Arise, O Lord!
Do not let mere mortals defy you! ~ Psalm 9:19 (NLT)
Jesus prayed: "Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one." ~ John 17:15 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
We can expect that God will protect his children.
PRAYER:
Thak you, Jesus, for praying for us. I worry too much about problems. Help me to trust that you have the power and will to look out for me and my longterm best interests. I'm going to rely on you. Amen.
Those who pursue justice and kindness
will find what they seek -- along with life and honor. ~ Proverbs 21:21 (ABP)
God’s kingdom isn’t about eating food and drinking but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 14:17 (CEB)
KEY THOUGHT:
If you really want to live a full life pursue the things which are consistent with God's agenda.
PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for the gift of new life which is ours when we are connected to Christ the Life. I confess that I often pursue a lot of weird things to try and make my life better. Help me to narrow my focus so that I am pursuing only those things which are consistent with your agenda for the world and for my life. I'm going to make my life about pursuing righteousness and kindness. Amen.
When you sell something to or buy something from your fellow citizen, you must not cheat each other. ~ Leviticus 25:14 (CEB)
Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about. ~ Matthew 7:12 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Treat others as you want them to treat you.
PRAYER:
God, through the gift of your Son you have treated us even better than we could imagine. I confess that I make a lot of decisions based on how I'd benefit without giving a whole lot of consideration to how my decisions might benefit or affect others. I need your help in changing so that I'm treating everyone else in the same exact way I want to be treated. I'm going to live by this golden rule. Amen.
But he said, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.” ~ Genesis 24:56 (NLT)
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. ~ Matthew 9:9 (NLT)
KEY THOUGHT:
I don't want to leave the Lord waiting.
PRAYER:
Lord God, thank you for the call to follow you. I wish I could say that I am as responsive as Matthew. But I am not. I lolly gag and dilly dally. I take my time. Have patience with me while I grow hands and feet. I'm going to follow Jesus! 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)
