Showing posts with label Bible Gateway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible Gateway. Show all posts

January 30, 2023

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 25, 2022

A Prayer of Comfort

 

In times of need, the prayer of God’s people in Psalm 94 reminds us to seek and confess the comfort God brings. We, the people of now, can find consolation in this same prayer for our nation. Pray for yourself, of course! Then change “my” to “our” and “I” to “we.” Pray, too, for other nations (“their” and “they”) who need God’s comfort.

 

Psalm 94:17-19 – a prayer of God’s people

Unless the Lord had been my help,
my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

When I said, My foot slippeth;
thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.

In the multitude of my thoughts
within me thy comforts delight my soul.


From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from KJV (the King James Version of the Bible) collected by Mary Sayler

 

Psalm 94:17-19 – a prayer of God’s people
in contemporary language

Unless You had been my help, Lord,
my soul would have lived in silence.

When I thought my foot slipped….
When I thought I was falling,
Your steady love,
Your unswerving mercy
held me up.

When I get anxious or
worried or upset,
You comfort my heart.
You console my soul.


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

 

 

April 29, 2022

Praying before we speak or write!


This prayer of David reminds us to seek God's guidance and inspiration before we say or write a single word! What a blessed way to start the day! 

Poets, writers, pastors, priests, caretakers, and other communicators for Christ might find, as I did, that Psalm 19:14 is especially relevant to our lives and the work God has given us to do.


Psalm 19:14 – a prayer of David

Let the words of my mouth
and the meditations of my heart
be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength
and my Redeemer.


Amen!


from the Book of Bible Prayers, researched on Bible Gateway and collected by Mary Sayler



February 19, 2022

Praying Bible promises

[This following post prefaces the book, Kneeling on the Promises of God, which came together with God's guidance and help from the research capabilities found on Bible Gateway.]

 

As you have likely heard, the hymn “Standing on the Promises” encourages us to trust God and take Him at His word. But from the very beginning of time, the matter of believing God arose in the Garden of Eden with the doubt-producing question, “Does God really mean what He says?” That contagious thought gave mankind an excuse to disobey, and distrust gave birth to death!

Now, as then, wariness of God brings uncertainty and the ongoing scramble to find, “Who can I trust?” Sometimes we can’t even trust ourselves! So where do we turn? Do we place faith in money, power, politics, institutions, traditions, or trends?

The trouble with those options is that people change their minds. Money changes hands and value. Political leaders come and go. Institutions become something unlike their original selves, and trends are, well, trendy. Facts get disproven as new information comes to light. Even the ground beneath our feet trembles, and stars careen from the sky. Everything changes! But God does not change, and neither does God’s word.

Mysteriously and paradoxically, the Holy Spirit is invisible to us yet the most solid matter. So, too, are the promises God gives – promises so stabilizing, we can build our whole lives on them. Promises so truthful and trustworthy, they can become the basis of our most powerful prayers. But why should we believe those promises? Why should we place our faith in God?

According to the Bible, God is Love – forgiving, compassionate love that can always be trusted to do what’s best for us and our spiritual well-being. Nothing and no one is greater, kinder, holier, or more trustworthy than God.  Nothing and no one can offer us more power or purpose for our lives. Once we realize we can totally trust the Lord, we can build our marriages, families, churches, and occupations on the promises God gives.

We can build our prayer lives on those promises too. We can take God at His word, knowing He agrees with our prayer requests because He has already promised the very things we claim or ask Him to do. Therefore, to kneel on a promise God made means claiming that promise and praying it into our lives.

To put this belief into practice, you’ll find heartfelt, conversational prayers following each Bible promise – promises found in each translation but paraphrased here into everyday English. These prayers are to give you an idea of how you, too, might kneel on the promises in God’s Word.

The hope is that relevant prayers will also come to you as you meditate on the scripture verses, and write down your prayers, claiming God’s promises in the space provided on the lower part of each page. But before doing this:

Pre-pare with pre-prayer! 

Pray for the prayers to pray.

Regardless of our denominational affiliations or cultural backgrounds, let’s agree to stand on the promises of God throughout our lives and kneel on those promises as we claim God’s Word each day and night in prayer.

May God bless you and your prayer life in the Lord!

Mary Harwell Sayler

Kneeling on the Promises of God


December 29, 2021

Jesus teaches us how to pray


Many Christians regularly pray the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father, and many churches include Jesus’ prayer in Sunday services, daily mass, or other times of worship. Throughout the week, however, and throughout the year, we can use this beautiful prayer “as is” or as an outline for whoever or whatever God brings to mind as we pray each phrase or line.

The prayer most often memorized or recited comes from the Gospel of Matthew, but Luke recorded the following version:

Luke 11:2-4 – a prayer of Jesus
from the King James Version of the Bible

And (Jesus) said unto them,
When ye pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins;
for we also forgive every one
that is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Sayler

 

Luke 11:2-4 – a prayer of Jesus
paraphrased into contemporary English

Father in heaven,
may Your Name
be kept holy among us.

Bring us into Your kingdom. 

Give us bread for the day.

Forgive us
as we forgive those who
have wronged us.

Keep us from temptation.

