Make your motions and cast your votes,
but God has the final say. ~ Proverbs 16:33 (MSG)
Make living out God's agenda and values your first priority. As you do that your needs will be met. ~ Matthew 6:33 (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
Allow God's agenda to be your primary concern because ultimately his agenda wins.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for taking me and my needs seriously. You are so busy with the entire creation but you still take me seriously. Forgive me for not taking you and your desires seriously. I think too much of my own plans and agenda. Help me to get my priorities straight so that I can join you in the winner's circle. Amen.
But you must prepare for battle and be ready to utter every word I command you. ~ Jeremiah 1:17 (CEB/part)
So stand with the belt of truth around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to spread the good news of peace. ~ Ephesians 6:14-15 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
Even though we're dressed for battle, our mission is to spread the good news of peace.
PRAYER:
Prince of Peace, thank you for enlisting me into your army. It's very tempting to act like a regular soldier and to force people to accept your agenda. Help me to march in step with you and your peace-filled ways. I'm going to be a different kind of soldier. Amen.
The 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
The Lord said to Abram: I will bless you ... so that you will be a blessing. ~ Genesis 12:2 (parts)
Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. ~ 1 Peter 3:9 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Our purpose is to bless those around us.
PRAYER:
God, we have been extremely blessed by you. But we -- and I in particular -- have somehow missed the point of it all. I'm eager to keep as much blessing to myself as I can. Help me to turn my blessings into blessings for others. I'm going to join you in making sure that your blessings are spread to all creation. Amen.
So don’t make me angry by worshiping idols and other gods. ~ Jeremiah 25:6 (CEV)
Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God’s throne! ~ Hebrews 12:1-2 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Stay focused on Jesus alone.
PRAYER:
Once again, Lord, thank you for your ongoing love for us -- for me. I know that it makes little sense that I am so easily distracted by lesser things -- immitation gods -- fake fulfillment. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus. I'm going to finish my race well so that I can join the crowd of cheering witnesses. 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)
