(The Lord) will turn his attention to the prayers
of those who have been abandoned.
He will not despise their prayers. ~ Psalm 102:17 (GW)
"But the tax collector was standing at a distance. He wouldn’t even look up to heaven. Instead, he became very upset, and he said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
"I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval..." ~ Luke 18:13-14a (GW)
KEY IDEA:
The Lord listens to those who acknowledge their neediness.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for listening to my cries for help. They are usually pretty genuine but at times I can be manipulative. I try to appear pious when I'm really the worst sinner. Help me to acknowledge what I know to be true deep inside me. I'm going to depend on your mercy rather than my ability to be a good actor. Amen.
The Lord pours out his goodness and compassion on all of his creation -- on everyone and everything. ~ Psalm 145:9 (ABP)
Creation itself will be freed from its slavery to decay and will get to participate in the same glorious freedom which God's children experience. ~ Romans 8:21 (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
All creation is set free through Christ.
PRAYER:
Lord, your compassion brings me hope. Sometimes I see only decay and destruction around me, but your loving mercy gives me a new vision. By the power of your Holy Spirit keep my eye on the prize this day; so that I may patiently and fruitfully await your coming again. Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Ministries edition)
Sing a new song to the LORD. Sing about all the great things he has done. For he has used his matchless power to win the victory! ~ Psalm 98:1 (ABP)
Sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts. ~ Ephesians 5:19b (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
Sing to the Lord!
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord, for the song that you put into my heart. It is easy to sing to you. Sometimes I sing off-key but I enjoy singing to you. Actually, it might be that I enjoy expressing myself and sometimes the fact that I'm singing to you is pretty secondary. Yet you accept the song anyway. Still, I want to do this right. Give me a new song where the focus isn't really on me or my gifts but entirely on you. I'm going to sing a NEW song! Amen!
He loves justice and fairness,
and he is kind to everyone
everywhere on earth. ~ Psalm 33:5 (CEV)
But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. ~ Matthew 5:44-45 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus calls us to follow him in leading radically kind lives.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for being so kind to me. I do not deserve your kindness. Yet, you love me along with all your enemies. I, however, have a hard time applying your radical kindness to others. Help me to love those who mistreat me. Help me to care about bad people. I'm going to follow your example because Christ lives in me. 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)
