Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
Play or sing some worship music you love, or use a playlist from Paradox on Spotify.
If you’re new to the Daily Focus, read this first.
WEEKLY 40 FOR 40 FOCUS | Demonstrating Love (Malachi 4:4-6, Psalm 103:17-18)
Over the 40 Days of Lent, add 40 minutes of prayer to your week - either 1x/week or 7 minutes/day.
This week, pray that hearts would be restored to the Father, families would be healed, and generations would be united in love. We’re praying God would allow us to be part of 40+ Baptisms at Paradox in 2024.
Ask, Who am I praying for healing/reconciliation with? Who am I praying would start or restart a relationship with their Father God in 2024?
DAILY PRAYER FOCUS | Use the PRAY acronym each morning.
P = Pause. As you start your time of prayer, begin by pausing and being still before the Lord.
R = Read. Read the Scripture Focus slowly and focus on words/phrases the Holy Spirit highlights as you read.
A = Ask. Ask God to come and speak to you. Open up your heart to Him as your heavenly Father.
Y = Yield. We want to yield our lives to the words we have prayed and commit to follow Jesus’s way.
Begin your prayer with “Father, I remember your faithfulness to…” and respond with, “Give me faith to…”
SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Today’s reading is from Deuteronomy 5
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
S = Say. What is the main point? What does it teach about God (Jesus) & yourself?
O = Obey. What can you apply (practice) from this passage today?
S = Share. Who can you share what you’re learning with today?
A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
This chapter is not just about rules to keep, but it is about a loving obedient relationship between God and His people. The Ten Commandments are not merely drudgery obligations but guiding principles for a flourishing community. As we endeavor to live by these eternal truths, we are mindful that a heart committed to God’s ways is the true path to prosperity and blessings. These commandments deal with our personal, ethical, and moral relationships with God (commandments 1 through 4) and with our neighbors (commandments 5 through 10). Any infraction of these commandments is considered violation of our relationships with God and our neighbors; when this happens we must apply the remedy of repentance. There are a total of 613 commandments and the ten commandments are only the first 10; but the greatest and most important commandment of ALL is; “Hear/Listen, O Israel (people of God)! The Lord our God is the One and only Lord, And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mk 12: 29-31 NLT). Love God and love others, let these principles rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions. When you are not clear about what to do, ask yourself what course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.
The book of Deuteronomy is considered to be a book of remembrance or remembering. The term remember is used 15 times in Deuteronomy, it is used 352 times in the Scriptures. When its variants are counted, that number grows to more than 550. The root of remembering is to keep in mind or to be mindful. The Lord constantly reminded His people to keep His Word and walk in His ways for humanity has the propensity for forgetfulness. This chapter emphasizes the importance of obedience to the Lord and the rewards that come along with it and then teaching these life changing principles to multi-generational people. Let us always remember to never forget the Lord our God. - Lawrence Payton
REMEMBERING PRACTICE | (Optional) Practice remembering with a Daily Examen each evening.
The Examen prayer was made popular by Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – 1556). It has helped Christians for centuries to re-center themselves on Jesus as they come to the end of long days. We are using a variation creat-ed by Pete Greig from his book, How to Pray, to help us remember Jesus at the close of our days.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy or joyful? What made you 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.
Reboot = Commit to walk with Jesus tomorrow. Ask for grace to see His presence more clearly.
*For help or an audio prayer version, use the Lectio 365 app.
SHARE THE FOCUS | 1-5 Minutes
1. Text someone a prayer/encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
2. Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.
That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!
