7 Reasons You Should Pay Attention

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Do you remember being told in school to “pay attention?”

Perhaps you were day dreaming. . . if so, don’t be reluctant to admit it. . .I happen to be one of those who believe day dreaming is a good thing.

Nevertheless, the teacher wanted you to focus on what she or he was teaching because the teacher knew you would need to know the material. . .either in life or at test time or both.

We should never miss anything that will either prepare us for the workplace, marketplace or the home place.

If you’ve made progress this year. . .but you’re not quite where you want to be…perhaps you need to put our focus back where it belongs… on Him.  That is anything or anybody that takes your focus away from the things of God.

Proverbs 1:33 in The Living Bible says:

“But all who listen to me shall live in peace and safety, unafraid.”

The Message Bible translation of Proverbs 1:33 says:

Pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easyyou’re in good hands.”

However, there are three things you definitely don’t want to hear God say to you.

Jeremiah 16:10-13 in the Message Bible says:

“. . .Take a good look in the mirror—each of you doing whatever you want, whenever you want, refusing to pay attention to me. And for this I’m getting rid of you, throwing you out in the cold, into a far and strange country. You can worship your precious no-gods there to your heart’s content. Rest assured, I won’t bother you anymore.’”

As I was focusing on these verses early Sunday morning.  . .God showed me seven things we should pay attention to.

Before I get to the seven things. . .let me give you four verses that say it all.

Matthew 11:15 and Matthew 13:9 in the Contemporary English Version says: both say the same thing.

“If you have ears, pay attention!”

Mark 4:9 and Mark 4:23 in the Contemporary English Version both say:                                           

“If you have ears, pay attention!”

Now here are seven reasons why we should pay attention.

1.         Paying attention to His wisdom. . .unleashes His blessing flow.

Have you ever asked your children or grandchildren if they were paying attention to what you were saying?

You can tell the light’s on but there’s nobody in the house.  How do you think God feels?

Jeremiah 17:23 in The Living Bible says:

“But they didn’t listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention and be taught.”

Wisdom comes from paying attention to your father.

Proverbs 4:1 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain and to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, and interpretation [of spiritual matters].”

2.         God wants us to pay attention to the Word economy instead of the world economy.

1 John 4:5-6 in the Amplified Bible says:

“They proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world [its whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them.  We are [children] of God. Whoever is learning to know God [progressively to perceive, recognize, and understand God by observation and experience, and to get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.”

If we look to the world system for answers to all our problems. . .to help us through every adversity. . .we are removing God from the equation.

God will not bless where He’s not invited.

3.         God will pay attention to your prayers.

Sometimes as we face adversity. . .we tend to talk to everyone except the One who can solve our problems.

Psalm 102:2 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“Don’t hide from me in my time of trouble. Pay attention to my prayer and quickly give an answer.”

Not only does God answer our prayers. . .but He gives us a level of understanding beyond human logic or worldly comprehension.

Jeremiah 33:3 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).”

I don’t know if you’ve ever watched the television series Duck Dynasty. . .if you haven’t I recommend you do. . .because at the end of every show. . .the family thanks Jesus for their blessings.

The leader of the family is Phil Roberston who is fond of saying HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY and that’s exactly what your Heavenly Father wants you to be.

Proverbs 8:32 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“Pay attention, my children! Follow my advice, and you will be happy.”

4.         Pay attention to His correction.

It’s real simple. . .anyone who refuses to hear and act on correction. . .condemns themselves to a life of ignorance and failure.

Proverbs 19:20 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“Pay attention to advice and accept correction, so you can live sensibly.”

Psalm 81:8-9 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“Listen, my people, while I, the Lord, correct you! Israel, if you would only pay attention to me! Don’t worship foreign gods or bow down to gods you know nothing about.”

This time of year. . .many people are bowing down to Master Charge. . .giving homage to Visa. . .as they Discover. . .debt that will dog them for months. . .if not years.

Anything and anyone you put before.giving as God says give. . .is a foreign god.

5.         Pay attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

We can’t hear what God’s saying. . .if we’re not in His presence.

Proverbs 7:24 in God’s WORD Translation says:

“Now, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words from my mouth.”

We can do what God directs us to do. . .if we can’t hear what He’s saying.

Proverbs 4:20 in God’s WORD Translation says:

“[Stay Focused on Wisdom] My son, pay attention to my words. Open your ears to what I say.”

6.         God pays attention to what we give.

Malachi 2:13 in The Living Bible says:

“Yet you cover the altar with your tears because the Lord doesn’t pay attention to your offerings anymore, and you receive no blessing from him.”

If we give less than our best. . .or fail to give as He directs. . .God will not bless us or take any pleasure in our giving.

When the Spirit of the Lord tells us to give into a special offering at church or in response to a personal letter from an anointed teacher of the Word. . .do you pause to think what you can comfortably give or do you as ask the Lord what He would have you give?

The New Living Translation of Malachi 1:6 says:

“. . . You have shown contempt for my name!  But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’”

No matter which translation we use. . .it’s pretty clear God is not happy.

Truthfully, they should have known why He wasn’t happy but He spells it out in Malachi 1:7 which states:

“By offering polluted food upon My altar. And you ask, How have we polluted it and profaned You? By thinking that the table of the Lord is contemptible and may be despised.”

However, when we give as He directs. . .supernatural things begin to manifest.

Luke 8:8 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“The rest of the seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a hundred times as many seeds. When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, “If you have ears, pay attention!”

7.         God pays attention when you praise His holy name.

Colossians 4:2 in God’s WORD Translation says:

“[Advice for All Christians] Keep praying. Pay attention when you offer prayers of thanksgiving.”

As I said last week. . .every day is Thanksgiving and not just the fourth Thursday of November each year.

I just can’t stop praising His Name. . .JESUS.

One last thing. . .

If we want 2 Corinthians 13:11 in The Living Bible to manifest in our life, we must PAY ATTENTION.  The verse says:                         

“I close my letter with these last words: Be happy. Grow in Christ. Pay attention to what I have said. Live in harmony and peace. And may the God of love andpeace be with you.”

God Will Do A Performance In Your Life

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