Whole body clothed in praise

Seeking the prayers of the Bible in the Daily Bible Readings often brings days of interesting stories, proverbs, parables, or prophecies, but not necessarily prayer. Today, however, choices arose in the passage from Isaiah below and the Gospel reading from Luke 1:46-55, also known as The Magnificat. Since “The song of Mary, Mother of Jesus” had previously been prayer-a-phrased here, I encourage you to visit that post, too, to see and hear how beautifully Mary embodied this prayer-life of praise from the Prophets.

Greatly will I rejoice in the LORD!
My whole being shall exult in my God,
Who clothes me with garments of salvation.

God has robed me in righteousness –
the way a bridegroom wears a garland
or jewels adorn a bride.

The whole earth brings forth beauty
like a spring garden with shoots growing
from what’s sown.

So the Lord God has sown us
with righteousness and praise
ready to spring into flower
and clothe the nations.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrased poem from today's Daily Bible Reading in Isaiah 61:10-11


…

The song of Mary, Mother of Jesus

Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord!
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
God favored me, His lowly servant,
and from this day
all generations will call me
blessed.

The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His Name.

In every generation
God has mercy on those
who awe and honor Him.

With strength of arm that can be seen,
God scatters the pride of the proud.

From high places,
He casts down the mighty
and lifts the lowly
to new heights.

God fills with good things
those who hunger for Him
but sends away those
too filled with themselves
to know they are empty.

God comes to help His people!
He remembers well
the promise of mercy made
to our forefathers and foremothers –

to Abraham and the children
of God
forever.

©2012 Mary Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of Luke 1:46-55