The 6th Day of Christmas
Everybody here will see that the Lord doesn’t need swords or spears to save his people. ~ 1 Samuel 17:47 (CEV)
Those who make peace sow the seeds of justice by their peaceful acts. ~ James 3:18 (CEB)
KEY THOUGHT:
God's justice is counter-intuitive because it comes through peaceful action.
PRAYER:
Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace. I confess, though, that I give into the temptation to set things right through power and control -- sometimes violent words or actions -- all of which feels justified given the situation. Help me to see how I can make things right by sowing seeds of peace. I need some guidance in adopting this counter-intuitive approach. I'm looking forward to real change -- starting with what you are going to do with me. Amen.
The First Sunday in Christmastide
Even young people get tired,
then stumble and fall.
But those who trust the Lord
will find new strength.
They will be strong like eagles
soaring upward on wings;
they will walk and run
without getting tired. ~ Isaiah 40:30-31 (CEV)
God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The Spirit gives us the strength to do what needs to be done.
PRAYER:
God, thank you for renewing our strength. I get tired a lot. And even though it makes me prone to falling I push through and try to dig up enough strength on my own to do what needs to be done. Help me to rest and to trust in the strength that you provide. If you haven't given me the strength to do something it doesn't need doing -- at least by me. Amen.
The 4th Day of Christmas
They’ll realize that I am God when I break them out of their slavery and rescue them from their slave masters. ~ Ezekiel 34:27 (MSG)
Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)
KEY THOUGHT:
We don't relate to God as a slave master but as a slave redeemer.
PRAYER:
Good God, I'm relieved as I realize that your intentions toward us are all about freedom. I confess that in my quest for personal independence I allow myself to become enslaved to unhealthy patterns and behaviors. That's ironic. Continue to free me from sin and legalism and shame and guilt and... Apply the freedom that Christ brings so that I can live as a totally free person. Amen.
The 3rd Day of Christmas
Listen to God’s voice today! Don’t be stubborn and rebel... ~ Psalm 95:7-8 (CEV)
Let the Spirit fill your life... ~ Ephesians 5:18 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Give God access to your life.
PRAYER:
Loving God, thank you for speaking into my life -- for all of your leading and guiding. I am pretty strong willed and my natural inclination is to live life on my own terms. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I sense the value of being more receptive to your leading. I'm going to give you complete unfettered access to my life for the sake of Jesus, who us the good shepherd. 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)
