THE 3rd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Let’s lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time,
praying to God in heaven... ~ Lamentations 3:41 (MSG)
Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful. ~ Colossians 4:2 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Keep praying.
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for staying in touch with us. I do not take full advantage of my access to you. Prompt me to continue praying. I'm going to keep at it -- fully engaged in the process -- and thankful. Amen.
The Lord probes every mind at such a deep level that he totally understands why we think the way we do. ~ 1 Chronicles 28:9 (ABP)
Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” ~ John 1:48 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God sees and knows us better than we see and know ourselves.
PRAYER:
Kind God, your insights into the way we think and act are beyond our understanding. How do you know so much about me? Forgive me for doubting your ability and for assuming that I have to come up with such wisdom on my own. Enable me to trust you for everything -- big and small. I'm going to relax, knowing that at least you understand everything that is happening. Amen.
You will be called by a new name, A name given by the Lord himself. ~ Isaiah 62:2b (GNT)
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ~ John 10:3b (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
The Lord calls and leads.
PRAYER:
Lord, I know that you have called me by name. I have experienced the sense of direction and the newness that comes with it. Thank you. I know, though, that I need to be more attentive to your calling and leadership. It is so easy to get distracted from hearing your voice. Give me attentive ears and a desire for your leadership. I'm going to follow you. Amen.
Joseph said to his brothers: You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing. ~ Genesis 50:20 (CEV)
Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time. ~ James 2:13b (MSG)
KEY IDEA:
God is in the business of transforming broken relationships and misguided actions into something good.
PRAYER:
Merciful God, your kindness keeps me interested in you. I deserve to be dealt with harshly but you treat me kindly. Thank you. But I'm not as merciful and positive as you. I tend to dwell on the mistakes of others and am unwilling to give second or third chances. Heal my attitude and transform my approach to people so that it is more in line with how you do things. I want to be a reflection of your kindness so that all people see Jesus through 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)
