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Thursday, July 8, 2021

SPEND SOME TIME

PSALM 48:9 (ABP)
O God, as we sit here in your place of worship, we ponder and ponder your unfaltering love.

ACTS 3:1 (MSG)
Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Spend some time in the place where you meet with God and marvel at his love.

PRAYER
Lord, your love is marvelous. I confess that there are days that go by when I don't even notice it, though. I have allowed my life to fill up with busyness and distractions galore. Slow me down and reset my clock so that I can have time to focus on you and your great love. I pray in the name of Jesus, who is your love in the flesh. Amen.

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

RELY ON GOD

PSALM 79:9 (MSG)
You’re famous for helping; God, give us a break.
Your reputation is on the line.
Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins—
do what you’re famous for doing!


1 JOHN 4:10 (MSG)
This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Rely on God -- always.

PRAYER
Your name is glorified, Lord God, when we ask you to be the Lord of our life. Oh, how I like to put you in my medicine cabinet and treat you like another medication. "Take when needed." But you are more than a prescription. You are the source of wellness, the Dr. of redemption. Heal my fickle faith. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

FOR THE WELL-BEING OF ALL

JEREMIAH 29:7 (NLT)
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.

MATTHEW 5:13 (CEV)
You are like salt for everyone on earth.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Even if the world fails to treat you right, don't fail to contribute to the well-being of the world.

PRAYER
Loving God, you sent your Son Christ Jesus into the world to sacrifice his life for a world that would reject him. I confess that even though I claim to follow him I get thrown off by rejection. And I don't want to do anything for those who give me a rough time. Forgive me for my lack of fortitude and strengthen me so that I can work toward the well-being of all my neighbors -- even those who reject me -- and you. I'm going to follow the example of Jesus. Amen.

Monday, July 5, 2021

HONOR THE NAME

EXODUS 20:7 (ABP)
Don't casually toss God's name around. If you misuse his name he'll certainly hold you accountable.

LUKE 11:2 (CEB)
Father, uphold the holiness of your name.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
In all matters pertaining to God (and what matters do not?) speak and act in a way that throws honor at him.

PRAYER
Lord God, you are the real thing -- the only fully genuine being. Yet, I can get sucked into the casual approach that the world takes to you and even your name. Help us -- me -- to take you seriously. I want all of my words and actions to bring honor to you. Amen.

DAILYTEXTS.ORG

*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)

EEB = EasyEnglish Bible (©2015, MissionAssist)

ERV = Easy-To-Read Version (©2006, World Bible Translation Center)

GNT = Good News Translation (©1992, American Bible Society)

MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)

NCB = New Catholic Bible (©2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp.)

NCV = New Century Version (©2005, Thomas Nelson Inc)

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)

NRSVUE = New Revised Standard Version (© 2021 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

NTE = New Testament for Everyone (©2011 Nicolas Thomas Wright.)

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