The Lord is good!
His love and faithfulness
will last forever.
~ Psalm 100:5 (CEV)
God our Savior showed us
how good and kind he is.
He saved us because of his mercy,
and not because
of any good things
that we have done.
God washed us by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
He gave us new birth
and a fresh beginning.
~ Titus 3:4-5 (CEV)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Recount all the ways that God has been and is good to us.
PRAYER
God, I want to acknowledge your goodness to us and especially to me. I admit that I let that reality slip from my mind as I struggle with all the challenges of life. Yet I know that recounting your goodness is what will get me through the challenges. Help me to create an ongoing mental list that revolves around your generosity. I'm going to take on this day armed with gratitude for your love, faithfulness, and goodness. Amen.
Since 2015, I've been modeling one way of using the MORAVIAN DAILY TEXTS* to maintain a daily conversation with God.
– Brad Boydston
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Monday, August 17, 2020
Contagious fellowship
"Let us go with you. We’ve heard that God is with you." ~ Zechariah 8:23 (MSG)
They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. ~ Acts 2:46-47 (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Genuine fellowship with God is contagious.
PRAYER
Thank you God, for making yourself present to us -- for the fellowship and connection with you that is ours through Christ Jesus. Forgive me for whining when our time together gets interrupted by the events of life. Help me to see beyond the good but fluid rituals and patterns that I've come to rely on. Help me to find myself in the underlying fellowship -- the kind of fellowship that is contagious and compelling. I expect that others will be drawn to you through me. Amen.
They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. ~ Acts 2:46-47 (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Genuine fellowship with God is contagious.
PRAYER
Thank you God, for making yourself present to us -- for the fellowship and connection with you that is ours through Christ Jesus. Forgive me for whining when our time together gets interrupted by the events of life. Help me to see beyond the good but fluid rituals and patterns that I've come to rely on. Help me to find myself in the underlying fellowship -- the kind of fellowship that is contagious and compelling. I expect that others will be drawn to you through me. Amen.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Remembering the needy
The 11th Sunday after Pentecost
God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits. ~ Psalm 136:23 (MSG)
Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. ~ Hebrews 13:3 (CEB)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God remembers us when we are down and out -- and as his representatives, we need to do the same for those who are in a bad way.
PRAYER
Faithful God, thank you for continuing to remember me. Others forget me but you don't. I confess that I'm one of the "others" and am prone to forget about those who are suffering. Out of sight -- out of mind. I know that's not a good excuse. So, please prompt me to remember and to act on their behalves. I'm going to allow your compassionate care to flow through me and into those in need. Amen.
God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits. ~ Psalm 136:23 (MSG)
Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. ~ Hebrews 13:3 (CEB)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God remembers us when we are down and out -- and as his representatives, we need to do the same for those who are in a bad way.
PRAYER
Faithful God, thank you for continuing to remember me. Others forget me but you don't. I confess that I'm one of the "others" and am prone to forget about those who are suffering. Out of sight -- out of mind. I know that's not a good excuse. So, please prompt me to remember and to act on their behalves. I'm going to allow your compassionate care to flow through me and into those in need. Amen.
Saturday, August 15, 2020
The marginalized
Don’t mistreat widows or orphans or foreigners or anyone who is poor, and stop making plans to hurt each other. ~ Zechariah 7:10 (CEV)
Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? ~ 1 Corinthians 1:28 (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God calls us to walk alongside the marginalized because they are the ones through whom he is changing the world.
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for including me in your plan. I'm definitely a minor league player in your kingdom. Forgive me for allowing my aspirations for security, power, and influence to blind me to the poor and marginalized. Show me how to walk alongside the left-out so that I can continue to participate in your new creation. I seek this in the name of Christ Jesus, who left his throne above to walk and die among the broken on earth. Amen.
Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? ~ 1 Corinthians 1:28 (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God calls us to walk alongside the marginalized because they are the ones through whom he is changing the world.
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for including me in your plan. I'm definitely a minor league player in your kingdom. Forgive me for allowing my aspirations for security, power, and influence to blind me to the poor and marginalized. Show me how to walk alongside the left-out so that I can continue to participate in your new creation. I seek this in the name of Christ Jesus, who left his throne above to walk and die among the broken on earth. Amen.
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