I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. ~ Ezekiel 36:26a (NLT)
Now that you have been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. ~ Romans 6:18 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God sets us free to live new lives that are in harmony with him and his ways.
PRAYER:
Gracious God, thank you for sending your Son, Christ Jesus, to pay the ransom that has released us from bondage to sin. It is a joy to be free - - although I admit that I do not take full advantage of that freedom. Continue to re-form me from the inside to the outside. I'm going to live as free person who honors you. Amen.
Remember the prior things—from long ago;
I am God, and there’s no other.
I am God! There’s none like me... ~ Isaiah 46:9 (CEB)
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. ~ Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
From the beginning God has been nurturing our faith.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, it is so tempting to see faith as originating in ourselves. Sometimes I even have a tinge of pride about my spiritual progress. Help me to see more clearly how it all begins and progresses with you. Thank you for nurturing my faith. I am going to keep the focus on you. Amen.
But you are still our Father;
you have been our protector
since ancient times.
~ Isaiah 63:16b (CEV)
You should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
help us to honor
your name.
~ Matthew 6:9 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God looks out for us as a good father looks out for his children.
PRAYER:
Our Father in heaven, we honor you with respect and obedience that goes beyond what we offer to anyone else. You have taken care of us not just during my lifetime but throughout all history. I confess that sometimes the honor I give is second rate. Help me to ramp it up so that my respect and obedience is as good as it can possibly be. I'm going to be a good child reflecting honor onto you. Amen.
But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. ~ Daniel 9:9 (NLT)
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. ~ Luke 6:36 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
If we know God, we will be compassionate like God.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are so kind and compassionate. I don't understand why it is that I am so indifferent to the needs of others. I am not easily moved. And to make things worse I am actually a bit proud of my callousness. Forgive me and create in me a soft heart. I am going to share your compassion with others. 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)
