In the past three newsletters I’ve tried to help cast a vision for a life of intention and fulfillment. These articles have focused on eliminating distractions that keep us from pursuing a relationship with God, our family and other important people in our lives.  As much as I try to end each newsletter with a challenge for application, it is still possible that this type of information can tend to become theoretical instead of leading to change. So this newsletter will be devoted to doing just that: keeping it real!

Perhaps you desire to seek after God. You genuinely would say your heart longs to know him more but if you are totally honest you come away from your ‘quiet time’ dry and unaffected. Your time with God is more about duty than delight. So how can things begin to change? And more important, what can you do to increase your attentiveness to the presence of God in your life?

First, as you start your day, begin with prayer and a time of meditating on the Bible in order to ‘see’ God at work in your life. If you already have an established daily routine of prayer and reading the Bible, then consider this approach.

As you read a portion of Scripture, affirm how you have seen God at work in your life as the writer is describing Him. For instance, Psalm 42:5 states, Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again, my Savior and my God! After reading this, consider how you can personalize this verse to your life. Affirm God as your hope and worthy of your confidence. Agree that you will praise Him again in your life as He answers your prayers based on His promises.

Secondly, build on the morning time of praying back the Bible passage to God, by making an intentional effort to look for and affirm His presence during your day. Using the passage above say, God, I thank you that even though I am discouraged, right now I chose to hope in You.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.”

— Psalm 23:2

Make it your own and take note of your thoughts. If you sense anxiousness, fear or discouragement say, Father, I choose to praise you even though I’m concerned about this situation. I know that you have everything under control.

Finally, take time at the end of your day (or beginning of the following morning) to recount how you have seen God at work in your life that day. I’ve found if I’m not careful, I only ‘see’ God at work in my life if it is some really major answer to prayer or if it is something that only God could have orchestrated. But as I’ve become an investigator of sorts, I’ve begun to notice all the little ways He shows mercy, grace and love to me.

As I’ve become an investigator of sorts, I’ve begun to notice all the little ways He shows mercy, grace and love to me. — Michael Pfau

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What these simple practices will do is move you more toward living life with intention which will naturally raise your fulfillment.

I’d love to hear from you and what your experience with distraction is like, electronic or otherwise. Is this something you deal with? Perhaps you’ve had some success in eliminating distraction. If so, please let me know what has worked for you. I’d love to share any great ideas with others.