{"id":5757,"date":"2025-03-25T05:56:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T10:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/?p=5757"},"modified":"2025-03-25T05:56:01","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T10:56:01","slug":"focus-on-what-really-matters-ancy-thomas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/2025\/03\/25\/focus-on-what-really-matters-ancy-thomas\/","title":{"rendered":"Focus on what really matters (Ancy Thomas)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philippians 1:9-10<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lent is a season of spiritual growth, a time to refocus on what truly\u00a0 matters. Paul\u2019s prayer in Philippians reminds us that love and\u00a0 understanding go hand in hand. As we grow in Christ, our love\u00a0 should deepen\u2212 not just in emotion, but in wisdom and\u00a0 discernment. When our hearts are filled with love, and our minds\u00a0 are anchored in wisdom, our actions will reflect purity and integrity.\u00a0 Cultivating an overflowing love in our daily life requires\u00a0 intentionality and practice. In addition to dedicating time to prayer\u00a0 and studying scripture, let\u2019s emphasize the importance of practicing\u00a0 gratitude for the love we receive from God and those around us. We\u00a0 <\/span>should strive to be mindful of our words, offering encouragement,\u00a0 <\/span>kindness, and love to everyone we meet. In an age where\u00a0 technology often distracts us, being fully present is one of the\u00a0 greatest gifts we can give to others. Let\u2019s encourage our children by\u00a0 setting an example ourselves to set aside our devices, listen\u00a0 attentively, and connect meaningfully with others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

True spiritual maturity is not just about gaining knowledge but\u00a0 applying it in love, living in a way that reflects Christ\u2019s grace. During\u00a0 this Lent season, let us seek to overflow with love\u2212 not just in\u00a0 words, but in action. Let us ask God for the wisdom to discern His\u00a0 will and the strength to follow it. As we grow in faith, may we be\u00a0 shaped into people who reflect Christ more fully, living in a way that\u00a0 honors Him until the day of His return.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CLOSING PRAYER\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, we long to grow in love, wisdom, and\u00a0 understanding. In this season of Lent, help us to focus on what truly\u00a0 matters\u2212 to seek You above all else and live lives that are pure and\u00a0 blameless in Your sight. Fill our hearts with Your love, and guide us\u00a0 in wisdom so that we may reflect Christ in all we do. Teach us to\u00a0 walk in Your truth each day and prepare us for the day of His return.\u00a0 Help us to focus on what truly matters, reflecting Your love in every\u00a0 aspect of our lives. In Jesus\u2019 name, we pray. Amen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Philippians 1:9-10 Lent is a season of spiritual growth, a time to refocus on what truly\u00a0 matters. Paul\u2019s prayer in Philippians reminds us that love and\u00a0 understanding go hand in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[159],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lent-reflections"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/How-focusing-on-God-will-change-your-day.jpg?fit=1080%2C565&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5757"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5759,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5757\/revisions\/5759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}