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.

WORSHIP FOCUS | 5-15 Minutes
Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He does. (Psalm 100:4)
1. Start out by writing or saying out loud 3-5 things you’re thankful for.
2. Play or sing some worship music you love, or use a playlist from Paradox on Spotify.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS | 5-15 Minutes
Pray a simple prayer before reading, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. (John 14:26)
Today’s reading is from Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:5-13 & Matthew 13:44-46
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…
On Earth as it is in Heaven…Wow. To imagine the reality of what it would be like if earth was like heaven, especially in today’s world. I immediately feel hope, wonder, peace, and JOY. I know every single one of us longs for all of those feelings or realities. It seems far off when we only look at what our naked eye can see. But what if those attributes of heaven were possible to be experienced right now, right here. I know each of us at some point in our life have experienced joy, peace, hope, majesty, wonder, the list goes on. And that’s because when Jesus was born God gave us him to bring redemption and restoration once and for all. Jesus can and does make all things new. But how do we practically experience pieces of that? Matthew 6:9-13 teaches us how to ask for that and how to experience it. We honor God as our set apart King, we ask for his kingdom to come here to earth, for HIS will to be done just as it is in heaven, to give us all that we need to sustain us for today, to forgive us, but then our part of action comes…”as we forgive those who have sinned against us”. I’m gonna stop here for a second because most of this prayer in Matthew is asking God to do what only he can do but it’s by no mistake that we also play a part in bringing restoration to our earthly circumstances. When we forgive someone who has wrongfully hurt us we experience heaven. We experience peace, hope, joy, faith, etc. we experience things being made new. And lastly we ask to be protected from the evil one and not to be lead into temptation. Practice this prayer today. Practice repentance and forgiving someone who has hurt you. I bet you’ll begin to experience heaven here on earth in those moments. - Cecelia Thapa

PRAYER FOCUS | 5-15 Minutes
Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
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 | 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!