As we enter into the new year, our spirits need to be open to perceive what the Lord is wanting to do in this new time. The Lord always has a plan and He longs to share that with those who are eager to hear. It is time to adjust our spiritual dials and point our antennas above to receive specific instructions for not only our personal lives, but also for our families as well.
While preparing for my day, I heard the words “focus & re-focus”. Then I saw a picture of a pair of binoculars and one trying to adjust the dial to get a better and sharper image. This was not a surprise to me as I had already made some new year’s resolutions concerning how I should spend my time and the need to leave aside the things that are of little importance and really focus on the things of the Spirit. The word “focus” according to Webster’s dictionary is: “a center of activity, attraction, or attention.” But the word “re-focus” simply means to “focus once again”. Throughout the book of Revelation we hear the words: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelations 2:29. Can we hear what the Spirit is saying to us? Are we able to grasp what is happening in the spirit? We need to also ask ourselves, what captures my attention today? What is my most important attraction? We as believers are to tap into that supernatural atmosphere and download the battle plans, new ideas and promises from the heavenly realm. But for this to take place we need to focus, “Set your minds on the things that are above, not the things that are on earth” Colossians 3:2.
2019 is to be a year of radical focus, as never before we need to keep our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith. If you are looking for breakthroughs, answered prayers, healings, our eyes will need to be adjusted to see only Him. “Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame”. Psalm 34:5. So what can we do to re-focus our attention to the lover of our souls? Of course intimacy with God and prayer are indispensable and it is something that we should be practicing no matter what. But what we must do first is be rid of the tiny things that steal our attention, the things that side track us and distract us from the true purposes. “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes”. Song of Solomon 2:15. Foxes come to distract and steal our fruit, when we become distracted and complacent they come to wreak havoc on our vineyards, this is the price we pay for losing our focus. The children of Israel spent 40 years wandering the desert completely missing the promised land. They lost their focus, they forgot about the God who set them free and instead began to live according to their desires, complaining and murmuring until most of them died in the wilderness. In order to re-focus in the new year, the Father is encouraging us to go back to basics and to do the things we did at first when first were in love with Him. (see Revelation 2:4-5)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16
The word of God coupled with the Holy Spirit is what produces the changes in our hearts. The average believer has left aside the word of God and has replaced it with teaching podcasts, live preachings and devotionals. This are all a blessing and we use them as part of our growth, we have nothing against them, in fact we share our church streaming on social media and we urge people to share to others. But after this, it is our responsibility to get into the word, this must never be replaced by anything. You might have heard it before, the good is the enemy of the best. It is much easier for us to calmly lie down and listen to our daily devotionals and then go about our day than to actually sit down, open the book of life and engage our senses into the word. We cannot allow lazy Christianity to penetrate into our lives, being a believer is engagement at all levels, it is time to re-focus by getting into the word as God wants to reveal to us things hidden from old! Psalm 78:1-3.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
Praying in our given spiritual language is also something many believers have left aside, believing perhaps that it has no effect. We all want instant prayers answered and no warfare to go with it, that microwave mentality has to go from us. Praying in tongues is also engagement, we just want rapid 10 minute prayers, this unfortunately will not do. As we approach the end of the age, the sword of the spirit must be sharper than ever. It is up to us to wield it accordingly, many of us are carrying huge warfare weapons on our backs without knowing how to use them. They have become stale and rusted because of lack of use. The language of the spirit is one of the most powerful forces in all existence. It is time to unravel our tongues and use it for blessing instead of cursing, for decrees instead of complaints, it is time to re-focus by building ourselves up by praying in the Holy Ghost! (Jude 20).
There are some who have lost their focus in 2018, and re-focusing will help them get back on track. This re-focus will help you complete important assignments that were in your heart but were unable to finish due to unwanted distractions. It will depend on us how 2019 will fare. The tools the Lord has given us are at our disposal, growth and fruit will come at the expense of using those tools coupled with Intimacy with the lover of our souls. Let’s be radical today on our pursuit of Him who is cheering us on in the race we are all in, pray with me:
Heavenly Father, I want to re-focus on you this new year, I don’t want to waste time on things that do not give life or on things that captive me to the point where I lose track of you. Lord help me to keep my affections on you, keeping you as the center of my all. Give me keen discernment to be able to see the thief coming and take the steps necessary to confront him. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.