Standing Still: Exodus 14

 

Exodus 14:13-14 – “Do not be afraid! Stand firm and witness the victory the Lord will win for you…. The Lord God will fight for you. All you have to do is keep still.”

That sounds easy enough, Lord, but sometimes we get squirmier than a hyperactive child. Sometimes we topple quicker than a toddler. Please steady our feet and help us to stand firm in faith.

Thank You, God, for promising to go to battle for us. Help us to discern Your hand in our lives. Help us to dwell in peace, knowing we can always trust You to do what You say.

 

Mary Harwell Sayler

from Kneeling on the Promises of God 

 

Revelation 6:10 – a prayer of the martyrs

 

O Sovereign Lord,

holy and true –

how long will it be

before You judge

the people of this world

and bring justice

for what they have done?

Mary Harwell Sayler
paraphrase of Revelation 6:10
in the Book of Bible Prayers

…

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, Who sees us and knows our concerns, we ask You to bring justice to our churches, communities, and countries and shower us with mercy, forgiveness, and healing. Strengthen our faith and bring us peace in Jesus’ Name. Praise You, Lord! Thank You.

…

 

A Prayer of Spiritual Beings

 

Holy, holy, holy!

Lord, God Almighty –

worthy are You

to receive glory

and honor and power,

for You created all things,

and by Your will,

all things exist.

 

Mary Harwell Sayler
paraphrase of Revelation 4:8,11
in the Book of Bible Prayers

 

 

A prayer of Jude

 

Lord, 

may mercy,

peace,

and love

be

lavished

upon us:

we who have been called,

we who are loved by God the Father,

we who are kept safe in Jesus Christ.

 

Mary Harwell Sayler
paraphrase of Jude 1:1-2
in the Book of Bible Prayers

Mourning then Mercy

 

Zechariah 12:10 – “And I will pour a spirit of mercy and compassion on My people, and they shall look on Him Whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps over a firstborn.”

 

Lord God, Heavenly Father, we can’t begin to imagine how much You suffered! Lifted high on the cross for all to look upon, Your Son felt the nails, brutally piercing His hands and feet. Below the cross His mother wept, and surely You did too.

Thinking about this moment also draws our tears, but only momentarily for we know the ending. We know Jesus Christ arose from the dead, appeared to many, comforted His mother and followers, and ascended into Heaven, where He pours out His Holy Spirit of mercy and compassion onto His people – onto us! Praise God!

from the book, Kneeling on the Promises of God

 

In the Amen of Jesus

 2 Corinthians 1:20 – “In Christ, every promise of God finds its ‘Yes!’ And also through Him is our ‘Amen!’ for the glory of God through us.”

 

Here it is, Lord – the theme and purpose of this book! Help us to hear and receive this wondrous word in ever greater measure.

The promises You made throughout the pages of the Bible find their answer – their “yes!” in Your Son, Jesus Christ. When we meditate on Your promises and claim them personally in prayer, they find their “yes” – their “amen!” in us too.

Praise You, Lord, for fulfilling Your promises in the Name of Jesus, Whose life, death, and resurrection  restored us into fellowship with You, our innermost selves, and Your beloved church Body of Christ.

Let nothing mar our belief in Your promises, Lord, for each promise is Your prayer for us! 

(c) Mary Harwell Sayler from her book, Kneeling on the Promises of God

A joyful prayer of Habakkuk

 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

 

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and no grapes huddle together on the vines….

Even though olive crops dry up,
and fields lie fruitless and empty….

Even though flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns stand empty,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation
For You, Sovereign Lord, are my strength!

You make me as surefooted as a deer,
able to leap across high places.

 

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations researched on Bible Gateway then paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Sayler