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

February 9, 2015

God prays creation into being

The very first prayers in the Bible resound with God’s poetic prayers and “Amen!”

Each “Let there be” begins an “Amen” to God’s prayers for us as our Heavenly Father and Creator God calls into being every living thing in the heavens and on the earth.

This poem prayer-a-phrases the beginning of that beginning as shown in today’s Bible reading from Genesis 1:

God’s Prayers for Creation
Genesis 1:1-13

In the beginning,
God….

In the beginning –

Chaos! Darkness!
A wasteland! A world
unformed….

Then a mighty wind –
Ruah –
swept over the waters,
the Spirit of God
hovered over the waters,

and God prayed:

“Let there be light,”
and the light answered
God’s prayer,
and it was good.

So God separated the light
from darkness.
God separated the waters above
and the waters below,
and the dry land appeared
at God’s calling,
and it was good.

Then God prayed:
“Let the earth bring forth,”
and the earth responded;
the earth obeyed,
and it was good.

© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, a poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Genesis 1 from translations found on Bible Gateway.


January 12, 2015

Praying your praise


Psalm 29:1-2

Give glory to God,
all beings of God!

Give glory to the LORD
and God’s power!

Give to the LORD
the glory due His Name.

Bow down
in awe of God’s splendor.

Worship the LORD
in the beauty
of holiness.

Deck yourself out
in gorgeous garments
of praise!


© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, a poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Psalm 29 from translations found on Bible Gateway.



December 15, 2014

Praying to know God’s ways


Psalm 25:4-9

Cause me to know Your ways, O LORD.
Teach me Your path for me.

Cause me to walk in Your truth
(not mine!)
and teach me, O God of salvation.

Near You
all day
I wait.

And I remember Your mercies, O LORD,
for Your kindness stays with me –
from age to age.

You don’t even recall
my offenses or wrongs,
and yet You remember me!

For the sake of Your goodness, O LORD,
You – the Upright One, the Good One –
guide us in The Way.

Cause us to walk in Your court,
and teach us Your way

today.


© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, a poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Psalm 25 from translations found on Bible Gateway.










December 13, 2014

A prayer for strength from Psalm 80


Oh, Shepherd of Your people,
lead us in Your flock.

Oh, God enthroned on cherubim,
stir Your strength and save us.

Restore us, oh, God
and shine on us with Your glory.

Return to us, oh, LORD of Hosts.
Regard us as the vine You set.

With Your right hand, You planted us
and made strong Your branch –
Your Son.

Let Your hand again
be on the Son of Man,
Whom You have made strong in us.
Then we shall not depart from You.

Give us life,
and we shall remain with You.

Revive us to call on Your Name.

Restore us, oh LORD – God
of the armies of Heaven,
and in Your shine, we shall be
saved.


Psalm 80:1-3,14-19

© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, a poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased portions of Psalm 80 from translations provided on Bible Gateway.















November 19, 2014

Prayer of praise to God

Praise You, LORD!

Praise You in every place
Your people find You.

Praise Your infinite embrace
of the universe.

Praise You for Your magnitude,
magnificence, and mighty acts.

Praise You with every instrument
of musicality.

Praise You for creative gifts
of song and dance
and poetry.

May every living being
praise You,
Almighty God,
with singing
and every breath of life.

Praise You, LORD.
Praise You.



© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, a poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, researched Psalm 150 from many of the translations on Bible Gateway before prayer-a-phrasing this poem.

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November 14, 2014

Praying for God’s Word to be in me

Oh, LORD, prepare me
to keep Your Word,
so I won’t be ashamed
when I look at my life
in light of Your commands.

Sincerely, I will praise You
as I learn more of Your
righteous rules.

Don’t ever leave me, LORD,
for I want to obey You,
but, oh! How can anyone
keep Your ways – purely
without fault – except
by discerning Your Word?

With all my heart, I seek You!
Don’t let me stray away!

Deep inside me,
I will hide Your words,
so I’ll know what to do.

Blessed LORD, teach me!
You Are To Be praised
and blessed.


Psalm 119:5-12


© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased this poem from today’s Bible Reading in Psalm 119, drawing from several of the many translations on Bible Gateway.


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October 31, 2014

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.”















October 22, 2014

A call to prayer


Praise the LORD God!
Call upon His Name.

Make His acts known among the people.
Tell everyone
His Name is above all names.

Sing of the LORD
Who does glorious things,
and let this be known
in all the earth.

Sing and shout for joy,
all peoples of God,
for great in our midst
is the Holy One,
the God of Israel.


Isaiah 12:4-6


©2014, Mary Harwell Sayler. This poem prayer-a-phrase of Isaiah 12:4-6 draws from the many translations found on Bible Gateway.



October 9, 2014

A prayer request for God’s help


Isaiah 33:2

O LORD God, favor us
with Your grace and mercy
as we await You
every morning.

Be to us
Your strength
and Your salvation
in times of trouble
and distress.


May God guide, protect, and empower our families, our country, the church Body of Christ, and all Christians throughout the world in Jesus’ Name.


©2014, Mary Sayler. This poem prayer-a-phrase of Isaiah 33 from today’s Reading Plan on Bible Gateway draws from several translations found on that site.


September 15, 2014

Prayer as blessing

May the LORD keep you
in His blessing.

May the face of the LORD
shine on you brightly
and graciously.

May the LORD lift you
into His close company
and bequeath to you
His peace.


©2014 Mary Sayler based this prayer poem on Numbers 6:24-26 from the many translations provided by Bible Gateway.


