section 1
proverbs 4:1, 4:20-27, 5:1, 7:24, 22:17-19 niv
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight.
Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.
Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.
jeremiah 13:15-17 niv
Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but He will turn it to utter darkness and change it to deep gloom. If you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive.
hebrews 2:1-4 niv
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
Read Your Bible Regularly deuteronomy 17:19 i timothy 4:13 , use an actual print Bible to regularly study psalm 119:130 ; this actually helps not only in paying attention but in memorization.
It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees
Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.
section 2
Write Scripture by hand deuteronomy 17:18-20 . Don’t just type something on a computer or phone but as they’re still available, write like a king and actually get a nice journal and a good pen. Write the Truth out Word for Word.
When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
section 3
Meditate on the Word psalm 119:15, 27 ii corinthians 10:5 . That is, roll it around in your head. Imagine how to do the Word. Review past successes and failures in doing the Word to "study" how to implement the Word practically into your life today ii timothy 2:7 .
I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways.
Make me understand the way of Your precepts, and I will meditate on Your wondrous works.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
section 4
PRACTICE DOING the Word james 1:21-25 to find it easier to retain and pay attention to more of the Word as you taste and see that the Lord is good i peter 2:1-3 . Intentionally test the Word by means of experimental, and then experiential obedience psalm 119:140 psalm 119:97-112 malachi 3:10 .
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
my notes:
Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your Word. I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your Words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow Your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to our Word. Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me Your laws. Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget Your law. The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts. Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
section 5
PRAY Regularly i thessalonians 5:17 mark 14:37 philippians 4:6-7 , practice the relational presence of the Lord psalm 23:4 matthew 28:20 psalm 123:1-2 .
Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," He said to Peter, "are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
my notes:
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
I lift up my eyes to You, to You Who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy.
section 6
Use the first fruits of your energy for godly production ecclesiastes 9:10 luke 10:27 romans 11:16 proverbs 3:9 . Don’t try to fit God into your life, fit your life into God’s will. Invest in the Lord, for what you invest into you gain interest in luke 12:29-34 .
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
He answered, " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"
If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
my notes:
And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
section 7
Remove Distractions; minimize that which hinders your attentiveness to Jesus ii peter 1:19 hebrews 12:1 luke 21:34 . Minimize and eliminate digital distractions, empty activities psalm 39:6 , sinful venues matthew 18:8-9 , and meaningless chatter i timothy 6:20 ii timothy 2:15-16 ; instead guard your heart from distractions by practicing paying close attention to Who you should be listening to proverbs 4:20-27 exodus 15:26 .
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
my notes:
We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.
If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge"
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.
He said, "If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, Who heals you."
section 8
Make plans, organize, think through, and make a genuine, practical effort to do it isaiah 32:8 i peter 1:13 james 3:13-17 proverbs 16:9 .
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
section 9
Close loops of responsibilities. Keep your eyes straight ahead, not on every theory or possibility of what might be done or even needed proverbs 17:24, 15:21 ii corinthians 8:11 colossians 4:17 proverbs 28:19 .
Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool’s eyes roam to the ends of the earth.
Foolishness brings joy to one without sense, but a person with understanding walks a straight path.
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.
Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord."
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
my notes:
section 10
Don’t dramatize responsibilities…today is the day…now is the time matthew 6:34 proverbs 4:25 proverbs 16:9 ii corinthians 6:1-2 . The good before you is the good to do james 4:13-17 .
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says, "In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
section 11
Proper rest and sustenance are helpful to paying better attention i kings 19:3-8 deuteronomy 8:2-3 i timothy 5:23 . It is spiritual to make obeying the Lord as easy and simple as possible hebrews 12:13 ii chronicles 27:6 .
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
"Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God.
section 12
Practice discipline of body and mind, get familiar with discomfort and inconvenience i corinthians 9:24-27 isaiah 53:3 job 36:10, 15 psalm 119:67 .
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.
But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction.
my notes:
section 13
Simply start godly production…break inertia…don’t fear…trust and make the effort philippians 4:9 luke 6:46-49 proverbs 14:23 proverbs 12:11 joshua 1:7-9 luke 19:20-23 psalm 119:60 .
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
"Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My Words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
But the one who hears My Words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
my notes:
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
"Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’
"His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
Scripture quotations taken from one or more of the following versions as noted:
ESV = The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
NIV = The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NLT = The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
NASB = NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Used by Permission HCSB ©1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
NKJV = New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.