Monday, May 27, 2024

YOUR FULL POTENTIAL

PSALM 60:12 (MSG)
In God we’ll do our very best;
he’ll flatten the opposition for good.


ROMANS 12:1 (MSG)
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Through our connection with Christ we can live into our full potential. 

DAILY FODDER
If we can be all we're meant to be through Christ, what gets in the way of that? 

PRAYER
Creator of all, you imaginatively formed humanity to be a reflection of your goodness and grace. I regret that I am often a poor reflection of your holiness. Help me, Lord, to be a living sacrifice to you and others. May your presence guide my days and ways as I offer my life to you. Amen. (Daily TextsGround Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.
Give us enough food for today.
Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. 
Amen.

Sunday, May 26, 2024

BIG-HEARTED GOD

Trinity Sunday

PSALM 10:14 (CEV)
But you see the trouble
and the distress,
and you will do something.
The poor can count on you,
and so can orphans.


LUKE 13:12-13 (CEV)
When Jesus saw the woman, he called her over and said, “You are now well.” He placed his hands on her, and at once she stood up straight and praised God.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
We can count on God seeing our troubles and appropriately responding.

DAILY FODDER
What are the troubles that you are hoping God will notice?

PRAYER
All-seeing and all-compassionate God, I'm grateful that nothing slips by you and that your heart is big enough to care. Forgive me for acting as though I have to solve all the problems that come my way. Help me to embrace you as the big-hearted problem solver. I'm going look your way because I know that you're looking my way. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.
Give us enough food for today.
Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. 
Amen.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

ACKNOWLEDGING WEAKNESS

PSALM 41:1 (CEB)
But me? I said, “LORD, have mercy on me!
Heal me because I have sinned against you.”


1 CORINTHIANS 15:9-10 (CEB)
I’m the least important of the apostles. I don’t deserve to be called an apostle, because I harassed God’s church. I am what I am by God’s grace, and God’s grace hasn’t been for nothing.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Once we acknowledge our sinfulness, we can start to appropriate God's grace.

DAILY FODDER
Why is it that God's grace becomes effective in our lives after we acknowledge our sinfulness and weakness?

PRAYER
Merciful God, thank you for your grace as it has been poured into my life through Christ Jesus. Forgive me for the times I think I'm better than I am and that I can make a good life on my own. Keep me self-aware. I'm going to stay tuned in to your grace. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.
Give us enough food for today.
Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. 
Amen.

Friday, May 24, 2024

SERVING CHRIST ALONE

JOSHUA 24:16 (MSG)
The people answered, “We’d never forsake GOD! Never! We’d never leave GOD to worship other gods.

JOHN 6:68 (MSG)
Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life."

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Don't let anything or anyone distract you from serving God alone.   

DAILY FODDER
What kinds of things are likely to distract you from serving God? 

PRAYER
Lord God, you alone are worthy of my allegiance and attention. But we live in a world defined by distractions — distractions that occasionally draw my attention away from you and your mission. I know it's not enough to simply say "I'm not going to let MY focus drift." I need your help. Pour out your Spirit on my broken and unfocused life so that I can continue to serve you — you alone. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.
Give us enough food for today.
Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. 
Amen.

DAILYTEXTS.ORG

*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS

The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2011 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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