January 17 – Guard Your Flow and Fix Your Focus

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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
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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.