How to maintain focus and concentration - Christian Personal Development

You need to learn how to maintain focus and concentration. The distractions in our present world are too numerous. You need to be focused to achieve success or complete projects.

The focus of this Bible Short Report is to show you how to maintain focus and concentration. You will learn the basic biblical principles that can help you to avoid distractions and focus maximally to achieve success.

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Please start the reading of how to maintain focus and concentration below:

How to Maintain Focus and Concentration

…practical tips on how to reach the end of projects

Sesan Oguntade

NowNowBooks Edition

Copyright 2016 Sesan Oguntade

Discover other titles by Sesan Oguntade

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV). Scripture quotation marked (TLB), (NIV), (MSG), are taken from The Living Bible, The New International Version Bible, the Message Bible Versions respectively.

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Book Text

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:3 – 5)

Download and Read Our Bible Short Reports Series: There are over 25 titles in this series already. There are titles like, How to Fly With Your Faith, How to Overcome Worry and Anxiety, How to Exit the Cage of Fear, How to Maintain Focus and Concentration, Jesus and Your Success and more (see banner below). Visit  https://sesanoguntade.com/category/Bible-short-reports-series

Chapter 1: Introduction to how to maintain focus and concentration 

I read this interesting story from a biography of one of the most successful preachers of the gospel Africa has produced. The story is about a king who after been captured by the king of another town pleaded for mercy. However, his captors would not release him just like that; they want him to pass a test before he would be released. Let me present the story as it is presented in the book, Enoch Adeboye, an African Legends of Faith Series Vol.2 authored by Rebecca Bible-Davids:

“He (the captured king) had to transfer a brim full cup of water from one end of a stadium to the other without spilling a drop. On one side of the stadium would be people cheering and hailing him, while on the other side would be people cursing, discouraging and insulting him. Behind him was a beheader who would chop off his head the moment a drop of water spilled on the floor. That seemed a difficult task because the water in the cup was full to the brim  but he had no option. The test began, the young king scared to the bones gradually carried the water till he reached the other end. The older king (his captor) on the other end asked him if it was the people praising him or the people cursing him that motivated him to transfer the cup safely. He was so honest to tell the king (his captor) that he did not even know they were there because his full concentration was on his destination. Then, the king told him never to listen to the praises or curses of the people, he must keep his eyes on the mark and prize. That is the path to greatness”

The story above really helped me when I read it. It taught me great lessons on the relevance of the theme of this book to anyone’s success story on this earth. This story also exposed what I believe to be one of the strongest secrets of the narrator of the story, Pastor E.A Adeboye, who heads what is, unarguably, the fastest growing Pentecostal mission on planet Earth today. I believe such level of focus and concentration as shown in the story is needed for him to have, under his belt the outstanding results he has had over the years leading the mission called The Redeemed Christian Church of God. With thousands of Pastors and Ministers under his supervision and lots of ever growing congregation members all over the world, he must surely be a highly focused person. Add this to the role he plays as a spiritual mentor to thousands of other ministers of other missions all over the world. He must surely be up there in this focus and concentration vocation!

My Experience

Some years ago, I discovered a strange, continuous occurrence around me whenever I privately and under the inspiration of God’s Spirit arrange a special prayer and fasting session for myself and family. Distractions usually come from every corner either to prevent me from going ahead or distort my laid-down plans for the prayer sessions. At first, I was allowing these distractions because, most times, some of them usually disguised as “legitimate” distractions until God’s Spirit pointed my attention to this anomaly.

NOTE: You need to download and read an older Bible Short Report (BSR), How to Handle Distractions. Visit https://www.sesanoguntade.com to subscribe to download a free copy today in PDF format.

A wise man said, “If you focus on your focus, you will become a focus”. If you ever desire to be among the top achiever on this earth doing great things for God, you need to understand how to maintain focus and concentration. Those who find it difficult to maintain focus will find it extremely difficult to start and complete even small tasks especially when these small tasks are spiritual activities! It is the intention of this edition of Bible Short Reports (BSR) to guide you on how you can begin to maintain focus and concentration so that you can always get worthy projects or tasks started and completed. I want to give the Holy Spirit of God all the glory for this work.

Chapter 2: A Note on Distraction

Though I have written a BSR edition on How to Handle Distractions where I gave a fuller description on what distractions are and the major categories of distractions (I showed you earlier on how to get it free of charge), I feel I should kick-start the body section of this BSR with a  summary note on distractions. Simply put, distractions are one of the major reasons why you don’t maintain focus and concentration on a particular task until it is finished.

