Attending Upon the Lord Without Distraction

Attending Upon the Lord Without Distraction

The Glory of Remaining Focused After We Enter with Thanksgiving and Praise

We have tasted the joy of entering His gates with thanksgiving and coming into His courts with praise. We have felt the welcome of a God who delights when we approach Him that way. Yet right after that beautiful entrance, a quiet battle begins. Having come in so well, how easily we become distracted.

I experienced this recently in my own time of prayer. I was enjoying the reality of entering His gates with thanksgiving and praise. The presence of God was near and precious. Then, almost without realizing it, my mind drifted to the thought of writing an article about this very concept. The idea seemed good and even edifying, yet in that moment it was a distraction. When I recognized what had happened, I deliberately pulled my heart back to the Lord and chose to remain focused on Him. Only later did I write these words. Even a worthwhile thought can pull us away from the better thing—simply staying with Him.

Picture a visitor who enters your home with sincere thanksgiving and heartfelt praise. His entrance brings you real joy. You welcome him gladly. But within moments his attention begins to wander. The joy of his entrance slowly turns toward disappointment. He is present in the house, yet his heart is already elsewhere.

Is this not often true of us before the Lord? We enter with thanksgiving. We begin with praise. Then almost at once our minds drift—to responsibilities, ideas, good plans, or lesser things. The One who took delight in our entrance now sees that we have not remained.

Paul points us to a better way. He wrote that we should arrange our lives so we “may attend upon the Lord without distraction.” The phrase “attend upon” speaks of devoted attention, constant nearness, and giving oneself fully. The word “distraction” means to be pulled in different directions, to be drawn away. God is calling us to an undivided heart that stays once we have entered.

When we do remain—when we stay focused on His person with gratitude and joyfulness—there is a glory we begin to experience. The Lord Himself becomes our rejoicing. Scripture urges us, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” This is not a forced emotion. It is the natural overflow of a heart that has entered with thanksgiving and then refused to be pulled away. Gratitude keeps the door open. Joyfulness fills the room. The presence that welcomed us now fills us with the very life of God.

Mary of Bethany knew something of this. While others were troubled about many things, she sat at Jesus’ feet and gave Him her full attention. The Lord said she had chosen the good part. That focused remaining was not wasted. It was the place of glory.

Christ Himself is both our example and our focus. He never allowed the urgent or the good to pull Him from the Father’s will. He stayed. When we fix our eyes on Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith, the power of distraction begins to fade, and the joy of the Lord becomes our strength.

So I call you today: having entered with thanksgiving and praise, do not be quickly drawn away. Attend upon the Lord without distraction. Stay focused on His person with a grateful and joyful heart. Resist even the good things that would pull you from the better. Remain as a faithful friend who values His presence above every other thought.

There is a glory waiting for those who not only enter well, but who stay—and who keep rejoicing in Him.

Do not stop short of knowing Him more. Pursue a greater knowledge of God with all your heart! Let every moment of focused attention increase your understanding of who He is, so that your love for Him may burn deeper and stronger than ever before. Greater knowledge leads to greater love—press in until your heart is consumed with Him!

“And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.” 1 Corinthians 7:35

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42