The 6th Sunday of Easter
The Lord appeared to Solomon at Gibeon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask whatever you wish, and I’ll give it to you.” And Solomon said … Please give your servant a discerning mind in order to govern your people and to distinguish good from evil, because no one is able to govern this important people of yours without your help.” ~ 1 Kings 3:5,9 (CEB)
But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. ~ James 1:5 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God will give you the wisdom you need -- if you ask for it.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for your generosity. I confess that I think I am wiser than I am. So, I am slow to ask for your wisdom. That gets me into all kinds of trouble. I say things I shouldn't say and get involved in matters I should be avoiding. If it is not too late, I'm going to take you up on your offer and ask for your wisdom. I'm going to count on you rather than me. Amen.
“Is there a limit to my power?” ~ Numbers 11:23 (GNT)
God is able to do whatever he promises. ~ Romans 4:21 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
God is able to do whatever he says he will do.
PRAYER:
Powerful Lord, thank you for using your power to defeat death and sin. I benefit from the resurrection in ways that I do not yet know. Yet, I do not fully trust you. I'm still eager to make things happen on my own. Please give me the confidence to relax and trust in your power and your wisdom to use it in just the right way. Prompt me so that I can participate in what you are doing without getting in the way. I'm going to think and act differently because I know that you are able and willing to do all that you have promised. No doubt. Amen.
(The Lord) gives justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners. ~ Psalm 146:7a (NLT)
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
“Bring them here,” he said. ~ Matthew 14:17-18 (NLT)
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. ~ Genesis 3:6a (NLT)
What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? ~ Luke 9:25 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Beware, lest you give up the good and healthy gifts of God for a false promise of more.
PRAYER:
Lord, you have already given us so much. But for some reason I'm always wanting more. And that desire clouds my judgment so that I easily fall to temptation. Forgive me for my greed and for how quickly I give in.
Please intervene at the first thought that I might become more powerful or controlling. I am going to follow Jesus, the humble self-sacrificing Savior in all these matters. 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 -- 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)