Categories of Distractions

I have been able to identify 4 major categories of distractions:

1. The Within Distractions
2. The Internal Distractions
3. The External Distractions
4. The Satanic Distractions

Let me quickly explain each one below.

Within Distractions

These are the types of distractions that come from within you. Negative thoughts, your unrenewed mind, ignorance and their likes, are the major examples of these types of distractions. God’s Word says in Prov. 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”. If your thought pattern is negative or failure thoughts dominate your mind, you will not be able to start and complete even simple tasks. If your mind continuously remains unrenewed with God’s Word, you will struggle with spiritual activities and projects.  This is the reason why Paul said in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.

If you lack the required wisdom or if you are grossly ignorant of the requirements to get a project completed, you will struggle with it. God’s Word says in Proverbs 24: 3, “Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established”.

Negative attitude can also be a major within distraction to you on any task. The within distractions are extremely dangerous distractions because they are from within and can be a strong reason why you have not been maintaining focus and concentration to start and finish tasks or projects.

Internal Distractions

Coming close to the within distractions are the types of distractions called the Internal Distractions. These types come from within your household or from those close to you. This is another strong one. Your spouse or family can be a distraction to you on a task or project if you don’t handle the situation well in terms of carrying them along, giving enough time to be with them, sharing useful information with them on the progress of the project, praying together with them over the project. A man whose wife or family is posing as a distraction to him on a task should check himself with the light from God’s Word.

However, let me point out that sometimes the fault may not be from the man, it may simply be the handwork of the devil (I will discussed this later). If a man has this problem, then the man must pray. This was the case with Jesus and Peter. Jesus prayed and prayed for him (Luke 22: 31-32). Members of your extended family, members of your project team and their likes can also be part of this category.  

External Distractions

These types of distractions are from outside your household. They can be from friends, neighbors, church members, colleagues at your workplace, the economy of your country, state of your nation, poverty, riches and so on.

The story of the man of God in 1 Kings Chapter 13 who was distracted from a Godly mission with food by an external figure is a good example. Judas Iscariot allowed ungodly personal ambition and money to distract him. Gehazi, Prophet Elisha’s servant, allowed money to distract him (2 Kings 5:20-26). Paul described how Demas allowed the love of this world to distract him (1 Timothy 4:10). Samson allowed ungodly women and adultery to take him off God’s course for his life (Judges 16:4). Esau allowed food to distract him (Genesis 25:32-34).The list goes on and on from the scriptures.  

Satanic Distractions

These types of distractions come from the devil and his cohorts. Sometimes or most times, the devil is behind most of the other categories of distractions described earlier. Sometimes, he works behind the scene like the case of the Israelites in the wilderness. He was strongly working behind the scene to get the Israelites distracted in order to get them destroyed in the wilderness. Though a single mention of him was not done during the journey and story of the Israelites in the wilderness heading to the Promised Land but I believe he was actively involved in the business of distracting them to disobey God consistently.

His master plan was to stop them from maintaining the needed focus on God and His plans for them so that their continuous disobedience can wipe them out in the wilderness. The devil does not want anyone to get to the Promised Land so that God’s prophecies will not be fulfilled. The devil is anti-God. His main mission is to oppose everything God wants and does. He and his cohorts cook up distractions from the pit of hell in different forms and throw them in the way of unsuspecting Christians who are on a godly mission or projects.

NOTE: The devil is still behind the continuous refusal of the sacrifice and lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ by many today. If you are in this group, you are being distracted; you should say no to the devil’s antics and games and say the salvation prayer below:

‘“Father in heaven, forgive my sinful past. I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and His shed blood has wiped away my sins. I believe He is the Son of the Living God. I accept Him as my Lord and Saviour. I want Him to begin to rule in my life as from now on. I believe I am saved. Thank you God for hearing my prayer”. Please let me read from you about your experience or how this book has helped you. You can contact me in these ways: Email: infobooksng@gmail.com or infobooks@sesanoguntade.com, Phone Number: 234-08034300979

Satanic distractions are real and sometimes are behind the first three categories described above. However, the good news is that the One who is the Author and Finisher of our faith (that is the one who is qualified to lead us in our faith journey on this earth), Jesus Christ won resounding victories over all the four categories described above.

