LENT
He reveals things that are deep and secret;
he knows what is hidden in darkness,
and he himself is surrounded by light. ~ Daniel 2:22 (GNT)
I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark. ~ John 12:46 (MSG)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus is the light who frees us from darkness.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into the world as the light which chases away the darkness. Sometimes, though, I flee after the departing darkness. There is something so familiar about being in darkness -- even though it no longer feels like home. Strengthen my faith in you so that I can always turn my back on the darkness and toward you -- the light. I'm going to be free of darkness. In your name, I pray, Amen.
LENT
You will show the right path
to all who worship you. ~ Proverbs 25:12 (CEV)
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. ~ 1 Peter 2:21 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Those who truly honor the Lord are those who follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus -- even along the path of suffering.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, I am thankful for the sacrifice that you made on our behalf. But frankly, following you along that pathway is a bit stressful for me. I'm interested in the easy way because I'm worried that I would not be able to hold up if I truly followed you. Help me to trust you to show me how to navigate the path of suffering. I'm going to follow in your footsteps -- no matter where you lead. Amen.
LENT
Serve the Lord with all your heart. Don’t turn aside to follow useless idols that can’t help you or save you. They’re absolutely useless! ~ 1 Samuel 12:20b-21 (CEB)
Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. ~ Ephesians 5:17 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Do what the Lord wants -- only him.
PRAYER:
Lord, the fake gods are useless but you are able to help us. I want to serve you. But I grow impatient and am distracted when I have to wait for directions from you. Again, help me to stay focused on you and to be able to receive the instructions that you give through your Word. Amen.
LENT
How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me ~ Psalm 139:17 (TLB)
For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. ~ 1 John 3:20 (MSG)
KEY IDEA:
God is greater than me and he is watching over me.
PRAYER:
Lord, it is good to realize that I am on your radar. I wish that I could remember that when I am stressed out. Keep me calm so that I can remember that you are in control and that whatever the outcome is, because of you, it will be the best it could possibly be. You care that much. 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)
