JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Focus, we take a look at the value of yearning for God every day.

Martin Luther once said, “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”

When we delight in God, we yearn for His presence. Prayer in the morning prepares us for the challenges of a given day. God gives us a spiritual focus for our activities. He enables us to resist the temptations of the devil and live in the victory of Christ.

Isaiah 26:8 and 9 says, “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.”

The value of yearning for God every day is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Psalm 23, verse 2.

With the Lord as my Shepherd, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.”

We don’t grasp how long the night can be until we have a sleepless night. We toss and turn, trying to find the right position for sleeping.  We have trouble turning off the thoughts that disturb our mind. We crave rest and refreshment.

That is what God’s grace offers us. While there is no guarantee for uninterrupted sleep, we can experience the peace of God with our focus on Jesus. With our eyes fixed on Him, we have the assurance of His forgiveness and calm abiding Presence. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The rest and refreshment provided by the Good Shepherd are reasons to praise God in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Focus, we take a look at the value of undistracted, dedicated prayer.

Away from the noise of the crowd, our cell phones, and our agenda items for the day, we can find refreshment and spiritual growth by spending time alone with God each day.

Daniel was known for his integrity. He prayed three times a day, giving thanks to God.

Samuel was known as a trustworthy leader. He said to the Israelites, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.”

The prophet Elijah prayed after a long drought in his day. The heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.  The overflow of a dedicated prayer life is good fruit that brings glory to God.

The value of undistracted, dedicated prayer is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Psalm 23, verse 1.

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

David wrote this Psalm. Max Lucado says that David remembered his days as a shepherd-how he watched over them and lavished attention on the sheep day and night. “And the way he cared for the sheep reminded him of the way God cares for us.”

David celebrated his relationship with God, knowing Him as the Shepherd whose grace is sufficient for our needs. When Jesus stepped into the world, He announced, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” He also said, “I know the sheep, and my sheep know me.”

As we follow Jesus, we will experience the joy of God’s love and live with godly contentment.

Knowing Jesus as our Good Shepherd is a reason to praise God in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Focus, we take a look at the prayer of Jabez seeking God’s blessing.

It is recorded for us in First Chronicles 4:10-“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be freed from pain.” And God granted his request.

Asking for God’s blessing is noble when we our hearts are yielded to His purposes. The Bible describes Jabez as “more honorable than his brothers.”  With a faithful and a humble heart devoted to the Lord, we have the opportunity to approach the throne of grace with our requests.

A prayer similar to that of Jabez is found in Psalm 67, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us-so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”

The prayer of Jabez seeking God’s blessing is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

John@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Romans 8, verses 1 and 2.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Our sinful nature has us on the path that leads to death and separation from God until we come under new management. Romans 8:6 tells us that the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

As we follow Jesus with a heart of faith, He will free us from the fear of slavery to sin and death. Instead, we will be redirected to a life of love and hope and peace with God. Our soul will be secure in the hands of His grace, and we will live with the joy that our sins against God will not be counted against us on judgment day.

Freedom in Christ is a reason to praise God in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Focus, we take a look at Paul’s Prayer for the Church to know the will of God.

In Colossians 1:9, the Apostle Paul wrote, “we continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.”

Paul was constantly interceding for this church to know God’s will.

One reason was so that they might live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.

Another reason was so that they might bear good fruit in every good work.

And a third reason was so that they might be strengthened with all power to have great endurance and patience.

Knowing God’s will is the first step to doing God’s will that makes a  difference in people’s lives for the Gospel.

Paul’s Prayer for the Church to know the will of God is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Ezra 3:11.

It was time for the Israelites to rebuild the temple.

“With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD, ‘He is good, his love toward Israel endures forever.’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.”

God is the rebuilder of broken walls. He is able to take lives broken by sin and restore them by His forgiveness and grace. The words of truth taught by Jesus form a firm foundation for our lives. His love has the power to heal our brokenness and lift us to a place of renewed hope. This moment in Israel’s history is a powerful example of God’s power to restore and rebuild what was broken by sin.

Knowing Jesus as our Firm Foundation is a reason to praise God in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Romans 1:16.

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes; first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”

The Gospel is good news for the people in the world. It’s worth sharing with others with boldness and humility. We are loved by the God who created us. Even though we have broken His laws and grieved His heart, He has sent Jesus into the world so that we might be made right with God. His grace has the power to restore what sin has taken away.

Romans 1:17 says, “In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed-a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘the righteous will live by faith.’”

The Gospel is a reason to praise God in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Focus, we take a look at prayer through the Proverbs.

The book of Proverbs contains wisdom phrases that give us guidance for living a devoted life to the Lord. A meaningful exercise in our study of Proverbs is to respond to those wisdom phrases with a prayer to God.

Here are two examples. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” We can respond with a prayer like this: “Lord, thank you for your many blessings. Help me to honor You with all I possess and be faithful with the resources you entrust to me.”

A second example is Proverbs 4:23-“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We can respond with a prayer like this: “Lord, I love you with all my heart. Protect my heart from all corruption. I want my thoughts and desires to be pure in Your sight.”

We can anticipate a life journey of growing in wisdom when we read the Proverbs with prayerful responses.

Prayer through the Proverbs is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com