Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / January 17 - Guard Your Flow and Fix Your Focus

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January 17 - Guard Your Flow and Fix Your Focus · Bible Chat Devotional

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  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, January 17th.
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  Guard your flow and fix your focus.
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  Have you ever noticed how quickly everything can change?
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  One moment you're confident, steady, feeling good about where
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  you are, and the next one comment, one mistake, one
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  unexpected problem hits, and suddenly your peace is gone.
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  Your thoughts spiral, fear creeps in, and it feels like
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  you're sinking emotionally and spiritually.
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  That swing can feel confusing, but Scripture shows us exactly
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  why it happens. Proverbs chapter 4, verses 20 to
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  21 speaks like a loving parent trying to protect a child.
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  My son, be attentive to my words.
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  Incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your
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  sight. Keep them within your heart.
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  God is telling us that what we allow into our hearts matters
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  more than we think. Our hearts aren't neutral
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  spaces. They are storage places.
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  Whatever we consistently take in truth or lies, faith or fear,
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  eventually shapes how we respond when pressure comes.
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  We see this played out so clearly in Matthew chapter 14.
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  Peter steps out of the boat and does the impossible.
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  He walks on water toward Jesus. As long as his focus stays on
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  Jesus, he's steady. But verse 30 says, but when he
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  saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink.
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  He cried out, Lord, save me. The storm didn't change.
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  Jesus didn't move. The only thing that shifted was
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  Peter's focus. The moment he locked onto the
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  wind instead of the Savior, fear rushed in and his faith started
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  to sink. That's such a real picture of
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  everyday life. The wind looks like anxiety,
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  comparison, rejection, bad news, or uncertainty about the future.
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  When those things take center stage in our minds, fear takes
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  over fast. But when God's Word is rooted
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  deep in our hearts, it steadies US.
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  Proverbs later says the heart is the wellspring of life.
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  That means everything flows from it.
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  Your words, reactions, confidence, and choices.
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  Guarding your heart doesn't mean ignoring reality.
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  It means choosing what gets the loudest voice.
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  It means being intentional about what you watch, what you listen
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  to, what you scroll, and what you replay in your thoughts.
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  If your heart is constantly filled with fear, negativity,
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  and comparison, fear will spill out when life shakes.
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  But when your heart is filled with God's truth, peace, and
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  promises, faith rises even in the storm.
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  The beautiful part of Peter's story is this.
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  When he started to sink, he cried out, Lord save me.
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  And Jesus immediately reached out and caught him.
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  Even when your focus slips, Jesus is still close.
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  He's ready to steady you again. So guard what flows into your
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  heart. Fix your focus on Jesus, because
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  what fills your heart will determine whether you walk in
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  faith or sink in fear. Let's pray.
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  Heavenly Father, help me be intentional about what I allow
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  into my heart. Teach me to guard it carefully
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  and to keep Your Word planted deep within me when storms rise
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  and distractions pull up my attention.
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  Help me fix my eyes on Jesus instead of my fears.
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  Fill my heart with truth, peace and faith and keep me steady no
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  matter what comes in Jesus name, Amen.
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  What if the ache you feel for more is actually God calling you
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  deeper? Thirst for God is a powerful
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  Seven Book prayer Scripts series inspired by Psalm 63, created
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  for believers who refuse to live on spiritual leftovers.
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  This is a journey from longing to encounter, from dryness to
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  delight. Seek teaches you how to pursue
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  God with passion and intentionality.
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  Savor trains your heart to recognize and enjoy His presence
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  in every season. See opens your spiritual eyes to
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  God's power, glory, and beauty at work in your life.
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  Satisfy leads your soul into fullness, strength, and deep
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  contentment in Him alone. Sing ignites joy, gratitude, and
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  worship that rises naturally from intimacy with God.
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  Stay anchors your heart in steadfast devotion when
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  distractions try to pull you away, and Stand equips you to
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  remain firm in God's justice, protection, and victory.
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  With over 210 prophetic Scripture anchored prayers, this
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  series helps you cultivate daily communion, personal revival, and
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  a lifestyle of holy pursuit. If you're spiritually hungry,
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  weary, or simply longing for more of God, this is your
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  invitation to drink deeply. Order Thirst for God on Amazon
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  today or visit prayerscripts.org and begin your journey into
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  deeper intimacy with the God who satisfies.
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  Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's three-year
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  Bible reading plan. Proverbs chapter 4 verses 20 to
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  23 World English Bible. My son, attend to my words.
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  Turn your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your
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  eyes. Keep them in the center of your
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  heart, for they are life to those who find them, and health
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  to their whole body. Keep your heart with all
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  diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
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  Matthew chapter 14 World English Bible At that time Herod the
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  Tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus and said to his
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  servants, This is John the Baptizer, he is risen from the
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  dead. That is why these powers work in
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  him. For Herod had arrested John,
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  bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias his
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  brother Philip's wife. For John said to him, It is not
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  lawful for you to have her. When he would have put him to
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  death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a
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  prophet. But when Herod's birthday came,
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  the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.
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  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she
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  should ask. She, being prompted by her
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  mother, said, Give me here on a platter the head of John the
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  Baptizer. The King was grieved, but for
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  the sake of his oaths and of those who sat at the table with
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  him, He commanded it to be given.
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  And he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
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  His head was brought on a platter and given to the young
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  lady, and she brought it to her mother.
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  His disciples came, took the body, and buried it.
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  Then they went and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard this, he
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  withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place apart.
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  When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from
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  the cities. Jesus went out, and he saw a
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  great multitude. He had compassion on them and
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  healed their sick. When evening had come, his
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  disciples came to him saying, This place is deserted and the
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  hour is already late. Send the multitudes away that
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  they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.
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  But Jesus said to them, they don't need to go away, you give
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  them something to eat. They told him we only have here
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  5 loaves and two fish. He said bring them here to me.
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  He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass, and he
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  took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
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  he blessed, broke, and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the
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  disciples gave to the multitudes.
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  They all ate and were filled. They took up 12 baskets full of
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  that which remained leftover from the broken pieces.
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  Those who ate were about 5000 men in addition to women and
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  children. Immediately Jesus made the
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  disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other
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  side, while He sent the multitudes away.
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  After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the
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  mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come he was
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  there alone, but the boat was now in the middle of the sea,
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  distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
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  In the 4th watch of the night Jesus came to them walking on
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  the sea. When the disciples saw him
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  walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying It's a ghost,
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  and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to
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  them, saying, Cheer up it is I, don't be afraid.
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  Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it is you, command me
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  to come to you on the waters. He said, come.
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  Peter stepped down from the boat and walked on the waters to come
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  to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind
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  was strong, he was afraid and beginning to sink.
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  He cried out, saying, Lord, save me.
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  Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and
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  said to him, You have little faith, why did you doubt?
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  When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
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  Those who were in the boat came and worshipped him, saying, You
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  are truly the Son of God. When they had crossed over, they
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  came to the land of Jenna Serret.
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  When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into
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  all that surrounding region and brought to him all who were
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  sick. And they begged him that they
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  might just touch the fringe of his garment.
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  As many as touched it were made whole.
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  Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
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  everyday life. If today's devotional encouraged
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  you, share it with a friend and be sure to follow the podcast so
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  you won't miss the next conversation.
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  Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
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  walking daily with Jesus.