He had victories over hunger, food, devilish fame and wealth during His forty days fasting sessions (Matthew 4:1-3). He won victories over satanic-induced distractions. He won victories over Peter’s (His close associates) numerous distractions. He won victories over the distractions posed by the Pharisees and elders of the Jews. He had victories over shortage of resources when He fed 5000 people (Mark 6: 35-44). He had victories over rejection by His brothers (John 7:1-9). He had victories over the peoples’ rejection of Him. He won victories over death, grave and put the devil where he belongs, under our feet. He has done it. This is the reason why you must come under His leadership and lordship to ensure you continuously have victories over these distractions.

Check Out This Christian Fiction Note Below Before You Go To The Next Section of This Novel:

[Wealth Codes]: An Epic Christian Novel On Strong Teachings About Money, Finance And Wealth Creation

Bola Ajagun worked as a Mathematics teacher with the Federal Government of Nigeria for many years. He had been taught most Bible financial success principles right from his teenage Christian years and believed he had all it takes to be financially successful in his lifetime.

However, when happenings around his financial life were contrary to his religious knowledge and beliefs, he knew he needed help urgently.

The pangs and discomfort of poverty and lack of financial fulfillment dampened Bola’s morale about his Christian beliefs. He was fighting the outcomes of many unfulfilled religious promises and doctrines.

Did Bola receive the needed help? Did he find any reason to stay with his cherished Christian beliefs or to drop anchor and embrace other beliefs?

Wealth Codes shows you…

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15 Ways on how to Maintain Focus and Concentration

This section of this BSR will be discussing practical ways you can begin to maintain focus and concentration.

Chapter 3: Document Important Details of Your Project

God’s Spirit inspired this tip using the bible passage of Romans 8: 29-30 and the creation story in the book of Genesis 1. In Romans 8: 29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son”. God had on record the project story of this earth before He hit the production line in the book of Genesis. He had all the details well documented before He created the heavens, the earth and all that are in them. The distractions that came up from the devil and men could not take God’s focus away from the actualization of the project work that Jesus came to do. The distractions that we see and experience today on this earth will not stop God from finishing His plans for this earth. No devil or distraction will stop Him because He had all the details on record before He began the creation work. His eyes are fixed on this documented record.

The documented visions are clear and they are been actualized according to the recorded plans. You can maintain great focus and concentration if you can learn to write down or record any task you hope to accomplish. I do this very well. After the bible, my jotter, idea book, goals and plans book are the best “paper friends” I have. I write out daily, weekly, monthly and yearly tasks on paper. I have a 50-year plan already written and documented. Despite the distractions from everywhere, I do everything within me to stick to and get these tasks completed. If I miss out on any task, I don’t hit myself hard on the head; I take it again to the next stage of tasks to be completed.

Chapter 4: List The Tasks to Be Done Step by Step

This is closely related to the tip in the last chapter. Don’t just write the task or the projects in general terms, list the step by step details of it. You should have observed that with the way tasks and projects for this earth are been completed since the creation days, God had them listed step by step. There was the time for the flood to wipe off the whole earth except Noah and his family and the promise God made to Noah. There was the time for God to narrow down His earth project to a single man called Abraham. There was the time for God to allow Israel move down to Egypt, the time to raise Moses to deliver them, the time for Israel to sojourn in the wilderness, the time for Moses’ law to be introduced, the time for the birth, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the time for the coming of the Holy Spirit and so on.

All were part of the step by step documented plans of God for this earth. I want you to note that rapture, the second coming of Jesus Christ and the judgment are part of these documented plans of God and they will all come to pass. “Flesh” out, that is, state in clear step by step details the task or project to be executed and continually fix your gaze on it regularly. I have come to observe how this practice has made my paper plans to become part of me despite distractions hitting out at me from everywhere. I still analyze, take, reject and accept decisions based on my paper plans. With this sure success strategy, I always get to the end of a task or project.

Chapter 5: Study God’s Word

The step by step plans of God for your life is in His Word as we have it in the bible. The human projects called you and I have their paper plans in the bible. You must be a diligent student of God’s Word. Sometimes, God’s Word may not give some details of a task or project but it does give you in full the details of you who is the one who will get the project started and completed. You must understand that the thought and plans of God for you is for good and not for evil (Jeremiah 29:11). You must understand you will always overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimonies (Revelation 12:11). You must know that you are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). You must understand that no one is permitted, qualified and justified to bring a charge against you (Romans 8:33). These and many other Godly information are in God’s Word and when you know and understand them, you will be able to fight off distractions to keep your focus on your Godly task.

