Distractions

Tonight I can't sleep and probably won't despite my exhaustion from a very stressful week. It will be a night of prayer and a night to trust that God will move through my prayers. But before I begin to pray I will write out the thought that has been so dear to my heart all week. This year I was angered by people's comments: "It's just teenage behavior." I have heard this comment by others over the year and it has angered me then as well. I must share from my heart what I sense God asking me to share for all of you raising teenagers and children. I hope you listen and don't feel I am stomping on your toes. I sense God asking me to help you understand what I have known for so long.

From the time our children are born Satan is out to pounce on them and destroy them any way he can. He works hard to destroy families. He works hard in churches to bring dissension, sorrow, ridicule, judgmental attitudes and pain so people will leave the church. He works hard to keep us so busy that we have no time to read the Bible or to pray. If he can't keep us busy he will absorb our minds with the desensitization of music, movies, television, iPhones, iPads, computers, entertainment etc. to lure us into the world. When we fill our minds with these things all day everyday, we slowly stop listening to God. How can God speak to us when the world fills us with so much noise, fun and excitement? To truly hear God we must drown out these sounds, turn them off, get out in nature and be quiet so we can hear God's voice.It may seem silly but the truth is we can be so busy with these things that we slowly stop listening to God and He stops being able to influence us in our lives. God loves us so much that He will not force himself to be a part of our lives. He will not force His way into our lives if we don't want Him in it. When we are so busy with the things of this world and not filling our minds with His influence, it is incredibly easy for us to drift away just like a boat on the sea would drift away if it didn't have an anchor. It is so easy in this world to do the same thing and realize just how far we have turned away from God. My prayer is that each of us will tune out the ambient noises in our lives. My prayer is that we will turn them off everyday so we can spend quality time with God. How can He transform us if we don't spend quality time with Him? Friends can only become close if they spend time with each other. It is the same with God. May we all seek to find this time to spend with Him each and every day. May we learn to be prayer warriors and seekers of God's truth and people that can discern God's voice each and everyday. If we draw close to God, He promises to draw close to us and when He does amazing things can happen in our lives!It will be a night of prayer and a night to trust that God will move through my prayers. But before I begin to pray I will write out the thought that has been so dear to my heart all week. This year I was angered by people's comments: "It's just teenage behavior." I have heard this comment by others over the year and it has angered me then as well. I must share from my heart what I sense God asking me to share for all of you raising teenagers and children. I hope you listen and don't feel I am stomping on your toes. I sense God asking me to help you understand what I have known for so long. From the time our children are born Satan is out to pounce on them and destroy them any way he can. He works hard to destroy families. He works hard in churches to bring dissension, sorrow, ridicule, judgmental attitudes and pain so people will leave the church. He works hard to keep us so busy that we have no time to read the Bible or to pray. If he can't keep us busy he will absorb our minds with the desensitization of music, movies, television, iPhones, iPads, computers, entertainment etc. to lure us into the world. When we fill our minds with these things all day everyday, we slowly stop listening to God. How can God speak to us when the world fills us with so much noise, fun and excitement? To truly hear God we must drown out these sounds, turn them off, get out in nature and be quiet so we can hear God's voice.

The truth is we can be so busy with these things that we slowly stop listening to God and He stops being able to influence us in our lives. God loves us so much that He will not force himself to be a part of our lives. He will not force His way into our lives if we don't want Him in it. When we are so busy with the things of this world and not filling our minds with His influence, it is incredibly easy for us to drift away just like a boat on the sea would drift away if it didn't have an anchor. It is so easy in this world to do the same thing and realize just how far we have turned away from God. My prayer is that each of us will tune out the ambient noises in our lives. My prayer is that we will turn them off everyday so we can spend quality time with God. How can He transform us if we don't spend quality time with Him? Friends can only become close if they spend time with each other. It is the same with God. May we all seek to find this time to spend with Him each and every day. May we learn to be prayer warriors and seekers of God's truth and people that can discern God's voice each and everyday. If we draw close to God, He promises to draw close to us and when He does amazing things can happen in our lives!