Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. ~ Psalm 31:9a (NLT)
Jesus says, "But God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid." ~ Luke 12:7 (NCV)
KEY IDEA:
God knows. So don't be afraid.
PRAYER:
Thank you for your kind understanding, God. You know everything I'm going through. And I know that you know; yet, I still have bouts of fear -- moments when I feel overwhelmed by my circumstances. Forgive me for allowing them to have so much power in my life. Please refresh my trust in you so that I can approach all of the issues with confidence in the way that you are going to handle things. I refuse to be afraid. Amen.
God says, “I left you for a short time,
but with great kindness I will bring you back again. ~ Isaiah 54:7 (NCV)
I will not leave you all alone like orphans; I will come back to you. ~ John 14:18 (NCV)
KEY IDEA:
While God seems distant at times, he will not abandon us.
PRAYER:
God, thank you for your grace and mercy, and how it all works out in our lives. I confess that I am a bit insecure and that I easily panic on those days when I fail to sense your presence. Help me to trust in your promises and to relax in the knowledge of your faithfulness. I know that you are still there. Amen.
Should we only accept from God the things we like and reject everything he sends that we dislike? ~ Job 2:10 (ABP)
Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. ~ Luke 22:42 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
We always end up better off when we accept everything that God gives to us.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for your generosity and how you sent Christ into the world to repair our relationship. I realize that you want only the best for us and that even when bad things happen you are turning them toward the good. However, I act like I should be in total control -- the boss of my life. I like to pick and choose what I get behind. In the moment of struggle help me to see the value of being behind you in all things. I am going to choose that which is clearly from you. Amen.
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. ~ Daniel 9:4-5 (NLT)
The Law stepped in to amplify the failure, but where sin increased, grace multiplied even more. ~ Romans 5:20 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God's grace always outpaces our failures.
PRAYER:
O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! I am drawn to you by your love and grace. No matter how much I fail you seem to have even greater capacity to forgive. Forgive me for wallowing more in the frustration over my sinfulness than in your grace. Help me to learn how to wallow in your grace. I want my life to be about amplifying your grace. 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)
