Focus on the Real Goal

Every Sunday we have an early Morning Prayer meeting at
church. We pray from a Psalm for 30 minutes (without asking for anything—a time
purely for praise), then we prayer walk the sanctuary for 15 minutes, and
finally meet back together to intercede for the services and ministry of the
day.

Since we started this intimate time in 2007, we have never
ceased to be amazed at how the Holy Spirit always meets with us. We never leave
without a feeling that we have been in the sweet presence of Jesus.

One week, however, was a bit of a challenge. The prayer room
is just off of the platform, and the praise team has practice at the same time
that we are praying. That has never been an issue. In fact, the muffled music
often adds a “worship” dimension to our time.

For some reason that week, the amp for the electric guitar
had been turned and was not only facing the wall of the prayer room; it was
right up against it. It was deafening! That is really the only way to
describe it. The sound was decibels above noisy.

I’m sure there was a technical reason for it that someone
who is tone deaf like me would never understand. However, it felt as if the amp was in the room with us. The walls
shook. Our chairs vibrated. You could feel the “music” (I use that term loosely).

Amazingly, a wonderful thing happened: The distraction
brought a new level of focus and
diligence to our prayers. We moved in closer to each other. We
became very intentional about
concentrating on the prayers and praises being expressed by others in the room.
Our minds pressed in on the
purpose for which we had gathered.

The apostle Paul knew about distractions. In Philippians 3,
he shared that he was “forgetting what lies behind [good
and bad] and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal”
(vv. 13-14, AMP, emphasis added).

Dr. Tim Clinton often says that the “pain, pressure and
pace” of life are issues that can make the wheels come flying off. When Jesus
taught the parable of the seed and the sower, it was the “cares
of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” that choked out the good seed
(see Mark 4:19).

Everyday activities distract us from an intimate
relationship with our Father. Our endless pursuit to “get ahead” takes our focus
off of the real goal. Even just trying to
make ends meet—pay the weekly bills, put food on the table and gas in the
car—causes such stress and mind-consuming anxiety that our time in the presence
of Jesus takes a back seat.

The rush of other things always tends to obscure our needed
concentration on God. The world has turned the “amp” toward the wall of our
lives, and we too often struggle to hear God’s voice over the sound of the
noise of the world.

This week in your Christ walk, focus. You will need to be intentional
about this thing we
call a Walk of Faith. It doesn’t just happen. Let other things (even good
things) come and go as they may, but you keep your focus and never allow anything—or anyone—to obscure the life that is a result of an intimate,
personal, vibrant relationship with your heavenly Father.

Never be hurried out of the relationship of abiding in Him. The most difficult thing in a believer’s walk
is to learn to be diligent and consistent in worship and prayer—personal
worship and prayer, a lifestyle of worship and prayer.

As you press in, seeking Him, drawing near to Him, you will
sense and feel Him drawing near to you …
I promise.

PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF 3/26/2012

This week focus on the real goal of cultivating your
relationship with God by spending time with Him in personal worship and prayer.
Make this a priority above everything else and thank Him for ordering your
steps and empowering you to accomplish all He’s ordained for you with joy and
purpose. Ask Him for opportunities to be a blessing and share His love with
others. Remember those who are suffering through personal losses and pray for
those ministering overseas and at home to spread the gospel and provide food,
clothing and medical care where needed. Ask God for a spirit of repentance to
infuse our churches to fast and pray so that our nation would fulfill His
purpose, stand with Israel and be a blessing to the world. Phil. 3:13-14

To enrich your prayer
life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate
scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt: Prayers that Rout Demons, Prayers that Bring Healing, Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth and Prayers that Break
Curses. To order any or all of these click here.