Tuesday, January 19, 2021

WHO DOES GOD BLESS?

ISAIAH 61:2 (CEV)
The LORD has sent me
to comfort those who mourn...


MATTHEW 5:4 (NLT)
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.


SUMMARY SENTENCE
Let's follow God whose heart moves him toward all who are experiencing loss.

PRAYER
Thank you, God, for your constant presence. You are with us in both good and bad times. I confess to ignoring people who struggle with grief over their life situations. I don't know what to say most of the time and it's all very draining. It's so much easier to gravitate toward those who appear blessed. Please give me a big heart for those who are struggling. Give me the words to say and the wisdom for when I should be there saying nothing. I'm eager to participate in your blessing as both a giver and receiver. Amen.

Monday, January 18, 2021

GLORY TO THE CREATOR

NEHEMIAH 9:6 (MSG)
You’re the one,
GOD, you alone;
You made the heavens,
the heavens of heavens, and all angels;
The earth and everything on it,
the seas and everything in them;
You keep them all alive;
heaven’s angels worship you!


ROMANS 11:36 (MSG)
Everything comes from him;
Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him.
Always glory! Always praise!
Yes. Yes. Yes.


SUMMARY SENTENCE
God alone is the source and power behind all that is; so God alone is worthy of our undivided attention and worship.

PRAYER
Creator of heaven and earth, I join the heavenly multitudes in worshipping you. Your glory is beheld in all of creation. I join the stars, the planets, the animals, and the sea creatures in praising you. I join them in thanking you for life. To you be honor and glory forever. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

Sunday, January 17, 2021

JOY

The Second Sunday after Epiphany

NEHEMIAH 8:10 (MSG)
He continued, “Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don’t have anything: This day is holy to God. Don’t feel bad. The joy of GOD is your strength!”

2 CORINTHIANS 6:4, 10 (NLT)
In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God...Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
The joy that comes from God is what gets us through the difficult times.

PRAYER
Thank you, God, for wrapping your arms around us when we're feeling down because of the craziness in life. Forgive me for losing sight of your blessings. Lift me up and show me again just how rich I am and how to spread the wealth with those in need. I'm going to find joy in serving you. Amen.

Saturday, January 16, 2021

PROTECTION

PSALM 121:5-6 (MSG)
GOD’s your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.


JOHN 17:15 (CEV)
Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
God is there for you and your protection.

PRAYER
God, thank you for shielding me from danger. Sometimes I feel like it would be better to bail on the world and the insanity which reigns here. But I realize that you know better and that you have a purpose for keeping us here. Continue to protect us from the harmful effects of the system around us. I want to live faithfully in the midst of it all. I'm trusting that this is possible with you by my side. Amen.

DAILYTEXTS.ORG

*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)

EEB = EasyEnglish Bible (©2015, MissionAssist)

ERV = Easy-To-Read Version (©2006, World Bible Translation Center)

GNT = Good News Translation (©1992, American Bible Society)

MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)

NCB = New Catholic Bible (©2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp.)

NCV = New Century Version (©2005, Thomas Nelson Inc)

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)

NRSV = New Revised Standard Version (© 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

NTE = New Testament for Everyone (©2011 Nicolas Thomas Wright.)

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