The Lord our God was with our ancestors to help them, and I pray that he will be with us and never abandon us. ~ 1 Kings 8:57 (CEV)
Be like those who through faith and patience will receive what God has promised. ~ Hebrews 6:12b (NCV).
KEY IDEA:
Live faithfully because you are the child of a faithful God.
PRAYER:
Great God, I know that you are totally reliable. Help me to be reliable in all I do and think. I want my life to mirror your faithfulness. Amen.
But first let’s ask the Lord what to do. ~ 2 Chronicles 18:4 (CEV)
Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. ~ 2 Timothy 3:14 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Consider the source.
PRAYER:
Lord, your directions for living a full life in harmony with you are so good. I wish that I were living 100% according to the directions. But there are so many other voices out there. Everyone and everything seems to want to direct my life -- my friends, my family, the advertising companies... Help me to become more selective about who I listen to. Fill my life with trusted voices who speak according to your directions. I intend to remain faithful. Amen.
My God, I want to do what you want.
Your teachings are in my heart. ~ Psalm 40:8 (NCV)
Loving God means obeying his commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us... ~ 1 John 5:3 (NCV)
KEY IDEA:
Love of God that counts involves allowing him to shape the way we live.
PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for all of the instructions you give us. I'm slow to catch on but if you'll help me I'm sure that your love will make me more loving in how I think and live. I'm going to allow your direction, which comes to us through your story, to shape my life. Amen.
You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done. ~ Psalm 92:4 (NLT)
Jesus then said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk home.”
At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God. ~ Luke 5:24b-25 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
We become joyful as we realize what God is doing for us.
PRAYER:
Merciful and generous God, once again I'm thrilled to be on the receiving end of your generosity. Give me eyes to see at least some of what you are doing for me. I want to become better at joyously expressing my gratitude. 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)
