So return to your God.
Patiently trust him,
and show love and justice. ~ Hosea 12:6 (CEV)
You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message that is planted in you to save you. ~ James 1:21 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Turn away from everything that is wrong and turn toward God -- embracing his message of love and justice.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, you have planted your message in my life. For that, I'm eternally grateful. I have not turned away from all that is wrong as thoroughly or as quickly as I should. Help me to accelerate the pace of repentance so that I can be fully aligned with the message that you've implanted in me. Amen.
Elijah told everyone to gather around him while he repaired the Lord’s altar. ~ 1 Kings 18:30 (CEV)
So let’s strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up. ~ Romans 14:19 (CEB)
KEY THOUHGT:
Strive to pull people together rather than assisting them in tearing each other apart.
PRAYER:
You, Lord Jesus, are the Prince of Peace. I don't understand how it is that I'm still so eager to tear down those with whom I disagree. Help me to shift gears so that my default approach to every situation is to serve as a hotspot for your peace. In your name I'm going to become a peacemaker. Amen.
I, the Lord God, say you shepherds of Israel are doomed! You take care of yourselves while ignoring my sheep. ~ Ezekiel 34:2b (CEV)
Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. ~ Philippians 2:4 (CEB)
KEY THOUGHT:
Pour your life into caring for others.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for guiding my life. I wish that I could be better at caring for others in the way you have cared for me. But I'm influenced by the cultural priority of self-first. I repent of that ungodly nonsense and ask that you would shape me to be a good "shepherd" of all the people within my realm of influence. Using the loving heart that you give me I'm going to focus more on caring for others. Amen.
The 19th Sunday after Pentecost
I’ll make a covenant with them that will last forever, a covenant to stick with them no matter what, and work for their good. I’ll fill their hearts with a deep respect for me so they’ll not even think of turning away from me. ~ Jeremiah 32:40
Everything then depends on God’s mercy and not on what people want or do. ~ Romans 9:16 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The good news for us is that our relationship with God is based entirely on what he does for us and not at all on what we do or want to do.
PRAYER:
Merciful God, thank you for your promises and how you have been faithful in fulfilling them. Even though I know in my mind that our relationship rests on you, I still get caught up in trying to prove my worthiness. Help me to lean soley on your faithfulness so that as you change me I'll be totally focused on obeying you. 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)
