Topic: May I Have Your Attention, Please? [RICK WARREN Devotional 30 August 2021]

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May I Have Your Attention, Please?

BY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 30, 2021

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)Giving someone your attention is the greatest gift because your time is your life.

When you turn your face to someone and focus your eyes on them, it makes them feel like you genuinely care and are interested in what they have to say.

You can do this with God—you can turn your face to him in prayer. Just look up! Show him that you’re checking in and ready to talk. Even though it’s a good way to pray, there’s nothing in the Bible that says you have to close your eyes or bow your head. When I close my eyes and think, I go to sleep. I like to pray aloud to God and look up, because it gives me a physical reminder that I’m refocusing my attention.

Daniel did this when he needed God’s help and wisdom: “So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer” (Daniel 9:3 NASB). After you listen to God through his Word, then the second step of prayer is to seek him.

God makes many promises in the Bible for those who seek him.

“Seek me and live” (Amos 5:4 NIV). As you persistently seek God, you’ll start learning how to really live.

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me” (Proverbs 8:17 NIV). If you’re having trouble finding God, make sure you’re seeking him with the right motives—wanting to know him and not just wanting to get something from him.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). You’re going to find God when you really want to know him, not just in your spare time.

“God . . . rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Would you like God to reward your business, your finances, your relationships, and your future? Then seek him.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need” (Luke 12:31 NLT).

When you pursue God first, you don’t have to worry about all the other things the world says you need to stress over. Give him your attention. Turn your face to him, and show him that you want to give him first place in your life.

• If you were to plan the next year to look like the perfect year for you, with all the changes you want to see happen in your life, what would that look like?
• How does focusing on God give you the right perspective for your dreams, goals, and plans?
• Why do you think God wants you to seek him?