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The Lord our God was with our ancestors to help them, and I pray that he will be with us and never abandon us. ~ 1 Kings 8:57 (CEV)
“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. ~ Acts 17:27 (NLT)
Lord God, you are definitely close by. You are never far from your people. I admit that sometimes I wonder where you are because I'm not seeing what you are doing. But I need to look more closely because you are not far away. Guide my groping hands so that I can once again feel your presence. Thank you for sending Jesus who lived among us and the Holy Spirit who lives within us. You are not far away. 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)
