The History of Daily Texts The tradition of the Daily Texts
began in 1722 when Nicolaus Ludwig Count von Zinzendorf
(1700-1760) offered his property to provide shelter for
religious refugees arriving from Bohemia and Moravia. This
settlement became known as Herrnhut, meaning “under the watch of
the Lord.” This community of believers shared morning and
evening devotions, consciously placing their lives under the
Lord’s watch by sharing Bible verses together. During the
evening service on May 3, 1728, Zinzendorf gave his congregation
a losung, or “watchword.” Zinzendorf intended for this verse to
shape the conversation in the homes in Herrnhut the next day.
Thus was born the notion of the daily texts. These texts would
come to shape the life of this community. In 1731, Zinzendorf
compiled 365 watchwords from his reading of the Old Testament,
creating the first complete book of Daily Texts. From its
inception, the purpose of the Daily Texts has been to provide a
message that is “new every morning” (Lam. 3:23) to