John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – 2026 is the Year of Focus at WJTL. Be listening for devotionals focused on Jesus, along with insights for growing in our relationship with Him in prayer and praise.

Today’s Praise Focus comes from Psalm 40, verses 1 and 2.

“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Whenever we see answers to prayer, that is a reason to praise God. Wherever we see Him lifting us out of our desperate circumstances to a place of stability, that is a reason to praise God.

This Psalm reflects the experience of salvation for anyone who calls on the name of Jesus. He lifts us out of the mud and mire of our sin, and puts us on the firm foundation of His grace and truth. His unfailing love rescues us and cleanses us from sin.

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

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – 2026 is the Year of Focus at WJTL. Be listening for devotionals focused on Jesus, along with insights for growing in our relationship with Him in prayer and praise.

In our Prayer Focus today, we take a look at the prayer taught by Jesus in Matthew 6:11.

Give us today our daily bread.

This is a prayer for God to provide what we really need. Our greatest need is Jesus, who identified Himself as the Bread of Life. His grace is sufficient and endures forever.

This prayer is also expressed in the Old Testament, in Proverbs 30, verse 8. “Give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or I may become poor and steal, and so, dishonor the name of my God.” Seeking God’s provision for what we need trains us to depend on Him every day.

The Prayer taught by Jesus, requesting our daily bread, is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – 2026 is the Year of Focus at WJTL. Be listening for devotionals focused on Jesus, along with insights for growing in our relationship with Him in prayer and praise.

In our Prayer Focus for today, we take a look at the prayer taught by Jesus in Matthew 6:10.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

This is a prayer that welcomes God’s rule and reign over the earth. It can refer to the longing of the heart for Jesus to return in the future. It can also refer to the spreading influence of the Gospel in the present age. This can also be a prayer that we make personal.

“God, have Your way in my life. Be enthroned on my heart to reign as my King as you are honored in Heaven.”

The prayer taught by Jesus, for His Kingdom to come, is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – 2026 is the Year of Focus at WJTL. Be listening for devotionals focused on Jesus, along with insights for growing in our relationship with Him in prayer and praise.

Today’s Praise Focus comes from First Peter 2:9 and 10.

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

This is what happens when we are receptive to the love of God. His forgiveness frees us from the guilt of sin. He gives us a place in His forever family. He gives us a place of ministry to serve Him in productive ways. He brings us out of spiritual darkness into the light of His mercy.

God’s Mercy is a reason to praise God in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – 2026 is the Year of Focus at WJTL. Be listening for devotionals focused on Jesus, along with insights for growing in our relationship with Him in prayer and praise.

In our Prayer focus for today, we take a look at the prayer taught by Jesus in Matthew 6:9.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

That word “Hallowed” means “Set apart as holy and worthy of reverence.” This is an accurate view of God that gives us clarity of His unblemished purity whenever we enter His throne of grace. He is completely untainted by sin. At the same time, He is compassionate toward humans like us who have the sinful nature. And so, we enter His presence with the awareness that He is a great God, and a compassionate God, which enables us to approach Him with humility and confidence.

The Prayer taught by Jesus, acknowledging the holiness of God, is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – 2026 is the Year of Focus at WJTL. Be listening for devotionals focused on Jesus, along with insights for growing in our relationship with Him in prayer and praise.

Today’s Praise Focus comes from Deuteronomy 32:3 and 4.

“I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

In all His ways, God is right in what He does. Just as He led the Israelites to the Promised Land by His faithful hand, we can trust Him to lead our way by His guiding light. Through His counsel, through His discipline, and through His love, He builds the lives of His followers on a firm foundation and moves us forward as witnesses for the Gospel. We might not understand all His ways, but in the light of His wisdom, God knows what He is doing. We can count on Him to be faithful to His people.

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

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of God’s Word, this is what the Lord says in Deuteronomy 18:18.

Moses told the Israelites what the LORD said to him, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.”

This prophecy referring to Jesus was confirmed by Peter in Acts 3:22. Jesus was in perfect submission to the Father’s plan, and spoke the words that His Heavenly Father directed Him to speak. Jesus upheld righteousness with His words. He came to bless us by turning each of us from our wicked ways, and so, we are wise to heed His voice.

Jesus also upheld graciousness with His words. He invites us to come to Him and learn from Him. In His grace, we find rest for our souls.

Deuteronomy 18:18-that’s today’s God Quote for us to embrace for Life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word from God’s Word is Worship.

True worship is focused on the glory of God. We exalt Him for His attributes and praise Him from our heart. Worship brings us to our knees to acknowledge the worthiness of Jesus to be Lord of our lives.

This is what the Magi did when they came to visit Jesus. Matthew 2:11 records that on coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.

That was the focus of their heart when they set out to find Jesus. One of the faith lessons we learn from the Magi is that we will seek the Lord and find Him when we seek Him with all our heart.

Discover how the word “Worship” can have an impact on your life in the Year of God’s Word.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of God’s Word, this is what the Lord says in Hosea 11:1b.

“Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Originally in Hosea, this was a reference to Israel, which was called out of Egypt in the time of Moses. In the New Testament, this verse also applies to Jesus and is noted in Matthew 2:15.

He lived in Egypt for a period of time until the time of King Herod when it was safe to return to Israel.

God’s purpose for the Israelites to come out of Egypt was to set them free from slavery so that they could worship Him in the desert. God’s purpose for His Son to come out of Egypt was to set His people free from slavery to sin, and worship Him forever. In Jesus, our redemption is complete.

Hosea 11:1b-that’s today’s God Quote for us to embrace for Life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word from God’s Word is Myrrh.

This was one of the gifts that the Magi gave to Jesus when they came in a spirit of worship. Matthew 2:11 says that they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Myrrh was a spice used for embalming. It was one of the ingredients used to prepare bodies for burial.

Nicodemus brought myrrh after Jesus was crucified and used it when he wrapped the body of Jesus in strips of linen. The gift of Myrrh was a foreshadow of the suffering that Jesus would endure for our sins.

His death was for our healing. First Peter 2:24 says about Jesus, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By His wounds, you have been healed.”

Discover how the meaning of the word “Myrrh” can have an impact on your life in the Year of God’s Word.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com