Saturday, October 9, 2021

SERVE GOD ALONE

JOSHUA 24:14 (MSG)
So now: Fear GOD. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship GOD.

JOHN 12:26 (NLT)
Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Serve God alone and he'll take care of you.

PRAYER
Father God, thank you for calling me to follow you. Forgive me when I move in my own direction, thinking I know what to do on my own. You have the words of eternal life. Attune my whole being to focus on you and to revere your words. May I serve you in all I say and do. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

Friday, October 8, 2021

FOCUS

EZEKIEL 20:11 (CEV)
I gave them my laws and teachings, so they would know how to live right.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8 (CEB)
...if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Focus on the things which please God and you'll do well.

PRAYER
Generous God, you've given us good instructions for life. Thank you. I confess that I allow some ugly thoughts to linger in my mind. When that happens, prompt me to focus on the beautiful things which please you. I'm going to focus on all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Amen.



Thursday, October 7, 2021

STAY SOLID

PSALM 86:11 (CEB)
Teach me your way, LORD,
so that I can walk in your truth.
Make my heart focused
only on honoring your name.


HEBREWS 13:9 (CEB)
Don’t be misled by the many strange teachings out there.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Stay solid by focusing on honoring only the Lord.

PRAYER
God, you are a good teacher. Any mislearning that is going on is my own fault. I allow myself to get caught up in the excitement generated by charismatic personalities. Keep me focused on serving you so that I can let all the nonsense bounce off me like water from a duck. I just want to honor you. Amen.


Wednesday, October 6, 2021

PATIENT

JOEL 2:13 (MSG)
God is kind and merciful.
He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot,
This most patient God, extravagant in love,
always ready to cancel catastrophe.


1 THESSALONIANS 5:9-10 (MSG)
God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him!

SUMMARY SENTENCE
It's a good thing that God is so patient with us.

PRAYER
Loving God, thank you for being so patient with us. I confess that I often don't give you enough credit. It's hard to believe that you would put up with so much. Show me how I can patiently communicate this good news with the people around me. I'm going to live a life defined by your kindness and mercy. 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 -- 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)

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)

NRSV = New Revised Standard Version (© 1989 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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