Staying focused on God in today’s ever changing world is not easy. Life happens so fast in the 21st Century that if your cell phone is 12 months old it’s out of date!
Did you know that this hectic rush of life we experience isn’t unique to our generation? Surprising, because how many times have you heard about “the good old days,” when life was supposedly slower and more simple?
While the above quote sounds like something our parents and grandparents probably didn’t experience, that is actually from the book, The Great Gatsby by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925.
Even in the 1920’s, people’s lives were hurried, distracted and hectic.
When Fitzgerald wrote his legendary and tragic novel, the setting was a decadent, hurried, yet indifferent East Coast American society.
Still, I’m fairly convinced that there have never been as many distractions in your daily life as you have now. So how do you stay focused on God in the daily grind while so many things are competing for your attention?
Staying Focused on God
1. Begin the day with God
I know it sounds simple enough and it’s going to be one of the first suggestions you’ll find in any article like this, but that’s for good reason.
If you are going to stay focused on God, you must include the things of God in your daily life!
You’ve probably heard that when something is repeated twice in the Bible it’s something to pay attention to, right? How about something that’s repeated 10 times in just one teaching? That’s how many times Jesus used the word “abide” or “remain” in John 15:1-11!
Jesus said in John 15:4, “Abide in me.” He repeated that in 2 different ways in that same teaching while also providing a stark warning and a vast promise:
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:5-7
Another word for abide is to remain. Staying focused on God requires remaining in Him. I know your mornings are rushed, but if you create the discipline to spend the first minutes of your day reading the Word of God and talking to Him about the day ahead, you will have a greater focus on Him throughout the day.
If you don’t know where to start, try reading John 15:1-11 each morning for a week. It won’t take long and the passage is crazy profound.
2. Remain in prayer
Do you want to create and develop the habit of a prayerful life? The Apostle Paul makes a simple yet bold command in his first letter to the Thessalonians:
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
This is a habit worth developing and isn’t as difficult as you might think. Plus, your persistent prayer has a way of altering situations and changing lives.
When you see or hear a news report that bothers you, pray for the people and the situation. If someone annoys you or tests your patience, silently pray for them. When you hear of someone facing some problem, large or small…pray for them.
We had a friend that taught her children about staying focused on God by offering up a quick prayer every time they heard the sirens of a police car, ambulance or fire truck.
God doesn’t need your eloquent, long-winded pious sounding discourses, laced with “thees, thous” and “almighties.” He wants your heart, and often in prayer that sounds as simple as “God, help!“
3. Limit the distractions
In the post 3 Ways to Having More Faith, you’ll learn that you have to keep a clear space between God and yourself. You can’t keep your eyes on what you can’t see, physically or spiritually.
In Joshua 3:4, the people of Israel are commanded to keep a distance of 2,000 cubits between themselves and the ark of the covenant. That’s about a half a mile (.8 km) and the purpose was so the people would always be able to see the ark ahead wherever they traveled.
In your spiritual life, when you fill the spaces with all kinds of conveniences and distractions, it becomes very difficult and even impossible sometimes to see where the Lord is leading you.
You can overcome this by limiting the distractions, the busyness and any lack of discipline by making a conscious effort to keep the Lord in the number one spot in your life.
4. Serve God
On serving God, Jesus teaches,
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:24
You’ve heard that verse. You’ve probably also heard the term mammon in place of money at the end of it.
Although “mammon” primarily represented money and possessions, it was also used to refer to all kinds of lust.
It’s impossible to be entirely committed to more than one thing. If you try, in time, things will drop off and one thing will take the lead. God doesn’t want to take second seat to anything else you can put in your life.
The New Testament writers frequently referred to themselves as servants or as a bondservant of Christ. A bondservant in this context was a permanent role of committed servitude to the risen Christ. No person or thing came before or rose to a higher level of importance than Jesus.
Serve God with all of your heart and mind. Include your resources like time, energy, talents, and even your money and staying focused on God will naturally follow.
5. Remove sin from your life
This could have been the first point in the list.
What I mean by this is to remove the habitual, continuous, sinful habits and patterns from your life.
Since we are surrounded by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us.
Hebrews 12:1
If there is something, someone, some place, or anything in your life that leads you away from God in any way, or that keeps you out of prayer, away from fellowship with other believers, or that distracts you from reading your Bible, you have one option: remove that thing from your life.
Staying focused on God or growing in your spiritual, prayer, or Christian life in any way with any habitual sin in your life is next to impossible. Kill the sin or it will kill you spiritually, physically, or both. I’ll say that again…
Kill sin or it will kill you spiritually, physically, or both.
Running the Marathon
No doubt you’ve heard countless times that life is a marathon, not a sprint. When staying focused on God, this becomes especially evident.
