Soon the Lord’s angel woke Elijah again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you’ll get too tired to travel.” ~ 1 Kings 19:7 (CEV)
Enable your servants to speak your word with complete confidence. ~ Acts 4:29 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God enables his people to do his work.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for your ongoing attention. Otherwise, I, too, might sleep the day away. When things are rough I tend to withdraw into myself. Refresh me and renew my confidence that I might boldly speak your word where and when you want it spoken. Amen.
Check in on your brothers to see whether they are getting along all right... ~ 1 Samuel 17:18 (MSG)
Titus is my partner, who works with me to serve you. The other two followers are sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. Treat them in such a way that the churches will see your love and will know why we bragged about you. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:23-24 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Excell at treating each other well.
PRAYER:
Lord, you have been so good to us. I know that you expect us to pass along your care by looking out for each other. That is easier said than done -- at least for me. I am mostly concerned about myself --
my comfort-level and my well being. Help me to start living beyond myself. I want to serve Christ by caring for those who are important to you. Amen.
And if your wealth increases,
don’t make it the center of your life. ~ Psalm 62:10 (NLT)
Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles. ~ Acts 4:36-37 (MSG)
KEY IDEA:
Hold onto your wealth loosely so that it doesn't control your life and so you don't hesitate to give it away when there is a need.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are the source of all that we have. Thank you for blessing us with so much. I need to keep my wealth in perspective. Help me to be like Barnabas -- open-handed and generous. I'm looking forward to the joy that comes from giving. Amen.
The Lord your God is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty, and he is to be obeyed. He does not show partiality, and he does not accept bribes. ~ Deuteronomy 10:17 (GNT)
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth." ~ Matthew 28:18 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus has all the authority of God, who is supreme over all other authorities and beings.
PRAYER:
Almighty God, you are the most powerful being of all. I confess, though, that sometimes I am afraid of spirits and lesser gods. Help me to trust in you and your power. Help me to trust that you are working out your powerful plan and have what is best for me in your mind. Help me to not worry about the spirits and other beings so that I can fully trust in Christ Jesus. He has all authority in heaven and on the earth -- and everywhere in between. 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)
