You've found your safe place by setting up house with the High God. ~ Psalm 91:9 (ABP)
With that kind of hope to excite us, nothing holds us back. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:12 (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCE We're in a good place with God.
PRAYER Holy God, when I am mindful of your presence, I am so strong and confident. I could easily surrender my life and treasure. Alas, I confess I am mostly aware of myself and all that concerns me. Teach me to hope in your infinite grace, and to act wih your infinite love, in Jesus' name. Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Ministries edition)
I’m going to step in and shock them awake,
astonish them, stand them on their ears.
The wise ones who had it all figured out
will be exposed as fools.
The smart people who thought they knew everything
will turn out to know nothing.
~ Isaiah 29:14 (MSG)
The next Sabbath he taught in the Jewish meeting place. Many of the people who heard him were amazed and asked, “How can he do all this? Where did he get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles?" ~ Mark 6:2 (CEV)
SUMMARY SENTENCE Jesus' wisdom stands conventional wisdom on its head.
PRAYER Living Word, you expose us as fools just by being with us. I confess that I participate in the arrogance of the world. I can be a know-it-all at times. I know that it might be a hard lesson but I need you to teach me humility. I want to become a mature and genuine follower of Jesus. Amen.
“Out of sight, out of mind,” I said.
But you heard me say it,
you heard and listened. ~ Psalm 31:22 (MSG)
They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.” ~ Mark 10:46-49a (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCEJesus hears and sees what we can't.
PRAYER Thank you, Jesus, for hearing my cries for help and stopping. Forgive me for worrying over what others might think of my situation. Restore my sight -- for I'm inclined to turn a blind eye toward that which makes me uncomfortable. I want to see the world through your eyes. Amen.
How far has the Lord taken
our sins from us?
Farther than the distance
from east to west! ~ Psalm 103:12
God's law simply amplified our failure -- our sin. But as they roared, his grace grew even louder, drowning out the noise. ~ Romans 5:20 (ABP)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
The grace of God overshadows our sin.
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for sending Christ Jesus into the world to tackle our sin problem. I confess that I still let sin get the best of me at times. I want to live into your grace, so flood my life with reminders of what you've done to disarm this enemy. 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)