September 13, 2014

The Lord’s Prayer after the resurrection

Our Lord Jesus
Who’s now in Heaven,
Holy is Your Name
in Which we pray.

Let Your Kingdom come!
Let Your will be done
on earth
as happens in Heaven.

Give us this day
Your living Bread,
and forgive us
our trespasses
as we forgive those
who cross
the line with us.

Lead us not into
terrible trials,
but deliver us from evil,
for the Kingdom of God
is Yours!

And the power of God
is Yours.

And the glory
of God is Yours –
now
and forever –

in You,
in us.


May we all be One in Jesus’ Name.


©2014, Mary Harwell Sayler.


The Holy Scriptures for this prayer-a-phrased prayer-poem by Mary Sayler resulted from resources she found on Bible Gateway.
















September 8, 2014

Prayer in time of trouble

O Lord, turn Your ear toward me
and hear me please
for I feel poor and pitiful
with none to trust
but You.

Keep my soul safe, O God,
for I am faithful.

Save me to serve You.

Answer my all-day call
with Your grace and mercy.

To You I lift my mind,
my will, my spirit,
and You raise my soul on high!

For You are kind
and eager to forgive
all who call on You.

O Lord, I give You
the voice of my plea
for You will hear
and answer.



©2014, Mary Harwell Sayler studied several translations of Psalm 86:1-7 on Bible Gateway before writing the above prayer-a-phrased poem.











July 1, 2014

Global Day of Prayer

On this Global Day of Prayer, may 2 Chronicles 7:14 move us to pray as God guides in Jesus’ Name.

If My people who
are called by My Name
will humble themselves -

If My people who
are called by My Name
will call on Me –

If My people will turn
from their wicked ways –

I will hear from the heights.

I will forgive and repair
the separation
that comes from sin.

I will heal the lands.



©2014 Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased 2 Chronicles 7:14 from the many translations found on Bible Gateway.




November 28, 2013

Thanking our good God

Rejoice in the Lord always.
Again I say, Rejoice!
Let your sweet spirit be known
to everyone.
The Lord is near.

Do not worry about anything,
but in everything,
by thankful
prayer and petition,
make your requests known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus.

Finally, Beloved,
whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is just,
whatever is pure,
whatever is pleasing,
whatever is commendable –
if there is anything of excellence
or worthy of praise,
think on these things.

Keep on doing what
you have learned and received
and heard and seen in Christ,
and the God of peace shall
be with you all.


©2013 Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s Bible reading in Philippians 4:4-9 by comparing some of the many translations found on Bible Gateway.













November 22, 2013

Praying in agreement

And Jesus said:

Truly I tell you,
whatever you bind on earth
is bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth,
from heaven
is already set free.

Again I say: If two of you
on earth will agree
about anything you ask,
whatever you pray for
is finished for you
by My Father Who Is
in heaven.

For wherever
two or three gather
together in My Name,
I Am
there.


©2013 Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s Gospel reading of Matthew 18:18-20 by comparing translations found on Bible Gateway.


November 11, 2013

Prayer as story, evidence, and honor

On this Veteran’s Day, we remember the men and women who serve our country as the people of Israel remembered their leaders and how God worked in their lives. This unique relationship set them apart as a special people whom the LORD guided, protected, and blessed as they remained true to God. May we, too, be faithful and true and blessed.

Then the spiritual leaders called out
to the people and said:

Stand up
and praise the Lord your God,
Who lives forever and ever!

Then they prayed:
May Your glorious name be praised
for You are far higher than every
praise and blessing.

You alone, O Lord, made the skies, the heavens, the stars.
You alone made the earth and seas and everything in them.
You alone preserve Your creation,
and the heavenly powers worship You alone.

You, the Lord God, chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham. When he proved faithful, You made a covenant with him and his descendants… and You have done what You promised, for You alone remain true to Your word.

You alone saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cries beside the Red Sea.

You alone performed miracles, signs, and wonders to thwart Pharaoh and his people, who mistreated our ancestors, and Your glorious name has never been forgotten.

You alone divided the sea for Your people, and they alone walked on dry land as their enemies sank like stones beneath the mighty waters.

You alone led by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, so our ancestors could find their way.

When You came down from heaven, You spoke to Your people at Mount Sinai, giving just laws and instructions, giving good decrees and commands.

You instructed Your people to remember Your holy day of rest, and, through Moses Your servant, told what we need to know to obey You alone.

You gave bread from heaven to appease hunger and water from the rock to ease thirst.

You commanded Your people to go take possession of the land You had sworn to give them, and yet, our ancestors paid no attention to Your sound teachings. They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles You had done for them but instead became stubborn, appointing a leader to return them to the slavery they had known.

But You are a God who forgives
with grace and mercy,
slow to anger but fast
in unfailing love.

You did not abandon Your people, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and proclaimed the thing a god!
Oh, what terrible blasphemies!

But You in Your great mercy
did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led by day, and the pillar of fire by night.

You sent your good Spirit to instruct Your people, and You continued to give manna from heaven and water for thirst. For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, and nothing did they lack. Even their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.

You helped our ancestors overcome kingdoms and nations, and You placed Your people in every corner of the land.... You multiplied their descendants as numerous as stars in the sky and brought them into the land as You had promised. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who lived there were powerless when Your people subdued nations and kings. Our ancestors seized fortified cities and lush land. They took over houses filled with good things and found cisterns already dug and an abundance of vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees.

And they ate until full,
and they prospered,
and Your people delighted
in every bountiful blessing
given by You alone.


©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s Daily Bible Reading in Nehemiah 9:5-25 after searching scripture in a variety of translations provided online by BibleGateway.com.


















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