Prophetic Word: 2021 Will Be Marked by A Single-Minded Focus on Jesus!
We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 NKJV).
Prophecy
Distractions, distractions, distractions! Distractions have drawn the hearts and focus of My people away from Me. Rather than walking close with Me, many are giving their attention to other meaningless things while excluding Me.
They are occupied from the time they rise in the morning until the time they sleep at night. I wait and they do not come. They offer a prayer here and a prayer there, they read a scripture here and a scripture there, and worship a little here and a little there, but their hearts are far from Me. Many would rather watch a movie than spend time with Me. They would rather check their social media than engage with Me. They are more disciplined with their exercise routines and diets than they are interested in carving out time in their schedules for Me. They prefer the mundane to the holy because their hearts are distracted. They say they know Me, but where do their affections lie?
Many who serve Me in ministry have become distracted by their ministries and the assignments within them—assignments that I have not ordained but have been created due to the growth and expansion of their ministries as well as personal vision. It is time to walk away from the things that distract and return to Me.
In this hour I am addressing My people as I addressed the Church at Ephesus:
To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, “These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ‘I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God’” (Revelation 2:1-7 NKJV).
Have you left your first love? Have you lost sight of My presence in your midst? Have you become distracted? I love you deeply and am calling you close to My heart in this hour, for when you make Me the center of all things in your life, you will know peace and fulfillment. It all comes from Me. I am grooming you as My beautiful Bride, but the Bride makes herself ready. She is not engaged in the distractions of the world or the enticements of the flesh. My Bride is smitten by My love and responds. My Bride has one primary, undistracted affection—Me. When she arises, I am on her mind and she seeks Me. Throughout her day, I am foremost in her thoughts, and at night when she lays to rest, I am her final meditation. My Bride is always filled with fresh oil and does not neglect the most important part of her life—Me.
What can worldly possessions offer you? Only fading pleasure. What can man’s efforts produce? Only temporary satisfaction. What can money buy? Only things that rust and moth destroy and thieves break in and steal (see Matt. 6:19). Why do you focus on things that do not satisfy? Why are you distracted?
The enemy has launched an assault of distraction upon My people in order to hinder them from coming to Me, but in this hour My Spirit will call My people back into divine order, keeping Me as their central focus in all things. They will return to Me in response to My love. A fresh and deepened revelation of My love will be granted them so that they will return—they will come.
A company of believers will be raised up in this hour whose passion is completely Mine. They will know Me and desire nothing but Me. They will love Me because they understand and know through experience the love I have for them. They will seek Me all their days without giving in to distraction, and I will fill them and bless them. Their love for Me will cause them to focus without effort.
There will also be many who will realize that their hearts are far from Me and they will return to their first love in fasting and prayer. They will cry out for grace to return for they are dissatisfied. I will answer them and grant them the desires of their heart. Once again, they will love Me and serve Me with undistracted focus.
Ministries will emerge in this era to teach, mentor, and train My people to love Me with all their hearts. I will be the focus of these ministries. Even though they will teach life skills, spiritual gifts, and biblical principles, and be committed to the great commission, their main focus is Me—Jesus! Their message will carry one theme: Me—Jesus. Many of these ministries will be led by younger generation leaders who only want Me. They do not long for title, attention, possessions, or promotion—they simply long for Me. They will be humble before Me and truly embrace the cross, taking it up daily as they follow Me.
Many will tell them, “Lighten up—you are too intense! You are too radical! People need more than just Jesus—your life needs more than just Jesus.” But they will follow Me in fullness of focus, in purity of heart, and in outrageous love, for they know My love and have received My love. They will not be distracted. As a result of these Jesus-focused believers, I will emerge in the earth to be seen by the masses, for they will not simply present programs, teachings, and events to attract people—they will present Me. I will be the focus and they will hide themselves in Me.
Many leaders in this era will dismantle the very things in their ministries that bring distraction. I will lead them to simplify so that their attention will not be absorbed by the mundane. The shackles of distraction will fall from them and they will once again gaze upon Me and seek My face. They will be renewed in their faith and I will increase their effectiveness for they will be led by My Spirit. They will return to prayer, worship, and the study of the Word and will be free again to obey My leading in simple faith. This is how I obeyed My Father’s leading when I walked on the earth. The very things I saw My Father do, I did. The things I heard Him say, I spoke. I walked in close relationship with Him, obeying His voice and following His lead. I did not allow meaningless distractions to take My focus.
Many will come to Me in this era. Many will follow Me. Many will serve Me well—for I am their focus.
Insights
Life is full of distractions, but there is only one thing that is important. We see this in the story of Martha and Mary of Bethany:
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42 NKJV).
When Martha met Jesus, she had a heart to serve Him and welcomed Him into her family home. Her sister Mary was present also, and Mary appears to have immediately positioned herself at the feet of Jesus, hearing His Word. I can clearly imagine the scenario: Mary was totally captured by Jesus and engaged in His very presence with nothing distracting her while Martha was agitated because her sister wasn’t helping with the meal prep or performing the outward tasks at hand.
