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 as little of this guide as you’d like.

GET FOCUSED | Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He does.
+ Practice gratitude while playing or sing some worship music, or use a playlist from Paradox on Spotify.
+ Spend a few moments in silence, meditating on today’s Old Testament scripture: 2 Samuel 7

+ From your reading, finish the sentence “God, you are ___.” Take time to Thank God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in the past, Worship Him for it, and Intercede (pray for) that truth for yourself and others.

MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
+ Pray the prayer Jesus taught his followers: the Lord’s Prayer, or pray it using this Lord’s Prayer guide.
+ Use the PRAY acronym to guide your prayer through this morning’s Psalm:  Psalm 119:17-24.

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.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Pray a simple prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Today’s New Testament reading is from John 7:25–44
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? (see Focus on Others)

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
I’m not a pet person. I don’t hate animals, I just don’t want to live with them. My daughter, Trinity, has a dog named Davy Jones that lives with us. Davy and I get along fine. He knows I am the alpha, but I also play with him and occasionally take him on walks. Not because I love him, but because it is the right thing to do to care for him well. Safe to say Davy respects me and is glad for my care, but he is understandably never excited to see me. I come in the door and he doesn’t stir from whatever couch he’s plopped on.
But when Trinity comes home, it’s a different story, especially if she has been away for a few days. He hears her car outside and he goes bananas. He meets her at the door just bursting with energy and won’t stop licking her face. (gross)
So why does Davy react so differently to the two of us?
I’m just a guy who treats him like a dog. Trinity is Davy’s savior. She literally rescued him from the pound. She provides his food and care for him when he’s not well. She speaks life to him and treats him like her child, not just a dog.
In today’s reading, Jesus is teaching and ministering to crowds during a busy Jewish festival. We see very different reactions from the people in the crowd. To some people, he is just a guy, and there’s no shortage of reasons why he couldn’t possibly be special. But for others, they heard his words breathing life into them. They felt the love coming from him and they recognized him as their savior.
What do you feel when you read the words of Jesus? If you feel alive inside that is the Holy Spirit, flowing through you like , as Jesus said, streams of living water. Be excited, and lick Jesus’ face…metaphorically.
Maybe you start to feel something, but then doubt creeps in. Questions start to pop into your head. “Can this be true?” “Can this really be for me?” If this is happening I would invite you to stop overthinking it and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Know that you are loved and God wants to connect with you. Don’t talk yourself out of hearing from God. - Mike Nank

EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by praying an Examen & Tending Your Heart each evening.
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.
Refocus = 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.
+ 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.

FOCUS ON OTHERS |
+ Pray through a Ripple Prayer or use Nations Prayer to pray for the nations and those serving them.
+ Text someone a prayer/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.

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