Why Should We Eliminate Distractions?
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10)
For months I had waited for this day.
After a busy ministry schedule, I sat on the back porch of our first floor beachfront condo and tried to enter the presence of God.
But there was a black cat staring at me from the grassy area below.
With hundreds of other condos at the facility, why did he choose mine?
I tried to ignore him but it was difficult with his gaze locked on me. I went back to prayer and reading God’s word. I desperately wanted to hear from my heavenly Father and for whatever reason, I hear his voice more clearly at the beach.
But then I was startled by the unexpected.
A seagull relieved himself directly over our condo patio. The spray covered the porch and my clothes.
Disgusting.
Why were there so many distractions?
At that moment I realized the enemy of my soul was trying to steal this time that I had anticipated for so long. I immediately cried out, “Satan, you are not wanted here. You have been defeated by the blood of Christ. I command you to flee.”
When I looked down, the black cat had disappeared. I thought, Maybe he moved to the next condo. There was no sign of him… anywhere. So I cleaned myself up and at long last, I was able to spend the morning with the Lord.
I had forgotten that when we enter the spiritual realm, there are both good an evil present there. We must bind evil and ask God to only hear His voice.
However, distractions aren’t only at the beach. They’re in our homes as well.
Cell phones buzzing.
Facebook notifications.
Laundry to do.
Except for that morning cup of coffee, I try to give God first fruits when I spend time with him in the morning. What about you? I generally don’t turn on my cell phone until after I’ve worshipped, prayed and studied. Once we open the door to a distraction, more come pouring in, just like the seagull’s spray.
And just as it says in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy,” the Devil’s accomplished his goal when we allow distractions to interfere with our time with God. He doesn’t want us to draw closer to our Father. He hates it when we get a Word or receive strength for the day. His job is to throw us off track and feel defeated.
So tomorrow morning before you start your morning quiet time, remember to eliminate the distractions first. When you do, your window with God will be free of interruptions and you’ll be more likely to hear from Him in the still of the morning.
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