The whole earth will know
his true greatness... ~ Micah 5:4 (CEV)
For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. ~ Colossians 2:9-10 (NLT)
KEY THOUGHT:
Christ Jesus reveals the greatness of God to the world -- the greatness in which we participate through our connection with Christ.
PRAYER:
Lord God, thank you for sending Christ Jesus into the world to reveal how great you and your ways are. Forgive me for being so impressed by lesser expressions of greatness. Strengthen my connection with Christ so that through our union all the world will come to understand how honorable you are. I'm going to lose myself in your greatness. Amen.
The Lord God then said: I will look for my sheep and take care of them myself... ~ Ezekiel 34:11 (CEV)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ~ Matthew 9:36 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The Lord Jesus sees how helpless we are and looks out for us.
PRAYER:
Lord, you know how easily I get lost, how quickly I'm turned around and in a panic. Thank you for your vigilant voice that calls out my name. When I look at your GPS -- your "Gospel Positioning System" -- I can find myself again. Grant me courage today to locate and love others back into your fold. Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Mnistries edition)
If you’re stubborn and refuse to obey the Lord, he will turn against you and your king. ~ 1 Samuel 12:15 (CEV)
Paul wrote: "I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil." ~ Romans 16:19 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Refuse to have anything to do with evil.
PRAYER:
Dear God, thank you for the good that you have poured into my life. I confess that I am still prone to flirt with things which are contrary to you and your way. Help me to keep my focus squarely on Jesus, who is the center of all that is good, so that I don't have to worry about whether peripheral issues are acceptable or not. Amen.
The 22nd Sunday after Pentecost
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good. ~ Psa.m 127:1b (NLT)
It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. ~ 1 Corinthians 3:7 (NLT)
KEY THOUGHT:
God is the key player behind all the goodness we experience.
PRAYER:
Loving God, your gifts are many and great. Thank you for all the good that I have experienced. I confess that I seek to be recognized for what you have given to me. It is so easy for me to focus on my small role in your endeavors without even mentioning you. Help me to be honest enough to give credit to whom it is due. I'm going to draw and sustain the focus onto you. 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)