Deliver us
from a time of hard trials.

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


Amen!

Have a blessed New Year!

 

© 2021-2022, Mary Sayler

 


December 19, 2021

The prophetic prayer of Simeon


In Exodus 2:2 and again in verse 12, the Lord God told His people to dedicate every firstborn male to Him. As devout Jews, who followed God’s instructions, Mary and Joseph presented the Baby Jesus in the Temple.

As God-incidence would have it, an elderly man named Simeon arrived at just the right moment to greet the young family. Simeon had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Messiah, Whom the Holy Spirit had assured him that he would live to see.

Taking the newborn into his arms, Simeon knew this was The One he’d been waiting for, and so he praised God and prayed a prayer that astonished the Baby’s parents:

 

Luke 2:29-32 – the prophetic prayer of Simeon
as translated in the King James Version of the Bible

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant

depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared

before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles,

and the glory of thy people Israel.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Sayler

 

Luke 2:29-32 – the prophetic prayer of Simeon
as paraphrased into contemporary English

And now, Lord, Your bond-servant

can go in peace,

for You have kept Your word,

and my eyes have witnessed Your

salvation –

the salvation You prepared

in the presence of all nations –

the Light You revealed to everyone,

the glory You have with Your people.

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

 

As we approach Christmas week, may the Light of Christ be born anew in us as we praise the Lord God and thank Him for the wonderful gift of His Son. Amen.

 


October 21, 2021

Praying for Mercy, Praying to See

 

When two blind men approached Jesus for healing, the people around Him criticized them and tried to shoo them away. Despite this ill treatment by others, the men kept calling out to the Lord – not for sight but for mercy. 

No wonder! If the reaction of the crowd was typical of the way these men were usually treated, their suffering and rejection by others might have felt worse than their blindness.

 

Reading the story in the King James Version below, Jesus’ response seems odd and unexpected. i.e., He doesn’t go to the blind men. He stands still and calls them to Him.

 

Jesus calls and gives us the choice to follow.

 

Although obvious to everyone, Jesus did not presume the men wanted to see. Remember? They had prayed only for mercy. So the Lord called them to Him. The Lord waited for them. Then Jesus asked them what they wanted to ask Him.

 

Matthew 20:30-33

from the King James Version

 

And, behold, two blind men

sitting by the way side,

when they heard

that Jesus passed by,

cried out, saying,

 

Have mercy on us,

O Lord, thou son of David.

 

And the multitude rebuked them,

because they should hold their peace:

but they cried the more, saying,

 

Have mercy on us,

O Lord, thou son of David.

 

And Jesus stood still, and called them,

and said,

 

What will ye

that I shall do unto you?

 

They say unto him,

Lord, that our eyes

may be opened.

 

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Sayler

 

 

Matthew 20:31b-33

paraphrased

 

Lord, Son of David,

have mercy on us!

 

Lord, Son of David,

have mercy on us!

 

Lord Jesus,

we want to see.

 

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

 

Having the Lord Himself ask us to tell Him what we want shows His compassion, grace, and mercy! And so, we ask:

 

 

Dear Lord God, help us to receive Your mercy and see more clearly in Jesus’ Name.

 

x

October 7, 2021

The Apostle Peter prays to be rescued

 

Simon Peter, a friend and apostle of Jesus, had enough faith to step out of the boat and onto the water. As long as he kept Jesus singularly in sight, Peter was able to walk across the surface of the lake. But then he looked away.

 

Peter saw the wind-driven waves. He felt the stout breeze. And as soon as he looked at his circumstances and looked to himself, he knew he could not possibly do what he was doing!

 

He was right. Peter could not walk on water on his own. Only his faith in Jesus had kept him afloat. As he likely flailed about in fear, he called Jesus to the rescue, and instantly, the Lord held out His hand.

 

 

Matthew 14:30 – a prayer of Peter

 

But when (Peter) saw the wind boisterous,

he was afraid; and beginning to sink,

he cried, saying,
 

Lord,

save me.

 

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Sayler

 

 

Matthew 14:30 – a prayer of Peter

 

Lord, I’m frightened!

I’m starting to sink

too low to keep my head up.

Save me, Lord!

 

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

 

 


September 18, 2021

Jesus thanks God for wisdom in childlike people

 

Have you ever known humble, childlike people who have uncanny insights? I have. For example, a Christian I’ve known for years has a learning disability but has often expressed unusual insight into God’s Word. Another believer in Christ lacks social skills yet hears angels praying. I’ve seen a gift of wisdom in preschoolers, too, and in a person slipping deeper and deeper into dementia. This prayer shows Jesus knows what I mean:

 

Matthew 11:25-26 – a prayer of Jesus

 

At that time Jesus answered and said,

I thank thee, O Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

because thou hast hid these things

from the wise and prudent,

and hast revealed them unto babes.

Even so, Father: for so it seemed

good in thy sight.

 

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler

 

 

Matthew 11:25-26 – a prayer of Jesus

 

O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

thank You for hiding Your wisdom

from those who think

they’re clever and wise  

but revealing Your insights

to childlike people.

Yes, Father!

What pleasure this brings!

 

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 Harwell Sayler

 


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...