When Martha brought up the subject to Jesus, inviting Him to set Mary straight, His answer was not what she expected: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
That was probably a very hard thing for Martha to hear, but it was necessary. Martha had a good heart and desired Jesus to be in the midst of her household. She also wanted to serve Him well, but she didn’t realize the most important thing: being positioned in His presence to receive the Word that comes forth from His mouth—the Word that you can only receive while your attention is completely fixed on Him.
Jesus was Mary’s focus while Martha’s focus was accomplishing all the tasks needed to serve Him well. There is nothing wrong with engaging in tasks, but there needs to be right order and perspective. Jesus is first. When our focus is upon Him, then it is carried into the tasks and assignments at hand. When Jesus is first in our affections, He fills everything else with His grace, love, wisdom, and presence.
I love, the song “Jesus at the Center” by Adam Ranney, Israel Hoiurgton, and Micah Massey.
Jesus be the center of my life
Jesus be the center of my life
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it’s always been You
Jesus, Jesus
Nothing else matters
Nothing in this world will do
’Cause Jesus You’re the center
Everything revolves around You
Jesus
Some of you reading this article might feel conflicted because your heart wants to focus on Jesus, but you find yourself constantly giving in to distraction. Paul describes this battle in the Book of Romans:
For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity (Romans 7:22-23 NKJV).
He goes on to teach us that it is Jesus Christ Himself who sets us free from this conflict and:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2 NKJV).
You do not need to walk in condemnation, fear, or shame when you are distracted; you simply need to turn away from the distraction and look to Jesus. He knows your heart’s deepest desires and will fulfill them. You might be wondering how you could possibly keep your mind centered on Jesus every moment of every day. Being focused on Jesus relates more to your heart’s position and passion rather than moment-by-moment mental focus and acknowledgment, but when you grow in your focus you will also grow in precious grace to have Jesus become everything to you in every part of your day and in all you do.
Here are some principles that might help you walk free from distractions and engage in a new level of consecrated focus in the Lord.
Evaluate
The first question to ask is, “Am I distracted or am I fully focused? Is Jesus the center of my life?” There will probably be evaluation on various levels, but be as honest as you can.
Invite Jesus to Help You
Jesus will surely help you and give you the answer to your desire to have Him positioned at the very center of your life without distraction. He will not withhold that from you. Pray in faith for Jesus to help you focus and make Him the center of your life with a full restoration of first love—pray without wavering in unbelief or doubt. When you pray according to His will, He hears you and grants you your request (see 1 John 5:14-15). This is His will for you so you can be confident.
Refocus Moments
When you find yourself losing focus, invite the Holy Spirit to move your focus back to Jesus. You will be able to think on Him immediately then. You can engage in refocus moments throughout your day. It only takes a minute or more. Some people call these moments “personal retreats.” When you focus on Him in that exercise, engage with Him from your heart. Praise Him or converse with Him—simply acknowledge Him and your desire to make Him number one in your life.
Discipline
Often Christians do not like the word discipline, but it is a healthy practice. We don’t mind being told to discipline ourselves in diet, exercise, or training for something we enjoy or for a career advantage, but somehow when it is mentioned in the context of our devotional and spiritual walk it is called “religious” and we run far from it.
The word discipline comes from the word disciple. In regard to discipline, the apostle Paul said:
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV).
The writer of Hebrews adds:
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).
Some suggested disciplines might include daily scheduled:
Bible reading
Prayer time
Worship
Praying in tongues
Journaling
We don’t discipline ourselves to obtain favor with God. We are already favored by Him when we receive Christ as our Savior. Neither do we discipline ourselves in order to warrant salvation, for it is a gift. However, we can use spiritual disciplines to create focus on Jesus, and the focus creates growth in relationship with the Lord as we are positioned to receive from Him and to lavish Him with our love.
Disciplined practice is usually always the element that brings success in natural things, and yet we so often negate its value in our spiritual life. If you look at the life of any successful or accomplished athlete, artist, musician, author, or business person, you will find disciplined practice is one of the foundation stones of their success.
Let’s practice leaning into the presence of Jesus. Let’s practice pursuing Him until He is fully our focus.
Thoughts to Ponder
How would you evaluate your focus level on Jesus?
Do you hunger to love Him more?
Imagine your life fully surrendered to Jesus. What would look different than now?
What benefits come as a result of being fully focused on Jesus?
What will it cost you to become fully focused? Are you willing to pay the price?
Prayer for Focusing on Jesus
Heavenly Father,
Forgive me for the many distractions I have allowed in my life that keep me from being fully focused on Jesus as my first love. I choose to return to my first love and ask You to pour out great enabling grace upon me. Deepen the revelation of Your love for me and grant me fresh encounters. I love You because You first loved me—help me to fully realize Your love for me so that I might respond in fullness. Grant me the desires of my heart.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.
