PSALM 41:1 (TPT)
God always blesses those who are kind to the poor and helpless.
They’re the first ones God helps when they find themselves in any trouble.
MATTHEW 5:7 (NLT)
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God blesses those who show mercy to broken people.
PRAYER
Merciful God, be gracious to me and heal me. I cheapen myself when I fail to share your mercy and refuse to see the mercy others give to me. When I lose myself in thoughts of scarcity and distrust, I easily turn strangers into enemies. Help me to be with impoverished ones today as we share in your abundance. Amen. (Daily Text, Ground Up Grace edition)
ISAIAH 45:8 (MSG)
Open up, heavens, and rain.
Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness!
Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation;
sprout right living.
I, GOD, generate all this.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:10 (MSG)
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God blesses us with more than what we need.
PRAYER
Generous God, I'm grateful that you are the God of abundance. There is never a shortage when dealing with you. Sometimes I let my imagination run wild and begin to think I need something I don't actually need. Pull me back to reality and remind me of all the ways that you are blessing me with more than what is necessary. I'm going to celebrate your generosity. Amen.
PSALM 10:14 (MSG)
But you know all about it—
the contempt, the abuse.
I dare to believe that the luckless
will get lucky someday in you.
You won’t let them down:
orphans won’t be orphans forever.
MARK 9:22 (CEB)
Father of a sick child to Jesus: "If you can do anything, help us! Show us compassion!"
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Jesus extends God's compassion to the hopeless.
PRAYER
I'm encouraged, God, when I read about the ways that you extend yourself to care for the people living without hope. I confess that I can be a bit of a fatalist. I find it hard to believe that things can change for some people. Restore my hope and give me a word of genuine encouragement for those who need it. I'm going to overflow with hope. Amen.
ISAIAH 52:12 (CEV)
You won’t need to run.
No one is chasing you.
The LORD God of Israel
will lead and protect you
from enemy attacks.
JOHN 14:3 (ICB)
After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you to be with me so that you may be where I am.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Don't worry; God is with his people.
PRAYER
Resurrected Lord, you lead me in protected retreat and courageous advance. Fed by your grace I move in your world, with a foot in the kingdom and a foot on this vulnerable earth, where grief and fears fester in human hearts. Today, give me the beautiful feet of a messenger dancing your word to the ends of the earth. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)
*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)
