Thursday, January 21, 2021

WHOLE HEALTH

GENESIS 2:7 (CEV)
The LORD God took a handful of soil and made a man. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing.

3 JOHN 2 (NTE)
Beloved, I pray that all is going well with you, and that you are every bit as healthy physically as you are spiritually.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
God is interested in the health of the whole person.

PRAYER
Source of life, thank you for that first breath that formed human life. Thank you for breathing life into me and all living things. The breath of your love assures me that all is well with my soul. Give me boldness to breathe your love into others that all may be well with their souls. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

OPEN ROAD FREEDOM

2 SAMUEL 22:37 (NLT)
You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.


2 CORINTHIANS 3:17 (CEV)
The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord’s Spirit sets us free.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Trust God's Spirit to move you forward.

PRAYER
Spirit of the living God, thank you for the freedom that you have created for us. I confess, though, that I don't take full advantage of that freedom. I allow myself to become trapped by anxiety over my health and the future. Show me again the wide highway in front of me. And help me to trust you to propel me along the open road. I'm going to let go of my fears and trust you. Amen.

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)

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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