Change
The first Sunday after Epiphany
For a while, I turned away in furious anger. Now I will have mercy and love you forever! I, your protector and Lord, make this promise.” ~ Isaiah 54:8 (CEV)
Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives. ~ Romans 2:4 (NCV)
KEY IDEA:
Change the way that you think and act so that you are embracing God's kindness.
PRAYER:
Lord God, I am grateful that you love us so much that you do not hold our sins against us. You change your mind. Help me to change the way I deal with reality. Help me to turn more thoroughly toward you. I am going to embrace your kindness and mercy. Amen.
*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS
The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2011 I started posting these Bible verses for my spiritual formation students at Pacific Islands University. In the process of responding to the verses, I found the rhythm of looking for a common thread and writing a prayer based on that key idea to be helpful for my own soul. The prayers are more or less modeled on the TRIP method, which is what I ask my students to do in their journaling. ~ Brad Boydston
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase -- a freestyle biblical adaptation -- somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
