My God... You do such wonderful things!
You planned them long ago,
and now you have accomplished them. ~ Isaiah 25:1b (NLT)
We must hold tightly to the hope that we say is ours. After all, we can trust the one who made the agreement with us. ~ Hebrews 10:23 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God is trustworthy.
PRAYER:
My God, I'm thankful that you are so trustworthy. You never forget a promise. I sometimes get anxious about the way things are going. But that's not your fault. It is because I'm not as trusting as I should be. Continue to build my trust so that as I mature I will be better able to lean on you. I'm going to be a witness of your faithfulness. Amen.
My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. ~ Proverbs 3:11 (NLT)
Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. ~ 2 Corinthians 13:11b (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
God wants us to grow up and become mature followers of Jesus.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for looking out for me -- even when I need correction. I know that your discipline isn't punitive but restorative. You want to help us mature in our relationship with you. But I confess that I treat your discipline as though you are vindictive and punishing. I squeel like a 6-year-old girl when you get firm with me. Help me to lighten up so that I can receive the encouragement and direction that you graciously provide. I want to become a mature, convinced, and convincing follower of Christ Jesus. Amen.
THE 6th SUNDAY IN EASTERTIDE
Lord, please make me healthy
and strong again. ~ Isaiah 38:16 (CEB)
One of the lepers, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. ~ Luke 17:15 (MSG)
KEY IDEA:
The Lord is a healer.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for healing me. I enjoy so much good health -- yet there are parts of me -- and things I do -- that are unhealthy. Please continue to heal my life and give me a new enthusiasm for your doctoring. I'm going to live healthier today than yesterday. Amen.
It’s God’s business to decide what to do with each of us in regard to what’s right and who’s loyal. ~ 1 Samuel 26:23 (MSG)
Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full. ~ Matthew 5:6 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
People who long for the things God considers to be right will be fully satisfied.
PRAYER:
Lord God, you are truly righteous. Thank you for sending your right and just Son Christ Jesus to not only show us what righteousness and justice mean to you but also to implement it through his death and resurrection. Save me from advancing my own versions of righteousness that are all about keeping rules and laws. Help me to see that hungering and thirsting for righteousness means hungering and thirsting for Jesus -- immersing ourselves in his life and his mission. That's how I'm going to pursue righteousness and justice. 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)
