The Lord kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil. ~ 1 Kings 17:16 (CEV)
Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. They all ate as much as they wanted. ~ Mark 6:41-42 (NLT)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
The Lord provides.
PRAYER
God, you are exceedingly generous. Forgive me for worrying over whether there will be enough. I've embraced a mindset of scarcity. Help me to relax and accept your mindset of abundance. I'm going to trust you to provide exactly what I need when I need it. Amen.
You shall not steal. ~ Exodus 20:15 (NRSV)
Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Look out for the good of others.
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for looking out for me. Forgive me for my own short-sighted me first outlook. As you renew my life give me a heart that reflects your approach -- looking out for others. I'm going to grow in Christ-likeness. Amen.
“Comfort, oh comfort my people,”
says your God.
“Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,
but also make it very clear
That she has served her sentence,
that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
She’s been punished enough and more than enough,
and now it’s over and done with.”
~ Isaiah 40:2 (MSG)
God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. ~ Romans 8:21 (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Live now according to the freedom that God is in the process of implementing.
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for the freedom that Christ delivers to all who will accept it. Forgive me for wallowing in my guilt -- as though that's normal. Help me to be matter-of-fact about my sinfulness, giddy over my forgiveness, and extravagant with my freedom. I'm eager for a full and free life in the new creation. Amen.
Trinity Sunday
The Lord... is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with fairness. ~ Psalm 98:9 (NLT)
And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. ~ Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God's kingdom will make things right for all people.
PRAYER
Just and merciful God, I'm looking forward to the time when you will set all things straight. I confess that I let the injustices of the world eat at me until I become cranky. Reset my faith so that I can calmly and confidently anticipate your justice. I'm going to live now according to then. 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)
