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.

GET FOCUSED | Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He does. (Psalm 100:4)
Spend a few moments in silence, meditating on scripture, or writing/saying 3-5 things you’re thankful for.
Play or sing some worship music you love, or use a playlist from Paradox on Spotify.

MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
Choose one of the Names of God using this guide. Take time to Thank God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in the past, Worship Him for it today, and Intercede (pray for) that truth for yourself and others.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Today’s reading is from 1 Corinthians 14:1-25
Pray a simple prayer before reading, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. (John 14:26)
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…
The 14 chapter of 1 Corinthians concerns two interesting topics for many Christians, the topics of the gifts of speaking in tongues and of prophecy. Being raised by a Pentecostal family, the act of speaking in tongues was a common occurrence. It truly used to scare the heck out of me as a child. I was raised to believe that you are not truly saved if you have never spoken in tongues. Apparently this was a topic that the people of the church in Corinth were also concerned about, enough for Paul to address the differences between the two spiritual gifts. I wish as a child, I had read Paul’s response to this topic, I would have felt more adequate and known that by accepting Jesus fully, that I was truly saved. So let's dig into what Paul has to say.

Right off the bat, Paul states that “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.” (1 Corinthians 14: 1-3) For you see the gifts of the Spirit are truly about the bottom line: love. As Paul states, that when we speak in tongues, we are speaking in the Spirit directly to God. For unless there is an interpreter, people will have no idea what you are saying. Prophecy on the other hand is meant to be given to others, to encourage, uplift, comfort - because the prophecy is from God through the Spirit. When we hear the word “prophecy,” we tend to think of it as foretelling the future. Yes this can happen, but most times it is a word from the Lord to help others know Him.

If you have not joined Training Camp, I sincerely recommend you join the next time it is offered. In Training Camp, I was part of a group that deepened and strengthened our relationships with each other, but we grew much closer to the Father. One of the things we learned how to do was listen to the Spirit. This is what prophecy is about, listening to what the Lord has to say, through the Spirit. We would go out and pray that the Lord would show us someone who needed a word, and then ask that God would give us the words to say. Guess what?!!!! He did!!!!! I can testify about the moving emotional encounters with people that the Spirit pointed out and gave me simple words to say. These people were extremely grateful and we had the opportunity to pray with them over their situations. To this day I still ask for the Lord to show me who needs His Word today and to please give me the words to say. Remember Jesus told us to LOVE one another, just as He LOVED us. Open up your heart, and listen for the Spirit to guide you in the way He needs you to go and to share His words with His people, and that it will be done in LOVE. Trust me, you will know. - Dawn Custer

EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by praying a Daily Examen 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.

SHARE THE FOCUS |
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!