Incline Your Ear
What is your relationship with God’s Word like? If you are a typical Christian, it is extremely shallow. You spend very little time listening to it preached and no time meditating in it. And that is a big mistake, because the Word of God contains the power of God that produces salvation: deliverance from sin, sickness, poverty, and every curse.
Jesus underscored the importance of the Word when He spoke to His disciples and said: “If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will and it shall be given to you.” Notice that Jesus links the power of answered prayer to a relationship with both Him and His Word.
Here is an illustration to help you understand how hugely critical the Word is to you. Supposed you were extremely ill and decided to seek medical help. You went from doctor to doctor seeking a diagnosis and cure for months to no avail. Then someone recommended you see a particular doctor reputed to be the best in his field. You took the advice. He examined you, diagnosed your condition, and prescribed medication for you to take three times a day the rest of your life. He also required you to see him regularly.
You begin taking the medication and it works! It keeps you alive, as long as you take it daily, as prescribed. Now, tell me, what type of relationship would you have with your doctor? And what type would you have with your medicine? Undoubtedly, extremely close!
Because you know your life depends on being under the doctor’s care and taking your medication faithfully, you would follow his instructions diligently. You would see him as often as he required, would listen closely to his instruction, and would make taking your medicine three times daily a major priority. You would keep your medication near you all the time. The first thing you would do upon waking would be to take your medicine and you would never travel without making sure you had it with you. If you noticed you were without it, you would turn around. And as soon as you noticed your supply was running low, your priority would be to see the doctor for a fresh supply.
Now, this is an apt description of what our relationship with Jesus and the Word of God should be like. Our well-being depends on both. Like the doctor, Jesus is our Great Physician. He is the only one who can make us whole. But like the medication, His Words are spirit and life to us (John 6:63). They are the means by which we receive the benefits of His finished work. And our well-being depends on us hearing and feeding His Words into our hearts consistently.
Listen to the advice of a wise man:
“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:20-23 NKJV)
Child of God, now that you have received Jesus as your personal Savior, you can rest assured that He is always willing to attend to you and minister to you. But remember He can only do so if you cultivate a strong relationship with His Word. So decide to let His Words dwell in you richly. Make it a priority to hear His Words continually and meditate on them diligently. The more you allow His words to dwell in you, the more His Spirit and His Life will fill you. And the more you will experience the benefits of your salvation!
A Moment of Grace 
thanks Bishop!This message has the power to really make one to be focused on Jesus and remain attached.God bless you! Emmanuel &Sarah
Great illustration Bishop and I thank God for you always, may we as believers totally and continually rely on the Holy Spirit who is closest to us at all times as a strong reminding force who helps keep the word of God alive in us even as he empower us to meditate on it daily.