Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
If you’re new to the Daily Focus, read this first, & use as much or little as you’d like.

GET FOCUSED | Start by simply thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
+ Practice gratitude while singing/playing some worship music from Paradox on Spotify.
+ Spend a few moments meditating on today’s Old Testament Scripture: 1 Chronicles 8
+ From your reading, finish the sentence “God, you are ___.”
Take time to thank & worship God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in your life.

MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer involves both talking and listening to God.
+ Pray the Lord’s Prayer, or slow down to pray it using this Lord’s Prayer guide.
+ Use “Lectio Divina” to listen to God in this morning’s Psalm: Psalm 7:1-9
Reading 1 = Focus. What is one word or phrase that Holy Spirit puts on your heart?
Reading 2 = Feelings. Focus on that word or phrase while you read. What do you feel? What specific situation in your life today relates? Reflect and talk with God about it.
Reading 3 = Invitation. What is God’s personal invitation to you from the Scripture?
Take time to journal anything you feel the Lord might be saying to you.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Today’s New Testament reading is from Acts 10:44-11:10
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
Observe. Pay attention to what the text says. Ask who, what, when, where, & why.
Interpret. What’s the main point or meaning? What does it teach about God? Yourself?
Apply. Apply this truth to your own life. What can you put into practice today?

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
In today's reading in Acts, we continue to Peter's story of sharing the truth of the death, burial, & resurrection of Jesus with Gentiles and their eager acceptance and visible evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling in their lives. A few things stuck out to me today. Peter starts his explanation to the apostles in Jerusalem with the phrase, 'I was in Joppa praying.' Peter walked with the Lord daily and had an active relationship where he sought the face of God daily. And it was during one of these probably normal daily prayer times of just talking with Jesus that God spoke to him in a powerful way. And what God shared with him seemed contrary to his tradition and way of following Jesus as a Jew. Yet, Peter shows that his heart and will were submitted to Jesus. He was humble and teachable and even when what God said was culturally out of the box for Peter, He remembered the words that Jesus had spoken to them earlier and only through revelation of the Holy Spirit, immediately knew the truth that the Gospel was not just for the Jews but for the Gentiles as well. Peter didn't have all the books of the NT written out like we do to go and compare and even read Paul’s writings which say, 'there is no Jew nor Gentile but we are all one in Christ Jesus.' So I was challenged in these ways. Do I actively walk with the Lord and talk with Him as a friend so if there are things He has to speak to me, I have put myself in a position to hear from Him? I want to be teachable and humble, open for Him to correct or shift my ways of thinking or doing things so that I am in line with His thoughts, character, will and heart. I need a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who Jesus is and that only comes from the Holy Spirit. Praying Ephesians 1:17 for myself and our church family today, "I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ fully." - Jessica Glenn

EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by returning to prayer each evening.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy, joyful, anxious, or burdened?
Rejoice = Give thanks to God for the small and the significant things from the day.
Repent = Ask God for forgiveness where you need. Receive His forgiveness afresh.
Refocus = Ask to see God’s presence more clearly & walk w/ Him more closely tomorrow.
+ Practice hearing from God by asking questions like, “Father, what do you want me to know about you?” or “Father, what do you want to say about your love for me?” Simply be still and listen, or journal anything that comes to mind. Learn more about hearing from God using the Tending Your Heart guide.

SHARE THE FOCUS |
+ Pray a Ripple Prayer or use Nations Prayer to pray for the nations & those serving them.
+ Text someone an encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
+ Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.
+ Who can you share what you’re learning with today personally?

That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!