The whole world
(The Lord says,) I have placed you here as a light
for other nations;
you must take my saving power
to everyone on earth. ~ Isaiah 49:6b (CEV)
(Jesus said,) But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world. ~ Acts 1:8 (CEV)
God, I confess that my world is very small. I am consumed with the things happening in my life, my family, my clan, my school, my village, my island, and my culture. But you are consumed with love for the whole world. And you are calling me to speak to the people out there about Jesus. Please send your Holy Spirit on me so that I might start to care as much about those people as I care about my people. Give me the power of the Holy Spirit so that I can live into our calling as followers of Jesus. I am expecting that you will put me in touch with someone from beyond my small world today. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own 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)
