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  KEEPING THE FOCUS
  by Mary Wilder Tileston
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Summary: By focusing on God and taking captive our wandering thoughts,
we can use every thought as a prayer and draw closer to Him.

Topics: "Focused Prayer", "Spiritual Discipline"
Scripture References: Psalm 121:1, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8, Colossians 3:2, James 4:8

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DESCRIPTION
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Mary Wilder Tileston, in her sermon, emphasizes the importance of fixing
our eyes on God to combat wandering thoughts during prayer. By focusing
on God, every thought can be transformed into a prayer, allowing us to
maintain reverence and connection with the Divine. She encourages the
practice of capturing stray thoughts during prayer, bringing them before
God, and incorporating them into our conversations with Him, ultimately
leading these thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

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CONTENT
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Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

--2 CORINTHIANS 10:5

"I WILL lift up mine eyes unto the hills." The vision of God unseals the
lips of man. Herein lies strength for conflict with the common enemy of
the praying world known as wandering thoughts. If the eye is fixed on
God, thought may roam where it will without irreverence, for every
thought is then converted into a prayer.

Some have found it a useful thing when their minds have wandered off
from devotion and been snared by some good but irrelevant consideration,
not to cast away the offending thought as the eyes are again lifted to
the Divine Face, but to take it captive, carry it into the presence of
God and weave it into a prayer before putting it aside and resuming the
original topic. This is to lead captivity captive.

--CHARLES H. BRENT

Each wish to pray is a breath from heaven, to strengthen and refresh us;
each act of faith, done to amend our prayers, is wrought in us by Him,
and draws us to Him, and His gracious look on us. Neglect nothing which
can produce reverence.

--EDWARD B. PUSEY

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/mary-wilder-tileston/keeping-the-focus/
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