Hebrews 12:1 tells us that “We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up,” and the next verse tells us how to do that:
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
Taking these 5 steps and making them daily habits will deepen your spiritual life, and they will help you to stay focused on God.
Finding it hard to stay focused on God in today’s busy world?
I’ve created a simple framework to help you develop consistent spiritual habits that will deepen your relationship with God.
Your words are so encouraging and very practical. There is no greater joy than hearing the Lord speak to our hearts daily and listening for His voice is something I look forward to each day. Thanks for sharing a great word.
Hi Jeannie, thank you for visiting and for your encouragement! That joy you mention when hearing from the Lord truly is like nothing else. I also look for that each day.
Thanks for good resource its simple but strong..I am believer and working for communities for last two decades I worked for slum dwellers earlier and now I am working for rural underserved communities for provision of water but my mission is that sufferer get relief by providing borewell..I am qualified social researcher I go with priority what God had entrusted on me pray for my family and tough times I have for this mission..blessings
Thank you, Kuldeep, for your hard work as you glorify God through your ministry serving underserved communities. It’s an honor to pray for you and for your family. Blessings to you, friend.
I really appreciate this work of God in you. Thanks for widening my spiritual life. God bless u.
Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, Anthonia. I’m thankful to be here and hope you’ll find more to be encouraged in the Lord. Blessings to you too!
I really enjoyed this as I find myself constantly struggling to keep God my number one focus, especially with all of the distractions of today as you mentioned. I have been meditating on Matthew 6:33 lately and it has helped me tremendously. “Seek first the kingdom of God and all of these things will be added to you.”
Hi Meagan, it’s so encouraging to hear that you enjoyed this post! Matthew 6:33 is such a staple in my walk with the Lord as well. My grandmother really impressed that verse into my life. Thank you for reading this and for taking the time to comment!
great article
just what I needed during these stressful days that I created.
Jesus is what I need…
William
Hi William,
Interesting you said stressful days that you created. I can relate to that. So many times we do things, or don’t do things that result in unnecessary stress that can only be handled by turning back to the Lord. I’m thankful this article may have helped you do that, if even just a little.
Gene
Sound principles to live by. Thank you. I know when we travel and I am not in my normal routine, I pay for it. It’s not like terrible things happen if I don’t spend time with God in the morning… it’s more like skipping breakfast… finding myself depleted and out of fuel before the days end. A wonderful post.
“It’s more like skipping breakfast…”
Deb, that’s exactly how I feel during those times, under nourished! The power of the Word really is that impactful. Thank you for putting it that way!
Thanks for your word it is encouraging in my walk with Jesus am inspired may God bless you and your ministry and family
Thank you, Susan! Stay close to and keep your eyes on He who loves you the most, and God bless you and your family as well!
Distractions are everywhere today! You are right in saying that our “conveniences” have become a detriment. I did a fast from facebook, twitter etc back at the beginning of the year and was surprised at how much time and mental energy I recovered. We have to learn to discern whether we master our conveniences or they become the master of us! Thanks!
Karen, I can’t tell you how many times I set out to do something and if Facebook is open in a tab and I go there, find myself staring and scrolling. And it’s pretty much all a bunch of nothing! I haven’t fasted from all of social media, but I have strictly limited my time on Facebook. The others don’t distract me as much, but your idea of a fast from all of them just may serve me well! Thanks for leaving your comments, I’m glad you did!
I am doing this very fast today! Fasting from certain foods, from snapchat, from facebook, and pretty much anything to do with my phone unless someone calls me. I’m doing this fast today and have been doing nothing but studying the word, praying, and looking up different things on the internet and my fast and seeking God lead me here today! I’m so thankful!
Awesome, Summer! Fasting is a spiritual discipline many of us (me included) have lost sight of. You’re encouraging me to think about that!!
I am so glad I found you blog, this morning.
Good personal lesson for me (Limit the distractions)
May God bless you.
Hi Jedidja, I am so encouraged that you found me here and have been blessed by this post, thank you for sharing that!!
It’s true about the distractions. I experience that almost every day and have to think about being with the Lord in prayer and in His word before I get overwhelmed with distractions. It’s so easy to get sidetracked, it really takes effort on my part to stay focused.
Good morning, thank you for these encouraging words. I found myself distracted from God. This article has encouraged me to stay focused and how to do it.
Hi Annette, I’m so thankful this article has helped and encouraged you! It does take effort and discipline to remain focused on God, but it’s possible and easier than we make it out to be many times. Blessings to you!
I’m blessed by this article,not just an article but a message,a guide,and a path way to an intimate relationship with the heavenly father.
