Pay attention!
I can remember saying those words to my students and my children. Distractions and daydreams were frequent attention thieves that often required a reminder to focus on the things that had lasting value and needed to be remembered.
Solomon wrote…
My child, pay attention to what I say.
Proverbs 4:20–22
Listen carefully to my words.
Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
Solomon emphasized that … this is important! Listen carefully! Pay attention! Don’t forget!
I like the various translations of verse 21b—”let [these words] penetrate deep into your heart.”
- Keep them in the center of your heart. (AMP)
- Keep them within your heart. (CSB)
- Concentrate! Learn it by heart. (MSG)
- Keep them always in mind. (NCV)
But how? How do we let God’s Word penetrate deep into our hearts?
We read and study it.
We prayerfully think about it.
We memorize it.
We talk about it and share it with others.
According to the Dictionary…
When we take something to heart, we treat it as though it is “significant and important.” We allow ourselves to be moved and affected by it.
That means we let God’s Word lead and transform us.
Why? Why is it important? Why do we need to pay attention?
Because, as Solomon said, God’s Word brings life and healing! (Proverbs 4:22)
Jesus told us…
God’s Word is TRUTH.
“Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your word, which is truth.” (John 17:17)
God’s Word is Eternal.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
God’s Word Guides.
Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)
God’s Word Blesses Those Who KNOW It and Keep It.
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:28)
Look at some of the things Christian Leaders have spoken about in the Bible…
“I’ve experienced His presence in the deepest darkest hell that men can create. I have tested the promises of the Bible, and believe me, you can count on them. I know that Jesus Christ can live in you, in me, through His Holy Spirit. You can talk with Him; you can talk with Him out loud or in your heart when you are alone, as I was alone in solitary confinement. The joy is that He hears each word.” – Corrie Ten Boom
“To meditate on Scripture is to allow the truth of God’s Word to move from head to heart. It is to so dwell upon a truth that it becomes part of our being.” — Greg Oden
“The Bible is the book of my life. It’s the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.” -N. T. Wright
“The Bible is God’s love letter to us, a Father’s letter of instruction to show us how to live the kind of life He wants to give us.” ~ Anonymous
So, let’s pay attention, and let’s pray…
A Prayer to Pay Attention to God’s Word
Heavenly Father, thank You so very much for wanting us to KNOW You … for giving us Your living and active Word. Thank you for inspiring many writers over many generations to document Your message of TRUTH and LOVE!
Thank you for Your Spirit’s guiding of scholars who translated ancient transcripts into understandable words. Thank you for that same Spirit who works in our hearts and minds to teach us the truth about Your grace, mercy, love, and all that You want for us.
Oh, Father, please help me pay attention to Your Words. Give me a humble heart that SEEKs after You and Your Kingdom. Teach me Your TRUTH that I might KNOW, TRUST, LOVE, and OBEY You.
I give myself to You. I entrust myself to Your care. Please work in me so that I might grow in faith and live for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
I spent years sporadically reading my Bible for academic purposes or as a disciplinary guide for life. But then a crisis knocked me to my knees and I humbly grabbed my Bible because I wanted and needed a relationship with the Living God.
It was a moment that changed my life. I fell more and more in love with God as I got to KNOW Him through the pages of Scripture. The Spirit made me a SEEKer and proved to me the trustworthiness of our Creator and Savior.
I discovered the blessing of paying attention to God’s Word.
The blessing of KNOWing the TRUTH about Jesus that sets us free…
- All Scripture is inspired by God. (2 Timothy 3:16)
- God’s Word is truth. (Psalm 119:60)
- God’s Word gives wisdom. (Proverbs 2:6)
- God’s Word is alive and powerful. (Hebrews 4:12)
- God’s Word endures forever. (1 Peter 1:25)
So, let’s pay attention! Let’s commit to humbly reading and studying the Bible asking God to teach us His everlasting alive and powerful truth that gives wisdom for life.
Pick a verse each week to prayerfully ponder and take to heart … a verse that will help you focus on God and all that He wants for you.
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