My God, I want to do what you want.
Your teachings are in my heart. ~ Psalm 40:8 (NCV)
Loving God means obeying his commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us... ~ 1 John 5:3 (NCV)
KEY IDEA:
Love of God that counts involves allowing him to shape the way we live.
PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for all of the instructions you give us. I'm slow to catch on but if you'll help me I'm sure that your love will make me more loving in how I think and live. I'm going to allow your direction, which comes to us through your story, to shape my life. Amen.
You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done. ~ Psalm 92:4 (NLT)
Jesus then said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk home.”
At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God. ~ Luke 5:24b-25 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
We become joyful as we realize what God is doing for us.
PRAYER:
Merciful and generous God, once again I'm thrilled to be on the receiving end of your generosity. Give me eyes to see at least some of what you are doing for me. I want to become better at joyously expressing my gratitude. Amen.
I will bring a gift
and offer a sacrifice
to you, Lord.
I will praise your name
because you are good. ~ Psalm 54:6 (CEV)
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God is generous. Praise him!
PRAYER:
Merciful God, I'm grateful for your generosity. And I am ready to worship you. This is true right now because I am thinking about you and what you've done. But in reality, my worship is sporadic because I get so caught up in the moment that I neglect to pause, reflect, and express appreciation for all your gifts. Please send me reminders. I want to be one of the people who faithfully praises you. Amen.
The 24th Sunday after Pentecost
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. ~ Deuteronomy 6:5 (CEB)
Paul writes: I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ~ Ephesians 3:16-17 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Sink your roots deeply into God's love because his love is deep enough to sustain you.
PRAYER:
Dearest God, your love is so big that no one could measure it. That's good for me because you have enough love so that people like me, who don't really take full advantage of what you give, can still be loved. Help me to sink the roots of my life deeper into your love so that I can grow strong and healthy. 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)
