Some of these gleanings are from the puritans
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church
Remember to Repent
When we find ourselves distracted in the worship of the Lord, let us be diligent to repent of the sin and bewail the fact that we take our eyes off of Christ, His Word, and His beauties and succumb to distractions on lesser things for the moment. Confess your sin specifically to the Lord.
Remember to Refocus
When distractions come and Satan’s temptations assault, remember to cast your eyes upward again on Christ. Do not neglect to refocus on Christ. It’s one thing to notice a distraction and repent of it, but continue to persevere in the mortifying of this sin and the vivifying of holiness by refocusing yet again on Christ’s person and glory.
Remember to Meditate on the glory of Christ
Distractions cast our eyes off of Christ and on to something else. Our hearts falls from the gaze of Christ onto lesser things. The highest object of our affections and the greatest consideration of our hearts is nothing less than the person and glory of Jesus Christ. Set your heart upon the ravishing delights and steadfast glory of Christ. Consider his patience and enduring mercy toward you. Think of His satisfactions and pleasantness in all that He does. Cast your heart continually upon the highest object of the human heart, the surpassing sweetness and majestic glory of this awesome God.
Remember the intercessory work of Christ
Even when you find yourself distracted and your heart has been drawn away from Christ in worship, set it upon your heart that you have an intercessor in heaven in your behalf. When you are distracted below, He remains interceding above. When you have succumbed to distraction and temptations on earth, He remains prayerful, constant, full of love, and pleading His merit continually for you before God’s bar in heaven. O rejoice in this! Even when you sin, He remains your high priest!
Remember the patience of God
In times of sin and when you fall into patterns of distraction and discouragement, remember that you serve a God who is perfect in patience and lavish in love. Your God is one whose heart is full compassion and tenderness toward His creatures, especially His elect. So when you are distracted and are guilt laden in conscience, set it upon your heart that your God is patient toward you, not treating you as your sins deserve, but eager to forgive, ready to forgive, and able to aid you and strengthen you so you can persevere in diligent and focused worship.
Remember the nearness of undistracted worship in heaven
A day will soon come for every believer to worship God without distraction or hesitation or hindrance in eternal glory. Here you long to worship God without distraction. There in glory you will most assuredly worship God without distraction. This is a foretaste here of the fullness of worship of the one, true God in His majestic presence. Here we worship him truly but imperfectly whereas there in glory we shall worship him truly, perfectly, everlastingly, without hindrance.
Remember the efforts of our imperfect worship are sanctified in Christ
As the redeemed of Christ, bought by His precious blood and unbreakably united to Him in saving faith, remember that even your imperfect efforts in this life are still sanctified by the grace of God and are wholly acceptable before God. By virtue of your union with Christ by faith, your good works are sanctified so that God is well-pleased with your obedience, your fruits, your actions, and your worship — even though it remains imperfect in this life. Bless God that He receives you in His Son, the Beloved, and that he delights in the prayers of His saints and in the worship of His sons.
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