Some within distractions like ignorance, worry and anxiety, unrenewed mind will always be taken care of if you are a diligent student of God’s Word. God’s Word has the power to keep your focus and concentration on a task to get it to the end. It has been of tremendous use to me in this regard.

Chapter 6: Prayers Also Help

When I observed how distractions always throw themselves at me whenever it was time to execute projects, I have learn’t to pray specifically against them before the start of any project.  I also pray for wisdom from God to handle any distraction that will come up in the cause of executing the project. Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail”. (Luke 22:31-32). He also prayed regularly during His ministry to keep all manners of distractions away. When what I called the mother-of-all-distractions came up in the Garden of Gethsemane against Jesus, He was still saying His prayers. I want to believe that Jesus would not have completed the salvation project if He was not prayerful. Prayerfulness helps your focus and concentration. A Christian must have a personal prayer programme or schedule. Some distractions can’t be handled except you go on your knees to pray!

Chapter 7: A Schedule of Separation

This is closely related to the last tip. All through scriptures, we read about how individuals who focused and concentrated to finish series of projects for God always separate themselves from others to stay in God’s presence. From Moses to Abraham, to Jacob, to David, to Elijah, to Jesus, to Paul, they separated to God and were always coming out with a sharper focus and concentration on their projects. I want you to read through the gospels and see how Jesus Christ demonstrated this. Read some examples below:

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). “Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida while he sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray” (Mark 6:45-46). This particular event recorded by Mark really exposed the use and relevance of this secret by Jesus Christ. The disciples had come from a successful mission and were excited about their experiences during the mission. While they narrated their experiences to Jesus, Jesus instructed them to “come aside to by themselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). However, before they could carry out this instruction, the people came around and deepen the kayoes in the environment (verse 33). Jesus attended to the main issues the people brought (verse 35) and after this and still in the same chapter in verse 45 and 46 (about fourteen verses after the first instruction was given) insist the disciples must separate from the crowd according to His earlier instruction. This story taught me more on the benefit of separation. You must maintain a schedule of separation to stay in God’s presence to pray, study His Word, think over and through your vision and projects. You can always get your focus and concentration sharpened anytime you carry out these activities. God’s Words in Isaiah 40:31 supports this tip with this great statement “…those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”

Finally in this chapter, let me end it with this statement from God’s prophet, Isaiah in Isaiah 41: 1: “Keep silence before me, O coastlands, and let the people renew their strength…”.

Chapter 8: Keep Your Hands at the Plow

Jesus emphatically pronounced in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”. The Message translation puts it this way: “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day”. This statement alone has drawn more motivational blood into my veins since I was inspired with it. I want to be fit for his kingdom. I want to fulfill destiny. I want the best of God on this earth. I want Jesus to give me a pat on the back when he finally comes back. That passage just showed me how all these can be possible-I must keep my hands at the plow. I must always seize every opportunity to sow into God’s kingdom. I must not look back.

Now, this passage and its message have also helped me to keep my focus and concentration on a task till the end. Whenever I am to start a project or task, I draw the important details on a paper. I also try to identify the major tasks I must never take my hands and resources away from whatever the pressure and distractions that may come at me. Usually these tasks are the ones who will trigger growth, development and progress on the project. The devil and his demons will always fight you in these areas. They know if they can get you to take your hands off these tasks; you will not be able to make progress on your project. After I have identified these tasks, I ensure I keep my hands on them no matter the pressure and distractions that will come on me.

For example, this BSR series has survived a lot of pressures and distractions since it started over the four years ago (since 2011) but I have always kept my hands on the “plow”. My book ministry is extremely relevant to my purpose in life, so my hands and our organization must write and distribute the BSR series. You need to find these out in any task you want to complete and ensure you keep your hands at them. With this resolution and understanding you will be doing a lot of good to your focus and concentration on any project. So when the pressure seems to appear to snuff life out of your mouth, you are still at these tasks working on them.

You should also understand that, you must also keep your focus on God in this world of confusion and evil if you ever want to reign with Jesus when He comes back.

You can purchase tge full versions of this Bible Short Report today on Amazon and other stores online. Contact us for more information or call / Whatsapp 08034300979.