Colossians 1:14-19 – a prayer of Paul

 

God, fill Your people

with the knowledge of Your will,

so we’ll have the spiritual wisdom

and understanding we need.

 

May we live lives worthy of You, Lord.

 

May we please You in every way:

bearing fruit in each good work,

growing in our knowledge of You,

being strengthened

through Your glorious might

with the power we need.

 

May we have the ability

to be patient and endure,

giving joyful thanks to You, Father,

for You have qualified us

to share in Your gifts

with all Your people

in Your kingdom of light,

for You have rescued us

from the clutches of darkness,

and You have brought us

into the kingdom of Your beloved Son

in Whom we have been redeemed –

in Whom we have been forgiven.

 

Mary Harwell Sayler

from the Book of Bible Prayers 

 

 

 

 

God Prays for Us and All Creation!

 

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. The Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters, and God said, ‘Let there be’...“Genesis 1:1-3.

The Bible starts with that beautifully poetic account of creation in Genesis. You heard it as far back as you can remember and probably know, too, that the word “amen” means “let it be or “so be it.”

So let us be aware of God as the First One Ever to pray!

 

●       The very first Bible prayers began in the beginning with God’s voice, saying, “Let there be….”  God prayed for the whole universe to come into existence, and it did. And a blessed part of that world includes you and me!

 

●       The “Amen” of God continues to call us to be spiritually alive. Day by day, let us be more and more truly ourselves as the Lord intended. And it is good.

 

●       Let us be in constant prayer aligned with God’s Will with and in Jesus’ Name.

 

Amen.

 

[Note: In Luke 1:38, Mary received the angel’s message from God, requesting her consent to become the Mother of His Son. She responded with this prayer, and Jesus Christ was conceived.]

“Here I am, Lord!

Let it be to me

as You have said.”

...

May we pray the same for ourselves, each other, and all creation!

Praying for those who labor

 

Matthew 11:28-30 – Jesus promised, “Come to Me you who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

How often do we place unnecessary loads on our own shoulders, Lord, or struggle to do jobs that aren’t ours but Yours? How often do we let our ambitions and egos get in the way of Your Way?

Help us to be kindly taskmasters toward ourselves and other people over whom we have influence.
 

Help us to recognize and receive Your easy yoke without squirming or flinching or trying to shift the light weight we’re to carry onto someone else.

Thank You, Lord, for promising a reward of rest to Your followers. Help us to rest easy in You.

 

 

from Kneeling on the Promises of God 

Mary Harwell Sayler