think about it...when we travel to somewhere new, it's a journey and adventure.

We don't know what is up ahead but we have directions on how to get there...

Today, and every day, let's take time out in the am to have a conversation with God and to get those clear directions! Even if it's only 10 minutes, it's better than not talking to Him at all.
I'll leave you with this last thought. It's a quote from our CT Superintendent, Bishop Hanson. It just came through my twitter feed this very day:

"To plan your day without first consulting God in prayer is arrogance."