THE 9th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Some people trust the power
of chariots or horses,
but we trust you, Lord God. ~ Psalm 20:7 (CEV)
Christ Jesus is kind, and you must let him make you strong. ~ 2 Timothy 2:1b (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Trust in Christ rather than strategic advantage.
PRAYER:
Almighty -- yet kind -- God, my goal is to trust in your great grace. I'm tempted to trust in other things -- and sometimes I do -- power, wit, brains, even weapons... Retrain me to disregard all those things so that I'm looking only to you to get me through the challenges that life throws at me. I'm going to trust Christ -- day in and day out -- always. Amen.
Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. ~ Genesis 2:7 (NLT)
Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. ~ Ephesians 2:10 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God created us and gave us life so we can live according to his plan.
PRAYER:
Creator God, you have breathed life into us a second time through Christ Jesus. Thank you for giving me life. Now, guide me so that I'm truly living and doing the things you want me to do. I confess that I've got my own agenda for my life. Help me to line my agenda up with your agenda so that I am living according to your plan and purpose. Amen.
Then I will purify them
and put them to the test,
just as gold and silver
are purified and tested. ~ Zechariah 13:9a (CEV)
But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope. ~ Romans 5:3b-4 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Difficulties can be a part of the process of shaping our character.
PRAYER:
Lord, I really struggle with the idea that hard times are good for me. I'm tempted to shut down when there is trouble. Help me to embrace the challenges and receive them as tools for shaping my character. I'm looking forward to becoming more godly. Amen.
Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion, people are made great and given strength. ~ 1 Chronicles 29:12b (NLT)
Jesus' disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he had a child stand there beside him. ~ Luke 9:46-47 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God chooses who will become great. He works with humble people.
PRAYER:
Generous God, I'm amazed by the people whom you choose to do great things. I think that I am too ambitious to become great. Fill my heart with humility so that you can use me in great ways. I'm not so interested in great recognition but I'd be honored to be a part of Jesus' kigdom. 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)
