Agreeing to Agree in Prayer

People come from every background and culture, but in the Name of Jesus, we find common ground - common unity, community.  

If we actually listen to one another, we’re apt to discover we usually share basic beliefs in God the Father our creator, the Son of God Jesus Christ our Savior, and the indwelling Holy Spirit our empowerment and guide.

And, if we really listen to people with opposing views, we’re apt to realize we usually want and need the same things: Family, friends, safety, shelter, water, food, housing, work, adequate income, respect, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, healing, faith in something or someone bigger than ourselves.

Disunity arises, however, as our priorities change. What we need most today might not be what we most needed last year. Meanwhile, “They” have varying needs and priorities too, so with almost eight billion people on earth, how can “they” and “we” ever match up – need for need, priority for priority?

We can’t! Nor do we need to think or be exactly alike. We’re each unique, thank God! However, we all need the Mind of Christ, which means loving other people as we do ourselves, regardless of our differences. It means forgiving one another, treating each other with respect, and not being quick to assume or judge. It means reading the Bible to see what God wants and praying to receive the Mind of Christ. It means genuinely praying this Bible prayer from the Apostle Paul and believing God can do what we cannot accomplish alone.

Romans 15:5–6, 13 – a prayer of Paul
from the King James Version of the Bible

Now the God of patience
and consolation grant you
to be likeminded one
toward another
according to Christ Jesus: 

That ye may with one mind
and one mouth glorify God,
even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ.

Now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope,
through the power of the Holy Ghost.

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

Romans 15:5–6, 13 – a prayer of Paul
paraphrased into contemporary English

God Who gives us
endurance
and encouragement,
please give us
a spirit of unity
among ourselves.

As we follow Christ Jesus,
may we glorify You –
God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ –
with one heart, one mouth. 

God of hope, fill us
with all joy and peace
as we trust You –
as our hope overflows
by the power
of Your Holy Spirit.

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, ©2019.

 

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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

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Praying for God to empower the church

Kneeling before the Father –
from Whom every family
in heaven and earth
has its true Family Name –
let's pray for God’s great glory
to give us the power to be
strengthened in our spirit
through the Holy Spirit.

Let's pray for Christ to quicken
our hearts with faith,
so our lives will be built
on unshakable love.

And pray for all of God’s people
to be fortified by Christ’s love,
so we can see how wide,
how long, how high, how deep
His Fortress of Love really is.

For Christ’s love is greater
than anything we can know!

And His love fills us with God.

Now to Him Who Is Able
to do far more than we
can ask or imagine,
let's let His power be at work in us,
the Body of Christ, and may we,
as one church, bring glory to God
for ever and ever.

Ephesians 3:14-21 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, using scripture from various translations on Bible Gateway.

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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!

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Praying with Jesus

Jesus taught us how to pray, saying:

When you’re praying, do not use meaningless phrases as others do when they think they’ll be heard because of their many words. Do not act like that for your Father knows what you need before you ask. Pray then like this:

Our Father in heaven, Holy is Your name.
May Your kingdom come and Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us for intruding on others
as we forgive those who intrude upon us.
And do not bring us into times of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
For You have the kingdom,
and You have the power,
and You are the glory forever. Amen.

If you forgive people for wronging you, our heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive their wrongs, how can things be right with you and our Father?

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of today’s Daily Bible Reading in Matthew 6:7-15

Note from Mary:

Most church denominations and most Christians know a traditional version of the Lord's Prayer or Our Father. Although we might not interrupt some scriptures in the same way, this prayer holds us together as One Body of Christ, united, as we pray all around the world in all time zones, day and night, without ceasing in the Name and power of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Our Father Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever. Amen.



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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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