Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy of Undistracted Worship (11/20/25)

How would you define worship of Jesus and what does your worship look like?

In our family Bible study time last night, we discussed what worship of God includes and whether all prayers are worship or only those prayers where we are praising God for His attributes. I said God always wants to hear from His children, but some of our prayers are often selfish. Sarah asked if her prayers for help on her school work were selfish. I said partially, because we often want help first for ourselves and then for God’s glory. God wants to help us accomplish the things He has purposed for us to do (such as school and work). So, our prayers for help can be worshipful if we truly desire the help so we can honor God and bring Him glory.

Later last night, Sarah stayed up to finish some math homework, and I sat beside her, reading Kent’s devotional from earlier in the day. I shared some of his devotional with Sarah, as his discussion about the difference between asking God to improve our situation versus asking God to transform our hearts tied right in with our earlier discussion during family Bible study! How often we get distracted, though, and aren’t living life with the purpose of worshipping God.  

If we aren’t living life worshipping God, then we are distracted by the world. However, the world can’t eternally satisfy and will come to an end, as Revelation describes.

Revelation 18:1-8 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ² With a mighty voice he shouted:

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
³ For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“‘Come out of her, my people,’
    so that you will not share in her sins,
    so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
⁵ for her sins are piled up to heaven,
    and God has remembered her crimes.
⁶ Give back to her as she has given;
    pay her back double for what she has done.
    Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
⁷ Give her as much torment and grief
    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
    ‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
    I will never mourn.’
⁸ Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
    death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
    for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

The world, Babylon the Great Prostitute (as we saw in Revelation 17), all those opposed to God and His ways will be consumed by fire. God’s judgment will fall.

As verse 4 calls, where do you and I need to come out of Babylon? What is distracting us from true worship of Jesus? I pray you and I will desire to live a life that is worshipful to God and undistracted by the shallow and temporal lures of the world. Jesus is worthy of undistracted worship.  

Thursday Devotional - Focused Perseverance

An unusual incident happened at church on Sunday. While a young lady was playing violin during the offertory, a piece of flaming glass (or lightbulb) fell from overhead. It hit the gal on her leg and burned the piece of carpet where it landed. I never saw her flinch! She stayed focused on her music and kept playing her violin until the end. When she sat down across the aisle, we all noticed she was bleeding. I handed her a tissue and my friend handed her a band-aide.

Jesus voluntarily suffered under far worse conditions for you and for me, yet He stayed focused on His work. He didn’t let His pain and suffering or the evil around Him distract Him from His purpose.

John 19:28-30         ²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus persevered to the end, fulfilling God’s plan. Jesus finished His work of redemption!

Do you and I persevere to the end? Or do we get sidetracked when hardships come? What can help you and me stay focused on glorifying God through any hardship so we can finish the work He’s given us to do?

Alice