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On many occasions I have read the scripture verses in Matthew 14 that record the account of Peter walking on water. Each time I read the account, I focused on Matthew 14:28-29, which are the verses where Peter asked Jesus to command him to come to Him walking on water and where Peter did just that. Each time I read these two scriptures, I marveled that Peter not only got out of the boat, but that he actually walked on water. One morning, I realized that every time I sat marveling over Peter’s public display of faith, I had missed something important. That is, I missed what Jesus did.

Matthew 14:23 says: And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there (NKJV).

In the above scripture, when Jesus sent the multitudes away, this was the equivalent of Him removing distractions. Distractions are those things that pull us away or prevent us from giving our full attention to something. If the multitudes remained, Jesus would not have been able to go up to the mountain to pray and be alone with God.

As believers, Jesus is the one who we should look to for how to live this life. Jesus is our ultimate role model. If Jesus cleared away what would prevent Him from being alone with God, then we should do the same. Our love for, and knowledge of, God grows in our private times of prayer, scripture reading, and sitting quietly in God’s presence. Our faith also grows. Think of it this way. Our faith is groomed and deepened in our private interactions with God, and then demonstrated publicly as we move in faith as God commands. We need God to move in faith. Consider the following scriptures:

John 15:5 says: I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (NKJV).

Acts 17:28 says: ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring (NIV).

The above verses are just two of many scriptures that show that God is our everything. And as a result, our hearts should yearn to spend time alone with God. And our hearts should feel deep sorrow when we are prevented from spending time alone with God.

So, let’s reflect on our own experiences.

When you are spending time with God, if your attention is divided because you are reading text messages, scrolling on social media, peering at the television, or pondering the sinful desires of your heart, be careful. Anything that pulls us away or prevents us from giving God our full attention robs us of the opportunity to commune with God. It destroys our ability to know God more. To be refreshed by God. To be filled by God. To be empowered by God. To climb to higher dimensions of faith in God.

Distractions are dangerous to the believer’s relationship with God. They are dangerous to our walk of faith. We must be on guard, less we fall into the trap of distractions each and every time. As a reminder, 1 Peter 5:8 says: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (NIV).

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Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King’s James Version (KJV) – all public domain.