A Few Ways God Gets Our Attention

5 of the ways God uses...

A Restless Spirit

Esther 6:1 NKJV

1 That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.

A simple way for God to get our attention is to give us a restless spirit.

Listening to a word from others

2 Samuel 12:1 NKJV

1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.

Through Blessings

Romans 2:4 NKJV

4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Through unanswered prayer

When God doesn’t answer a specific prayer, this is a pretty good time to do some self-reflection.

Maybe we ask out of the wrong reasons.

James 4:3 NKJV

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Maybe we are disobedient.

1 John 3:22 NKJV

22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

1 John 5:14 NKJV

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Or maybe we are out of the will of God.

1 John 5:14 NKJV

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Within the vein of unanswered prayer, God uses:

Disappointment

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Numbers 14:40 NKJV

40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned!”

Numbers 14:42 NKJV

42 Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you.

Unusual Circumstances

Story of Moses killing an Egyptian then wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

God then get his attention.

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Exodus 3:1 NKJV

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Exodus 3:2 NKJV

2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

Sometimes God uses:

Failure

Joshua 7:5 NKJV

5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

Financial Collapse

Judges

Judges 6:1–6 NKJV

1 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, 2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. 3 So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. 6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

Tragedy

Numbers 21:4–7 NKJV

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

Sickness and Affliction

Check out what happened to King Hezekiah:

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2 Chronicles 32:22 NKJV

22 Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.

2 Chronicles 32:23 NKJV

23 And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

Now let’s read the rest of the story:

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2 Chronicles 32:24 NKJV

24 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign.

2 Chronicles 32:25 NKJV

25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.

This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive, just a sample of what God can and does use to get our attention.

What are a few more we can list? Can you think of a Bible reference or story to back it up?