A Bible prayer to begin Advent

This year, Advent began on the first day of December and will continue to Christmas week. The timing is appropriate since the very word “Advent” comes from a Latin root, which means “come” or “coming.” Therefore, this special season of the church calls on Christians from every part of the Body of Christ to prepare the way for the Lord in our individual and corporate lives. May Paul's prayer help us to get started in this year’s adventure into Advent:

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, 28 – a prayer of Paul

Dear God,

sanctify us through and through –

through You –

our God of peace.

May our whole bodies,

souls, and spirits

be free of blame

at the coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

for You are faithful

and can do anything!

May the grace

of our Lord Jesus Christ

be with us all.

from the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers collected from the Bible and paraphrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

For those who prefer the King James Version of the Bible, here’s the same prayer, directly quoted from KJV.

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, 28 – a prayer of Paul

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;

and I pray God your whole spirit and soul

and body be preserved blameless unto

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Amen.

From the Book of KJV Prayers – actual prayers collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019, from the King James Version of the Bible

…

Praying for Christ to be glorified in you!

And so, with the Apostle Paul:

we’re always praying
for God to make you worthy of His calling,
fulfilling every good purpose
and every work of faith
by His power.

And then, the Name
of Jesus Christ our Lord
will be glorified in you –
and you in Him,
by the grace of God and Christ Jesus.


Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2018, prayer-a-phrased 2 Thessalonians 11-12 using scriptures from various translations provided by Bible Gateway.

…

Praying for Christians everywhere

Colossians 1:9-14

Since we first heard about you,
we’ve been praying
and asking God to fill you
with spiritual wisdom,
insight,
and understanding
so you may walk in a way
that’s worthy and pleasing
to the Lord – bearing
the fruit of good work
and growing in knowledge of God.

May you be strengthened
with all power
according to God’s glorious might.

May you endure
with patience and joy,
giving thanks to our Father,
Who has qualified and enabled you
to share with the saints –
the inheritance of God’s holy people
who live in The Light.

May our Father rescue you from
the power of darkness
and transport you into the Kingdom
of the Son Who Is Loved, Who
loves you,
forgives sin and
redeems.


©2015, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Colossians, using a variety of translations found on Bible Gateway.

Praying for unity in Christ

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

May God our Father
and our Lord Jesus
bring us
together soon!

May the Lord
make our love
grow and overflow
for one another.

May He strengthen
our hearts to be holy
and blameless before
our Father God
at the coming of
our Lord Jesus
with all the saints.


© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s Bible reading in 1 Thessalonians from translations found on Bible Gateway. For an earlier version of these verses, see "Apostle Paul prays on and onto us."


Come, Lord Jesus! Maranatha – our Lord come!

…

Bible prayer on Halloween

The Apostle Paul’s prayer for the church in Philippi extends to us in today’s Bible reading as a timely word of remembrance, encouragement, and blessings found in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May the grace and peace of God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Every time I remember you,
I thank my God.

Every day I pray for you with joy –
from the first day until now –
for your coming together in the Gospel
gives confidence
that the good work
God began in you
will come to completion
in the day of Christ Jesus.

It’s right to think this way
as our hearts hold us together
in the Grace of God,
binding us and confining us
to defend and confirm the Good News.

For God is my witness
that I long for you all
from the very depths of Christ.

And this is my prayer:

That your love may grow and grow
in knowledge and insight,
so you may know what’s best
and discern what’s of value,

becoming genuine and guiltless
each day in Christ
as you're filled
with the fruit of righteousness,
given to you through Christ Jesus
to bring glory and praise to God.


© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased this poem from today’s Bible Reading in Philippians 1:1-11, drawing from many of the translations on Bible Gateway and also her previous prayer-a-phrase, which appeared last year, entitled “May the peace of the Lord be with us.”


…

May the peace of the Lord be with us

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi and beyond:

May the grace and peace of God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Every time I remember you,
I thank my God.

Every day I pray for you with joy –
from the first day until now –
for your fellowship in the Gospel
gives confidence
that the good work
God began in you
will come to completion
in the day of Jesus Christ.

It’s right to think this way
as our hearts hold us together
in the Grace of God,
confining us to defend and confirm
the Gospel.

With God as my witness, I long for you
to have the compassion of Jesus Christ.

And this is my prayer:
That your love may abound more and more
with full knowledge and insight,
so you may know what’s best
and be sincere
without offending Christ –
filled with the fruit of righteousness
which comes to you through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.


© 2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of today’s Daily Bible Reading in Philippians 1:1-11


...

The Bible calls us to pray

On all occasions
at all times
with all kinds of requests,
pray
in the Spirit.

Keep alert!
Keep on praying and praying
for the people of God.

And pray also for me
that whenever I speak,
words may be given
as a message from God

bravely revealing
the mystery of the Gospel
to which I am bound to be
an ambassador.


© 2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 18-20


..

Paul's prayer for us and the church

I (the Apostle Paul)
have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love toward all who believe in Him,
and so I cannot stop myself
from giving thanks for you
every time I pray!

And, oh, how I pray
for God the Father of Glory
in our Lord Jesus Christ
to give you
the Spirit of Wisdom
and reveal to you
the knowledge you need
so your enlightened heart will know
and acknowledge
the hope to which you are called.

Oh, what riches God gives
to the people of God!

Oh, what vast and endless power
we have when we believe
in the work of God

for God put this power to work
in Christ
when God raised Him from the dead
and seated Him

as Truth

in heavenly places
far above all earthly laws

and above all rulers and authorities
and powers of every kind –

above every name –
not only now but in times to come.

For God has put all things under
the feet of Christ
and made Him the head
over all things of the church,
which is the Body of Christ,
full of God,
Who fills us all with all we need.

© 2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrased poem from Ephesians 1:15-23

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Apostle Paul prays on and onto us

How can we thank God enough for you?
What joy we have before God
because of you!

Night and day
we pray and pray
to see your face and your faith

not lacking.

Oh, may our God and Father guide us
back to you.

And may the LORD cause your love
to increase and prosper
for each other and for all!

Oh, how our love abounds for you!

May God strengthen your very hearts
in holiness
and keep you unfettered and free
in the Holy Spirit, kept

blameless before our God and Father
when our LORD Jesus Christ comes
with all the saints

in whose sure company
you surely belong.

© 2012, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 prayer-a-phrase by Mary Sayler

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