David told the crowd:
God chose my son Solomon to build the temple, but Solomon is young and has no experience. This is not just any building—this is the temple for the Lord God! ~ 1 Chronicles 29:11 (NCV)
Our Lord and God! You are the one and only potential recipient worthy of glorious recognition, the highest honor, and unbridled power. Everything that exists was created by you and apart from any influence outside you. ~ Revelation 4:11 (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
Give all recognition to God.
PRAYER:
You, Lord, are the one God -- the one truly worthy of our notice and our praise. I confess that I am impulsive and that I honor lesser powers. I get sucked into their worlds -- their frameworks for organizing life -- frameworks which don't properly acknowledge your role. Forgive me and help me to focus on you alone. I'm going to let you turn my life into one of your temples. Amen.
He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die,
and no one cared about his fate.
He was put to death for the sins of our people. ~ Isaiah 53:8 (GNT)
So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up. ~ Hebrews 12:3 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Don't get discouraged if people oppose you because of your beliefs. You're in good company.
PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, I can barely think about what you went through to win our release. But I am grateful. Help me to overcome the discouragement I experience when people think my faith is too extreme. I'm just going to see it all as a part of walking with you. Amen.
I must bear the raging of the Lord,
for I have sinned against him... ~ Micah 7:9 (CEB)
Be humble in the Lord’s presence, and he will honor you. ~ James 4:10 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Acknowledge your failures to the Lord and eventually he'll honor you.
PRAYER:
Lord, it's hard to admit that I sin so much -- that I'm such a failure. I should be further along in my walk with you but I'm not. That is just the reality of the situation. I need your mercy and grace. I thank you for your mercy and grace. And I look forward to the honor of serving you. Amen.
His names will be
Wonderful Advisor
and Mighty God,
Eternal Father
and Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6 (CEV)
Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?” ~ Matthew 16:15 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus is an awesome mystery -- beyond our ability to totally comprehend.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are the Wonderful Advisor, the Mighty God, Eternal Father, and the Prince of Peace. Forgive me for the times that I think I know what all of that means. But you do seem to want to know occasionally who I think you are. Frankly, my over-confidence in answering reveals more about me than about you. Keep me honest and growing so that I can know you more and more. 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)
