Monday, March 8, 2021

POWERFUL

2 CHRONICLES 14:11 (NRSV)
O LORD, you are our God; let no mortal prevail against you.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 (CEB)
So I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Align yourself with the all-powerful God.

PRAYER
God, you are unstoppable. I struggle to step forward even a little -- immobilized by fear and anxiety. Release your power into me. Even though I'm a weak individual I choose to align myself with you. Amen.

Sunday, March 7, 2021

PROCLAIM

The Third Sunday in Lent

JEREMIAH 1:17 (MSG)
Stand up and say your piece. Say exactly what I tell you to say.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:5 (CEV)
We are not preaching about ourselves. Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Our goal is that ultimately everything we say and do is about Jesus.

PRAYER
God, throughout the ages you have called people to share your messages with the world. Forgive me for the slow way in which I respond to this call in my setting. I worry that I might get it wrong or offend someone or that it will take over my life. Help me to proclaim that Jesus is Lord through all my words and actions. I'm going to look for you to lead me so that I can speak up. Amen.

Saturday, March 6, 2021

NEW KINGDOM

ISAIAH 60:3 (CEV)
Nations and kings
     will come to the light
     of your dawning day.


LUKE 11:2 (CEV)
Come and set up your kingdom.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Through Christ Jesus, God is resetting the world order -- and he invites us to become early investors.

PRAYER
Thank you, Gracious God, for not giving up on your creation. You have vowed to establish a new kingdom and you've invited us to participate. Forgive me for making my own little kingdom the top priority. Show me again how you want me to participate. I'm going to set aside my own agenda to adopt yours. Amen.

Friday, March 5, 2021

WORRY

PROVERBS 18:10 (MSG)
GOD’s name is a place of protection—
good people can run there and be safe.


PHILIPPIANS 4:6 (MSG)
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Turn to God with all your concerns and he'll keep you safe.

PRAYER
Over and over again, God, you take care of me. You help me navigate through difficult situations. Yet, over and over again my first response to trouble seems to be worry. I get so worked up over every problem -- as though I can change the outcome through my anxiety. I confess that I'm trying to be in charge. Help me to shift my attention your direction so that I can experience your protection once again. I'm going to give you my concerns -- all of them. 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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