The 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
Finally, they cried out to the Lord for help, saying, "We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God..." ~ Judges 10:10 (NLT)
He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins. ~ Colossians 1:13-14 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
God responds to our rescue requests.
PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for being so responsive to our need for rescue. I am especially grateful that you sent Jesus into the world to set us free from the forces of darkness. I confess that I am slow to ask for help and I'm not as responsive to you as I should be. Help me to live fully according to the unique freedom that rolls in with your kingdom agenda. I'm going to live! Amen.
You will judge the whole earth
and give power and strength
to your chosen king. ~ 1 Samuel 2:10 (CEV)
When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats. ~ Matthew 25:31-32 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The fact that Jesus is sovereign over all will become apparent.
PRAYER:
Alighty King! You are worthy of all recognition. Even though I'm half-hearted in the way that I currently honor you, I ask that you would give me guidance so that I'm living now in a way that is consistent with your coming ascension to the throne. I'm going to be fully with you when you do your judging. Amen.
The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet. ~ Proverbs 10:19 (GNT)
With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on. ~ James 3:9-10 (MSG)
KEY THOUGHT:
If we want to honor God we have to cut way back on how much we talk and govern what we say when we do.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for speaking. I value your Word -- your direction and guidance. But I still talk too much. Help me to control my mouth. I want the words I do speak to bless you and everyone around me. Amen.
Lord, please save us!
Lord, please let us succeed! ~ Psalm 118:25 (CEB)
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. ~ Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Our success in life totally depends on God.
PRAYER:
Powerful God, thank you for working in my life. I want to be a part of what you're doing but I get all caught up in circumstances and go rogue at times. Help me to stay calm and to trust you to work things out. I'm going to be one of YOUR success stories. 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)
