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 28:9-29:19
+ 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 27:1-6
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 24:4-16
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…
I am loving these compilations of being in the Old Testament and the New Testament to see the consistent message of the Bible from the LORD. I am also a history buff and reading about the history of the people of God is always exciting to me.
The verse that grabbed my attention was verses 9-10 of 2 Chronicles 28: “But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, ‘Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. Have you not sins of your own against the LORD your God?’” (emphasis mine)
In other words, whoa whoa whoa! Back up and hear me! I gave you favor in this battle because of the sins of Judah. DO NOT presume that I don’t see and know of your sin; the same fate could come to you and yours! We serve a God who sees and a God who hears. God saw the sins of Judah and their dismissal of his warnings, and they were punished. But He also heard their cries from the battlefield and the march of the slaves back to Israel. He is a good and just God.
Jump forward to Paul standing before Felix and his accusers and former colleagues of the religious and legal orders. Paul is a brilliant man, trained under some brilliant and renowned men. He knows his Bible. He has memorized the passages we read from the Old Testament today. With all this notoriety and authority, Paul doesn’t appeal to man but relies on God. He knows he is following the directions of the Spirit and works very hard to have a clear conscience before God and man. Paul knows the scripture we read in Psalms. When adversaries come up against him, he appeals to the God who sees and hears. He is not afraid because the LORD is his stronghold. He doesn’t long for justice but to dwell in the house of the LORD. You may think I am making some bold suppositions, but Paul himself penned the words of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 5:8: “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.”
Friends, join me in a prayer that in our times of trouble and even enduring injustices, we turn to the Most High God and remember He sees and hears each of us. We have not forgotten that He is our stronghold to seek shelter. Even if we are not rescued in our time or at all this side of Heaven, He is a good and just God. Don’t forget the message of Revelation, Jesus is the King of kings, ruler over all, and He wins the final battle! - Renee Richter
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!
