I long for you to rescue me!
Your word is my only hope. ~ Psalm 119:81 (CEV)
Jesus told the people who had faith in him, "If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples." ~ John 8:31 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
We realize hope through obedience.
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord, that you satisfy my longings and fill the void with hope. Forgive me for continuing in my word and will. Help me to see that through service comes the satisfaction of being called your disciple. In Jesus' name. Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Ministries edition)
He may cause injury and pain,
but he will bandage and heal
your cuts and bruises. ~ Job 5:18 (CEV)
Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s power so that he may raise you up in the last day. Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you. ~ 1 Peter 5:6-7 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God cares deeply for you.
PRAYER:
Lord, it is so easy to blame you for all the difficulties, while ignoring the ways that you heal us. Forgive me for focusing on only the small picture. Refresh my image of the big picture so that I can throw my anxieties on you. I'm going to trust in your healing touch. Amen.
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
Let the whole world bless our God
and loudly sing his praises. Our lives are in his hands,
and he keeps our feet from stumbling.~ Psalm 66:8-9 (NLT)
God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. ~ Ephesians 1:12 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Everyone in the world is called to honor Christ.
PRAYER:
God, you are worthy of all honor and respect from all people everywhere. Forgive me for acting as though I and my clan are more special and that we are the only ones honoring Christ in the proper way. Give me a fresh vision of your work around the world. I want to be a part of the world-wide choir singing the praise of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Praise God, everybody! Applaud God, all people! ~ Psalm 117:1 (MSG)
There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us. ~ Ephesians 4:6 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Our connection with God is the one thing we all have in common.
PRAYER:
God, you are our all-in-all. There is no one -- no thing like you. You are our common connection. Remind me of that when I become super competative as I am prone to do. I forget that people who are different are merely a unique expression of your creativity -- yet you still live in us all. I am going to work for unity. 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)
