The 26th Sunday after Pentecost
But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God. ~ Psalm 50:23 (NLT)
No matter what happens -- give thanks. This is a critical aspect of being connected to Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
You can't go wrong in expressing thanks to God.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are worthy of all the gratitude the world can give. I want to do my part in thanking you. But I'm pretty consumed with my own accomplishments. Squelch my ego and refresh my perspective. I'm going to lead the thanksgiving parade. Amen.
...Your days of grieving are over. ~ Isaiah 60:20b (MSG)
...God will wipe all tears from their eyes. ~ Revelation 7:17b (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God will end sadness.
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord, for the promise of a brighter future. I find it so easy to get swallowed by the sadness and desperation that comes with loss -- loss of friends, dreams, and innocence. Help me to trust you for a brighter future. I'm going to acknowledge the sadness without letting it swallow me. Amen.
There is no rock like our God. ~ 1 Samuel 2:2b
Jesus says: Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. ~ Matthew 7:24 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
Building your life on Jesus is building on a solid foundation.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are solid. I don't understand why I flirt with other approaches to life. Give me the wisdom to build my life on you, and you alone. You are my solid foundation! Amen.
God is all strength for his people... ~ Psalm 28:8a (MSG)
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
We can count on being victorious when we are on God's side.
PRAYER:
Almighty God, I'm thankful that I get to be on your side. Often, though, I take it on myself to be victorious. I say that I'm counting on you but then I go to battle like it is all up to me. Firm up my faith. I'm going to confidently face the problems in front of me because I know that you are powerful enough to defeat every enemy -- even death itself. 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)