Jeffrey, thank you so much for reading my article and for taking the time to share how you’ve been encouraged. Your words are so encouraging to me to continue on in this work. God’s blessings to you!
This was very encouraging to me. I’ve experienced falling into the distractions and losing my focus on God. But I thank God for his mercy and grace to accept me back into a relationship with him. I appreciate how practical your blog is and look forward to implementing it in my daily life. God’s blessings to you.
Thank you, Joyce! I’m working on a few things that I hope will help you and others to continue implementing God’s word into daily life. I’m putting a daily Bible reading page together that will change each day and thinking about including a daily devotional from a respected pastor and author. What do you think, would these things be a benefit to you?
I have been living a lie, I go to church quite alright but still leave a sinful life by indulging in sexual immorality even though I am married. I have tried avoiding it but find myself going back to those sins. Please what do I do? I need a spiritual counselor, please help
Hey Mr P. J E, I’ll tell you this, and you’ll hear it from me often: you’re not alone, and you’re not outside of God’s reach. Truly, understand that. Second, I can’t urge you strongly enough to connect with someone in leadership within your church.
I’d love to connect with you one on one and talk more deeply about those things I mentioned. You can contact me here and we can email privately: https://genewhitehead.com/contact/. I am praying for you.
I got up this morning and read a text from someone who is striving to do the best and wants to stay focused and live for God.
So, I went to Google and typed in focus on God and you came up. Reason for doing this I wanted to send her something that is meaning, then and there I went on a quest.
I really love the five steps to staying focused on God.
This I think was carefully and noteworthly put together in an inspired way.
I will definitely send it to her even though I know she’s way ahead of me when it comes to the bible.
What you have done here takes a lead in focusing on God, and can surely helps us to lead in a formidable way.
Your writing has great insight with God and is an inspiration I would imagine to many… It is to me.
Thank you for God’s words through you and for your sound knowledge!
Ruddy
Hi Ruddy,
Wow, thank you for that encouraging message! I’m blessed that you have found this post inspiring and that glory definitely goes to our God. Thank you also for sharing this with your friend. I hope you’ll return to find more that will encourage, inspire, and strengthen your walk with the Lord. Stay blessed!
Hi, since last summer God has taught me to focus on Him and forsake the world. But lately I’ve had an issue, there is a girl who the Lord has given me feelings for and He won’t allow me to be set on getting rid of them, I even asked Him to only make us friends if it was His will and to confuse any kind of interaction with Him if otherwise. However it was almost as though I didn’t have a choice but to get to know her a bit more and we’re basically friends now. I know He wants me to love Him first and I do. However I am having difficulty not thinking about her more than Him. I think He may be teaching me the balance, but what do you think?
Hi Acelan,
It seems like you’re right on target, knowing that God’s place in your life needs to take precedence above all others. It certainly is a balance, just as you said, and it’s a balance that He can give to you. It could be that God is showing you that your authentic satisfaction can only come from Him. It could also be that He is preparing your heart for marriage, which is a gift and a blessing from Him. In marriage, among many things, you’ll learn to love unconditionally, and that kind of sacrificial, no strings attached kind of love can only be learned by the example of Christ.
I would encourage you to continue building an authentic friendship with this girl, and make prayer and God’s Word a part of that. If He continues to lead both of you together into something deeper later on, then consider meeting with a pastor or an elder for more guidance.
Thank you for sharing your story, I have prayed that He will guide you in this!
Thank you very much for your words! They are very helpful to me at this moment of my life. I have drawn away from God and now I feel I want to go back to Him. This text gives me some guidelines how to.
May God bless you.
Hey Gabriela,
Wow, it’s so encouraging to hear how you are responding to the Lord as He is drawing you back into relationship with Him. Continue to pursue Him. and stay close to the One who loves you far more than we can understand! God’s blessings to you as well!!
Very well spoken and scriptural sound too! Appreciate both your time and effort on this subject. May God Bless you and keep you is my prayer!
Marylyn, thank you for your kind and encouraging words, and for your prayers!! God’s blessings to you as well,
Gene
Thanks so much for these 5 steps. I needed to hear those…I really want my focus to be totally fixed on the Lord.
I’m with you, Comelia, I need to re-focus every single day! Sometimes it helps to just go back to some of these simple, basic steps.
Gene, thank you so so much for the great teaching, knowledge, and the encouragement, especially in times like this. The world its so scary, we need God like never before. We need to pay more attention in His Word. And also to pray for children, may our good God grant us more strength, wisdom and revelation. Thank you. God bless you and your family.
Hi Doris, thank you so much for these encouraging words! The world most certainly is changing and it IS scary. I agree that we need God’s word and we need to be in prayer for our children and even for the generations yet to be born that we may never know. God’s blessings to you and your family as well!
