GENESIS 1:27 (CEB)
God created humanity in God’s own image,
in the divine image God created them,
male and female God created them.
1 CORINTHIANS 11:11-12 (CEB)
However, woman isn’t independent from man, and man isn’t independent from woman in the Lord. As woman came from man so also man comes from woman. But everything comes from God.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Together, we reflect the image of God.
PRAYER
Creator God, you have given us the honor of serving together as your image. We confess that we have created a pecking order that doesn't truly reflect who you are. We are especially hard on the women. Help me to become a voice drawing people back to serving together as your image. We want to faithfully reflect your image. Amen.
DANIEL 7:14 (NCV)
He was given authority, glory, and the strength of a king. People of every tribe, nation, and language will serve him. His rule will last forever, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.
COLOSSIANS 1:13 (NCV)
God has freed us from the power of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God has rescued us to live with him in his forever kingdom.
PRAYER
Light of light, your brightness turns darkness to day, fear to faith, and leads us from death to life. Rule and reign in our hearts, O Lord, so that we may experience your kingdom now even as we look forward to your kingdom to come. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)
LEVITICUS 22:32 (NLT)
Do not bring shame on my holy name...
1 PETER 1:15 (CEV)
Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Live a life in line with the character and nature of God.
PRAYER
Holy God, you set a high bar for us. I want to live a holy life but ambition gets lost in the clutter of life and I end up going with the flow. Help me to break free from the flow and to live differently. I'm going to think and act differently because you are so different. I'm going to live a "holy" life. Amen.
LEVITICUS 26:12 (CEB)
I will walk around among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.
1 JOHN 1:3-4 (CEB)
Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy can be complete.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God wants to have fellowship with us and our lives are most complete when we live in that fellowship.
PRAYER
I am so grateful, God, that you seek out fellowship with us. I confess that sometimes I go for walks without you. It's not that I'm intentionally ignoring you but I get so caught up in things that I forget my priorities. Remind me of your presence and the joy that comes when walking with you. 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)
