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: 2 Chronicles 31
+ 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 28
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 25:1-15
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…
Do real men cry? That's the question I want everyone to think about today as we read the Psalm 28 passage.

It is often taught in society that real men don't cry, that we are logical and not emotional. And yet, when you look at David - who no one would argue was anything short of a king, a warrior, the full embodiment of masculinity - his prayer is full of weeping and begging for mercy. He is crying to God with what I could only assume would be tears, asking that he would be spared from his righteous judgment. He pleads with God from his anguish, and that can be felt all throughout the psalm. Here's a quick summary of verses 1 through 9:

David earnestly seeks God's mercy, pleading for protection from the consequences destined for those who practice lawlessness. In his heartfelt prayer and crying, he embraces a profound confidence in God's safeguarding and deliverance. In verse 7, David praises God for His faithful responses, and celebrates the answered prayers even before they come to fruition. David draws a compelling contrast between the fates of the righteous and the wicked, boldly asking God to judge the wicked in accordance with their deeds. Finally, in verses 8 and 9, He firmly believes that God will rightfully recompense the wicked for their wrongdoing.

Although this song is written through his tears, nothing about it is weak. If we're not careful, we can feel that crying out to God is desperation or a lack of faith. When we do, we make God out to be cold and unsympathetic. But the Bible says God cares for us, and we can cast our cares before him. The Bible says in Psalm 56 that God takes our tears and He bottles them up. We have a High Priest that we can come to in our most desperate of times. We can boldly come before the throne of grace. God is big enough. He is strong enough to take on our dilemmas and our problems. It doesn't mean you are weak or faithless, it means you are wise to go to the source from where all help comes from - the Lord. - Jewaun 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!