John Shirk

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

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Second Corinthians 1, verses 3 and 4.

From the New Living Translation of the Bible-“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

In moments of stress and anxiety, we can turn to God for the comfort that we need. Jesus is not distant from our distress. He knows by experience what it is like to have pain and to suffer.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us that God keeps in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in the LORD.

And Philippians 4:7 tells us that the peace of God guards our hearts and minds as we find our joy in the Lord, pray to God in every situation, and thank God for His blessings.

Knowing God as our source of comfort is a reason to praise Him in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

Jesus told a parable in Luke 18 to show His disciples that they should always pray and not give up.

There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God or cared what people thought. A widow from that town kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

For some time, he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’

Jesus calls us to consider that if an unjust judge will grant justice for a persistent widow, then surely God will bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night. He will see that they get justice, and quickly.

Persistent Prayer is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Focus, we take a look at a prayer request seeking restoration for God’s glory.

It’s found in Psalm 106, verse 47.

“Save us, LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.”

There is something meaningful about coming together to praise the Lord. That is when fellowship and worship merge in a way that honors the Lord. There were times in Israel’s history where the people were scattered in foreign lands. They lost that connection with each other. This was a sincere prayer for God’s mercy to bring His people together again, so that joy would be restored.

Where there is discord, dissension, and disunity, we can pray for God’s mercy to restore fellowship and worship among God’s people.

Seeking restoration for God’s glory is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Psalm 103, verse 8.

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

This description of God highlights His eagerness to bless us and not to destroy us. In God’s justice system, the wages of sin is death, but that is not where the sentence ends. Romans 6:23 adds that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The presence of Jesus brings to light the compassion of God for people who confess our need for Jesus to save us from sin.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

The graciousness and compassion of the LORD are reasons to praise Him in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Focus, we take a look at a prayer for joy and peace.

It was the heartfelt desire of the Apostle Paul for the church to grow and stand firm in the faith.

He wrote in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Faith in Jesus invites the joy of the Lord and peace with God. Paul desired for these qualities to flourish in the church. As they did, God’s people would enjoy sweet fellowship with God and have a thriving influence for the Gospel. This is how we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ today-for joy and peace to reign in our hearts, so that the Spirit of God may stir the people of God to overflow with the hope of good news.

A Prayer for Joy and Peace is worth examining for a faith-focused life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from Joshua 21:45.

Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

God is a promise keeper. In His love for us, He provided the gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In His mighty strength, He fulfilled in Jesus what had been foretold through the prophets. God has the power to complete His redemptive plans. Throughout the Bible and throughout history, God has worked through miracles to prove His faithfulness. He tore down the walls of Jericho in Joshua’s day. He broke the barriers of sin at the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The faithfulness of God to His promises is a reason to praise Him in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com