From now on every road you travel
Will take you to God.
Follow the Covenant signs;
Read the charted directions.
~ Psalm 25:10 (MSG)
Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. ~ Luke 16:10 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Faithfulness in small matters is a great predictor of faithfulness in larger matters. So begin by paying attention to the small seemingly insignificant things.
PRAYER:
Lord, I get discouraged when I'm not given more responsibility or power. I know that I can do better than most people at handling the big things. I know that while I haven't done so well with a lot of the small things, if you give me a chance with the big stuff I'll really rise to the occasion. You have to give me the chance to prove myself. Lord, show me if there is something wrong with how I'm seeing all this. And set me on the right road. Amen.
He will speak peace to the nations. ~ Zechariah 9:10 (CEB)
In every country God accepts anyone who worships him and does what is right. You know the message that God has sent to the people of Israel is the Good News that peace has come through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lord of all people! ~ Acts 10:35-36 (NCV)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus' message of peace is for the people of all nations.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, you are over all creation. Your message is for people from everywhere and you want to bring peace to all these people. I've heard this so much over the years that the awesomeness of this message doesn't grab me as much as it should. Shake me from my indifference and send me out to tell people the good news. I'm going to be a messenger of your peace. Amen.
The 6th Sunday after Pentecost
My honor and salvation come from God. ~ Psalm 62:7 (NCV)
I have prayed for you that your faith won’t fail. ~ Luke 22:32 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God sustains his people.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, it seems that my faith is always on the brink of failure. There are just so many challenges.
I get discouraged. Pray for me as you prayed for Peter so that my faith can remain strong. I know that the only way it will happen is if it all comes through you. I am depending on you alone. And I am grateful for your dependability.
Amen.
Moses said to the Lord: "And remember that this nation is your very own people." ~ Exodus 33:13 (NLT)
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever he has gathered all of his sheep, he goes before them and they follow him, because they know his voice. ~ John 10:3-4 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God leads people.
PRAYER:
All competent God, thank you for being personally involved with people. You are a hands-on leader.
I confess that I'm not easy to lead. But that doesn't stop you from calling me to follow you. Give me, please, the extra help I need to stick close behind you. With your enabling power, I will do my best to follow. Amen.
*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)
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)
