Sunday, August 7, 2022

PAIN INTO JOY

The 9th Sunday after Pentecost

DANIEL 10:19 (NLT)
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

JOHN 16:20 (MSG)
You’ll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
God turns our pain into joy.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, you love us as no one else loves. Forgive me for doubting your love when I'm experiencing pain. The pain has a way of messing with my judgment and I lose perspective on things. Restore my confidence and internal peace. Adjust my outlook on life so that I'm fully trusting in you to transform the negative things I'm experiencing into positive growth for your kingdom and me. I'm trusting you. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

STAY FOCUSED

DEUTERONOMY 4:9 (MSG)
Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live.

REVELATION 3:3 (MSG)
Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Stay focused on what God has revealed to us and let it change your life.

PRAYER
Vigilant God, I'm grateful that you never let down your guard as you watch over us. I'm sorry that my lazy mind has trouble maintaining focus on your protective directions. Please continue to remind me of what you want me to do so that I can continue to turn from everything else. I'm going to trust you to keep me on track. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Friday, August 5, 2022

DIVINELY-INFUSED BOLDNESS

PSALM 18:29 (NLT)
...with my God I can scale any wall.

2 TIMOTHY 1:7 (CEB)
God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
God empowers us to live out his plan.

PRAYER
Powerful God, thank you for sharing your power with us to do your work. I'm grateful to be included. I confess that I allow the obstacles in front of me to become a source of discouragement. Help me to boldly tap into your energy and to do so in a loving and self-controlled way. I'm going to face this day with divinely-infused boldness. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Thursday, August 4, 2022

WORRIES

2 KINGS 19:14 (CEB)
Hezekiah took the letters from the messengers and read them. Then he went to the temple and spread them out before the LORD.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 (ABP)
Don’t stress about anything. Focus, instead, on laying it all out in front of God. Offer up prayers requesting his resolution. And while you're at it make sure that your prayers are filled with words of gratitude.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Turn all your worries over to God.

PRAYER
Gracious God, thank you for listening. I admit that I still harbor anxious thoughts about the current situation and the future. I can't see how things will work out. I'm giving my worries over to you and am asking that you'd turn them into thanksgiving. I'm confident that you're working things out in the best possible way because you are both sovereign and caring. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name; your Kingdom come; your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. 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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