Attention

2 April: Tuesday Refocus

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"The first and most basic thing we can and must do is to keep God before our minds... this is the fundamental secret of caring for our souls. Our part in this practicing the presence of God is to direct and redirect our minds constantly to Him." - Dallas Willard

Missionary Frank Laubach challenged himself by intentionally dedicating hours of every day, minutes of every hour, even seconds of every minute to turn his thoughts toward the Lord. The Psalmist said: ‘I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken (Psalm 16:8).” The prophet Isaiah said: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock (Isaiah 26:3-4).”

How might our souls be shaped when our minds are given to meditate on the person and work of Christ? How might we encounter the world, others, and ourselves differently if our attention is fixed on the Lord?

Spirit, may you lift our eyes to behold Jesus in the small and significant moments of this day and every day. In Christ’s name, amen.

Amen,

AB

6 February: Tuesday Refocus

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“The first act of love is always the giving of attention.’ - Dallas Willard

The attention and affection of God cannot be splintered, divided, or diluted. And although we are poor and needy, the Lord takes thought for us (Psalm 40:17). Because his eyes saw the unformed substance of our being and every one of our days (Psalm 139:16).

May this day be filled with turning our attention and affection toward the One whose attention and affection are already fixed upon His people.

Father, we thank you for your love. Jesus, we thank you for displaying that love through the cross. Spirit, remind us of what is true when we are prone to forget. Amen.

Loved,

AB

Advent Preparation

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We are only a few weeks away from the Advent season. One of the elements that has helped mark out this time as special for me in the last few years has been writing an Advent devotional. Collecting these quotes, prayers, Scripture, and writings helps set my attention and affection on the coming of Christ during a particularly busy season in the life of the Church.

If you are looking for something for you, your church, or your team, here are links to the last several years. I’ll also be posting a new Advent devotional in the weeks ahead.

If you’re looking for some practical resources for worship leaders, worship teams, or church here are some posts from previous years:

The Holy Spirit And Preparation

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What does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit?

Over the years many of my conversations with worship leaders would lead me to believe that most of us think being led by the Spirit equates to one thing: spontaneity in the corporate gathering. Now, I am not against spontaneity. I have led worship making subtle and significant changes to songs, or the way that I am communicating because of the Spirit’s prompting and leading at that moment. We never want to be so rigid that we tune out the still small voice of the Spirit. But we also need to stop blaming our lack of preparation and intention behind our choices and calling it being led by the Spirit.

I believe that before we can be led by the Spirit in the corporate gathering, we must be led by the Spirit in our preparation. And our preparation should always begin with prayer. Prayerfully reading the text for that service. Spending time reading the Spirit-inspired Word of God. Asking God to speak to you and lead you in your preparation. Pray these three prayers of preparation.

Another way that we can be led by the Spirit in our preparation is by playing through the setlist. Spend time singing to God through the songs that you have been led to select for the gathering. Not just during rehearsal with the team, not just to make sure you know all of the parts, but for you to be able to be present with God and to God as you sing. What does your heart want to say in those moments? What moments of the songs, or movement throughout the setlist do you need to lean into? How can you fill out the songs with Scripture, prayer, silence, or speaking to continue to lead and guide people as you yourself are being led by the Spirit?

Be attentive to the movements of the Spirit in your own walk with the Lord. The more we learn to listen and obey the voice of the Spirit in our daily lives, the more we will be able to identify His voice and leading in the way we prepare to lead and serve His people. Jesus says that His sheep know His voice. We cannot know His voice in our leading if we do not know His voice in our private lives. Cultivate hears to hear, minds to know, hearts to understand, and lives to obey His voice and leading and it will flow into the way that you prepare - in the Spirit - to lead His people.

July 27: Tuesday Refocus

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“Concentrate on God, and be carefully careless about everything else.” - Oswald Chambers

Our minds wander and drift.  

Our attention is splintered across details, 

responsibilities, 

the future,

the past, 

regrets 

and anxiety.  

And yet, we are reminded by Christ Himself that our Father knows what we need before we even ask (Matt 6:8, 32).  That our Father delights to give us good gifts (Matt 7:11, James 1:17).  That He cares for even the sparrow and clothes the Lillies of the field - how much more does He care for us (Matt 6:25-34)?

When we can say and believe with the Psalmist, ‘Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’ (Ps 73:25-26) We show the kingdom we seek - and we can rest knowing that ‘all these things will be added…’ (Matt 6:33).

Lord, let there be nothing we desire in this life or the next, in heaven or on earth more than we desire You.  Thank you that You have made yourself available to us, in Your name, amen.

Looking,

AB