I am the Lord All-Powerful. So don’t depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit. ~ Zechariah 4:6b (CEV)
It was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell... ~ Hebrews 11:30a (NCV)
KEY IDEA:
Depend only on the Lord.
PRAYER:
Lord All-Powerful, you are dependable -- like no other. Thank you that I can rely on you. Even when I fail to trust you, which is too often, you remain dependable. Help me to reject the commonly held idea that might is right and to march by faith in your power. I'm going to trust the Holy Spirit to make it all happen. Amen.
What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine
and boast about all the alcohol they can hold.
They take bribes to let the wicked go free,
and they punish the innocent. ~ Isaiah 5:22-23 (NLT)
For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. ~ Matthew 7:2 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Be an honest and empathetic judge in your dealing with others and you will be treated fairly, too.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are totally fair. I don't always understand your fairness and sometimes wish you'd make things different. But I trust you and ask that you would help me to be
fairer and less reactive in my dealings with others. Amen.
He does wonders that cannot be understood;
he does so many miracles they cannot be counted. ~ Job 9:10 (NCV)
Because he was full of grace and truth, from him we all received one gift after another. ~ John 1:16
KEY IDEA:
God does more and gives more than we can ever realize.
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord, especially for the gift of your Son Christ Jesus. He came into the world to save us from sin. And that is only a little of what he has done and is doing. Sometimes I wonder why you do so much for us when we are so unable to take it all in. But then I realize it's not all about us -- about me -- but about you and your generous nature. Help me to move away from self-focus and thinking that your generosity is all about making my life better. I want to understand and appreciate as much as I can about your generosity -- so that I can more appropriately honor you. Amen.
Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right. ~ Psalm 97:11 (NLT
When they (the magi/wisemen) saw the star, they were filled with joy! ~ Matthew 2:10 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
The Lord provides light that shines the way forward.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for lighting the way of both believers and pagan magi. It brings joy to my heart. Forgive me for allowing some darkness in my life to dance around and avoid the light. You show the way but I manage to avoid it. Keep at it. Keep pointing the way. Eventually I'll get it. And my life will not only be filled with joy but will also mirror your light to help others. Amen.
*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS
The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2015 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 — 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)
