Pay Attention to Get Attention
Rev. Enoch Thompson | February 2 2025 | Acts 3:1-5
KEY VERSE: “⁴ Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Acts 3:4-5 (NIV)
MESSAGE: There are many people who seek to receive benefits from others, and even from God, without investing interest in the other person or God, as the case may be. In our desire to relate with people and with God Himself, it is necessary that we learn to give attention so that we can receive attention back.
Our text today displays the dynamic of the thought above in a striking way. The lame beggar saw Peter and John (verse 3), and by that casual seeing, he counted them as some of the many people he saw every day as he laid at his post of begging at the Gate Beautiful. He, therefore, made a casual usual request for money. It is at this point that the lesson emerges; ‘Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. (Acts 3:4-5). The text is particular to indicate that Peter looked at the man, and John also looked at the man. They were giving attention to a human being created in the image of God, and yet badly affected by the fallen state of humanity that he would be a beggarly lame man. They were carrying in their bosom the memory of the healing restorative ministry of their crucified resurrected Jesus and believed they had something to offer this man. But to give what they had, they requested of the beggar, "Look at us!"
We must connect with others if we are to benefit from our relationship with them. We must connect to God and His agents (not worship them) if we are to be blessed by God. The lesson is similar to what we read in Num 21:8-9 (NIV): ‘8 The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.’
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Are you connecting properly with people and with God, or are you being distanced, detached and unduly demanding of others and insisting on benefits that you desire from them?
PRAYER:
Lord, you demand that we look to Christ on the cross so that we can live. Please help me to truly believe, look and live. Please help me pay attention to people so I may also receive due attention. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 33: Genesis 45 — Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
DAILY word study: ATTENTION
The Greek word for "attention" in Acts 3:5 is prosechō (προσέχω), which means to give heed, focus on, or be devoted to something or someone. Prosechō conveys an intentional, undivided concentration, often used in Scripture to emphasize the importance of vigilance in faith and relationships.
The lame man initially sought material help, but Peter and John directed his focus toward something far greater—spiritual and physical healing. In biblical usage, "prosechō" often appears in contexts where a person must shift their focus to receive divine instruction or warning (Hebrews 2:1, 1 Timothy 4:16). True transformation begins when we fully direct our attention to what God is doing and through us.
Reflection:
Are you truly paying attention to God’s movement in your life, or are you distracted by superficial desires? What areas of your life need a shift from casual observation to intentional focus?
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