Thanks I am trying to stay focused on God
Hey Felicia, it’s a 2 edged sword for sure to stay focused on God! On one side, it’s easier than we make it, on the other side, the distractions of life (and my lazy nature) make it difficult.
The best thing to do is to keep at it, step by step and day by day. I’ve just prayed for you. Stay faithful!
Good morning I’ve been really trying to stay focused on God simple things would come up to take us off track but thank God for his grace and mercy on us daily may we continue to keep each other in pray
Hi Regina, it’s true that the little things come up and quickly distract us from God. I believe if you follow these 5 steps, it will make a big difference, it sure has for me. More importantly, rely on that point you made: his grace and mercy daily! I pray for my readers and I will gladly include you as well!!
Its indeed a great article, i will really love to be mentor under you sir,if [permitted to. thank you very much for this,and may God continue to bless you in all you do and say, through Christ Jesus, Amen.
Hi Harrison, thank you for your encouragement! You can contact me directly using my contact page (https://genewhitehead.com/contact/) and we can talk further. Blessings to you, too!
Wow!! Much encouraging… Purposing to keep focused on God….jesus’s blessings to you
Thank you, Doreen! And my prayers are with you as you purpose to stay focused on the Lord!!
God bless you man of God thank you so much for helping me understand the word more deeper.
Thank you, Paul! What other topics or Bible passages would be most helpful to you?
This was very helpful, be encouraged and keep on writing , someone is reading
Let God continue to use you as his vessel.
Thank you, Thomas. It’s an honor to serve in this way and it truly is encouraging to know that this work is helping real people. I love that about God, and he receives the praise for any help, understanding, encouragement and all that anyone gains through what is published in these pages!
I thank you for the information. I have been having difficulties in all areas of my life lately. I have been searching for a way to get closer to God and clean up my life. Every morning i would pray and worry about everything. This is what i have been looking for and i thank God that he directed toward your page. Blessing to you and your family and again thank you.
Hey Kevin, I’m so glad you found this and that it has blessed you. I know what you mean about those struggles and the need to get closer to God. Here’s a few more that you may find helpful: 21 Bible Verses to Destroy Worry, 21 Bible Verses for the Overwhelmed, and Your Identity in Christ and Your Amazing Value.
Thank you for letting me know how to pray for you as I have now done, and blessings to you as well!
Hello, thank you for my answer about concentrating on Gos’s mercy. I need help with listening to God, I don’t know my gifts, and I want anwswers to my prayers.
Hi Ceejay, wow…you raise a great point: spiritual gifts are not taught as much as they could be. I’m guessing you’re referring to spiritual gifts, anyway. I have not yet written any resources on the subject, but I will add that to my list of topics to cover. In the meantime, check out this resource on identifying and using your spiritual gifts: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-to-identify-and-effectively-use-your-spiritual-gifts.html
Blessings to you!
Hi there, I’ve been feeling disconnected from the Lord for a few weeks now after being physically sick from spiritual warfare for 2 weeks and been trying to find my way back to where I was. I’m also in a season of waiting, which is a challenge on its own. I stumbled across this post in my search to reconnect with God and I’m ever so grateful that I did. Your steps are simple, yet so powerful. I needed a reminder that it not about the long prayers, its all about staying focused on Jesus and shutting off the distractions. It’s easy to fall into the trap of depression and despair when you forget that God loves you and He will answer your prayer… In His time. Thank you and God bless you, man of God.
Hi Lee, thank you for your heartfelt message. Those waiting seasons are so difficult, I know. Sometimes it seems like God is far away from the waiting. I’ve also been in waiting in ministry for 3 years at this point, but I’m reminded that those who are waiting for me have been waiting for 10 years. And if God didn’t forget Moses after 40 or Israel after 400 years, then he hasn’t forgotten you or I, either!
By the way, have you seen my post called “Learning More About Waiting on God?” (https://genewhitehead.com/learning-more-about-waiting-on-god/) Maybe you’ll find something encouraging in that one as well.
I’ve prayed for you…blessings to you, Lee.
great teaching
Thank you, Rev Daniel! 😀
This is exactly what I need to know to start with and make big changes in my life. I have been disturbed with so may distractions. Now I decided to focus on our God. He deserve to be serve. Thank you for creating these 5 STEPS TO STAY FOCUSED ON GOD. Big help. God bless you brother. 🙏🙏🙏
Hi Lara, I am so glad you found this post helpful for you to stay focused on God. The distractions do come so easily, but with thoughtful effort and a little discipline, we can set our eyes on the Lord and keep them there more consistently. Thank you for your kind words and God bless you, too!