Report this with a loud shout, proclaim it;
broadcast it out to the end of the earth.
Say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!” ~ Isaiah 48:20 (CEB)
This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations. Then the end will come. ~ Matthew 24:14 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
The good news of Jesus' kingdom needs to be delivered to every place on the planet.
PRAYER:
Lord, you have given us the good news of a new kingdom filled with justice and right living.
Thank you for enlisting us to share that news far and wide. Forgive us for not taking that assignment seriously.
Give me a vision for the unreached people and places of the planet. Whether you call me to go directly or support those who go I'm going to be a part of your broadcast to the end of the earth. Amen.
Let’s walk by the Lord’s light. ~ Isaiah 2:5 (CEB)
All of you are children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to night or darkness. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
Since we are children of light we need to resist the dark things of life.
PRAYER:
Jesus, you are the light of the world. And through you we have become children of light. Yet we still spend too much time in the dark. At least I know that I do. Help me to grow in my love of your light. As that light becomes more a part of my life I know that the dark things will be forced out. Amen.
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.
*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)
