This is what the Lord says:
“Be just and fair to all.
Do what is right and good,
for I am coming soon to rescue you
and to display my righteousness among you. ~ Isaiah 56:1 (NLT)
Care about them as much as you care about yourselves... ~ Philippians 2:4 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
The Lord expects us to care about others as much as we care about ourselves.
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord, for caring about me. As far as I can tell I am not worthy of your affection.
I care mostly about myself. And even when I'm caring for others I'm thinking about what I can get out of the relationship. That's not healthy or right. Help me to be honest and genuine. Give me a heart for others. Apart from your intervention, I am a lost cause. I can't change on my own. But I know that you are the source of all that is just and right. I'm going to trust you. Amen.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God. ~ Lamentations 3:26 (MSG)
Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. ~ Hebrews 10:23 (MSG)
KEY IDEA:
Hold on because God's help is always on the way.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for always being there. You are reliable. I, on the other hand, lack patience.
I am always complaining about the situation -- if only in my mind. Help me to keep going and to do it well. Flood my life with reminders of your promises. I am going to patiently stay on course. Amen.
Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! ~ Isaiah 65:18 (NLT)
Lord God All-Powerful,
you have done great
and marvelous things.
You are the ruler
of all nations,
and you do what is
right and fair. ~ Revelation 15:3 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God is the creator who is over all.
PRAYER:
Lord God, you are always creating. You delight in your handiwork and long to share your joy with us.
Thank you for being at work in me. Open my eyes to see your amazing way of working things together for your good.
May I share your delight in others as you delight in me. Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Ministries edition)
Put God in charge of your work,
then what you’ve planned will take place. ~ Proverbs 16:3 (MSG)
God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out his good purposes. ~ Philippians 2:13 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
If we stick with him, God will give us the vision and the power to carry out his will.
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord, for being a take-charge God. Yet, you don't force us to do things your way.
You want us to choose. And I don't always choose wisely. I want that to change. I am seeking your vision and your power to live out your good purposes for me and the world around me. 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)
