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 27
+ 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 18:7-15
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 17:4-15
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…
The French government once had a rat infestation problem in one of their colonized cities: Hanoi, Vietnam. Their solution was to offer a bounty on the rats, paying citizens who brought in a rat’s tail. Their plan backfired as instead of killing the rats, some citizens were breeding them and then just chopping off their tails for the money. The point is, sometimes plans to control a problem can backfire and make the problem worse.
Similarly, the Jewish leaders in the early 30’s AD had a problem. The gospel of Jesus was spreading as apostles like Paul and Silas were traveling from city to city, boldly proclaiming Christ’s resurrection with signs and wonders. In today’s reading, we see an attempt to stop this spread by involving the Roman authorities backfire. Paul and Silas escape and move further away, which spreads the good news even further and “many of them believed”. And when AGAIN the authorities threaten them, God opens a door for them to take the gospel to Athens, one of the major metropolises of the world in those days. What Satan intended for evil, God used for good. We can rest easy knowing that God has a counter move for every scheme of the evil one. We can stay strong and not lose heart if our attempts to help others and share God’s love appear to hit a roadblock. God saw it coming in advance, and he already has a detour planned that will take you exactly where he needs you to be. - Mike Nank
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!
