Psalm 85:1-8 – a prayer of the family of Korah

What blessings You pour on Your land, O Lord!

You restored the fortunes of Your people
and forgave their guilt. Yes, You covered all
their sins. You withdrew wrath and fierce fury.
Now restore us again, O God of our salvation.
Put aside Your anger toward us. 

Will You be mad at us forever?
Will Your anger affect future generations?
Or will You revive us, so Your people
can again rejoice in You?

Show us Your ongoing love, O Lord.
Grant us Your salvation.

Help us to listen
carefully to what You say,
for You, Lord, speak peace to faithful 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

God blesses us with His prayer, His Name

 Numbers 6:23-27 – “Bless My children. Tell them this:  'God blesses you and keeps you. The face of God shines upon you and is gracious to you. God looks upon you with peace.’  In this way, you will put My Name on My children, and I will bless them.”

We claim this blessing, Lord! Thank You for looking favorably upon us. Thank You for Your promise of grace and peace that give our faces such rest, such shine!

Praise You for receiving us and blessing us. Thank You for claiming us as Your children and giving us Your Family Name.

Mary Sayler, from Kneeling on the Promises of God

Jacob prays for a blessing

After being away for a couple of decades, Jacob heads home with two companies of peoples and a massive amount of livestock. Clearly, God has blessed him! So why does he pray to be blessed?

Genesis 32:26 – a prayer of Jacob

And he (a man of God or angel)said,

Let me go,

for the day breaketh.

And he (Jacob) said,

I will not let thee go,

except thou bless me.

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

Genesis 32:26 – a prayer of Jacob

Lord, I will

not let

You go

until

You bless me!

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

Jacob had already prayed for deliverance from his brother Esau and sent over 500 animals ahead as a peace offering. He remained behind with his family and servants, but sometime during the night, he arose, divided the people into two groups as a safety precaution, and sent them on ahead. He would have been all alone – except for the Angel of God with whom he wrestled.

As day began to break, the Angel insisted Jacob let him go, but Jacob refused until he received a blessing. Obviously, this was no request for material goods or riches. Nor did the prayer repeat a desire for God to be with him since the Lord already was! Jacob had God’s presence, protection, and power, but a blessing can also mean permission, approval, or anointing.

On that night, God bestowed every aspect of blessing, including forgiveness, as He changed Jacob’s name (one who supplants or displaces) to Israel – one who triumphs with God.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020

…

Simeon prays over the Infant Jesus

According to the Law of Moses, every Jewish couple had to present their first-born son to God and offer a sacrifice, so the child would be “holy to the Lord.” As Mary and Joseph obeyed this ruling from the Torah, the Holy Spirit urged a devout man named Simeon to enter the Temple, where he saw the Baby Jesus and took Him into his arms. 

People did not expect the Anointed One – the Messiah, the Christ – to come as a newborn, but Simeon immediately recognized the Baby as The One. Since the Lord had promised the aging man he would not die before seeing the Messiah, Simeon blessed the family and burst into praise and this prophetic prayer:

Luke 2:29-32 – a prayer of Simeon

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 Bible prayers collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019, from the King James Version 

…

Luke 2:29-32 – a prayer of Simeon

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 and paraphrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

…

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.

…

New Year begins with God’s Blessing

The Daily Bible Reading starts the New Year with the prayer the Lord gave (and still gives!) leaders to pray over the people of God, blessing them and us with God’s shine.

The LORD spoke to Moses,
saying:

Speak to the leaders
and say,

Let this be the way
you bless My people, saying:

May the LORD bless you and keep you.

May the LORD cause His face
on you

to shine.

May the LORD be gracious
to you,

and lift you

into the image of God
and give you peace.

Shalom.

In this way, the leaders
may bless the people of God
with the Name of God,

and on each of them
the LORD’s own
“God bless” will rest.

Shalom.

© 2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrased poem from Numbers 6:22-27

~~

God gave Moses a prayer to bless us

When asked how to pray, Jesus gave the disciples and, ultimately, all followers of Christ a perfect example of prayer in “the Lord’s Prayer” or “Our Father” – a prayer that poetically reminds us of the praises, needs, and concerns we’re to bring before God.

Many centuries before that, however, God gave Moses the words of a priestly prayer to pray over the people of God – a prayer heard in Jewish synagogues and many Christian churches today.

“And the Lord instructed Moses to tell Aaron the priest and his sons how to bless the children of Israel with this prayer:

‘May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make His face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you.

May the Lord lift His countenance upon you
and give you peace.’

“And this prayer shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them,” Numbers 6:22-27.


Questions: Do you put the Name of God and prayer of God on your children every day? In what ways might this prayer be used to bless people, including those who curse us?

Prayer: Dear LORD God and Heavenly Father, we praise You for being a God Who blesses Your people. Thank You for Your graciousness and peace. Help us to pass on Your good gifts, not only to our friends and families and followers, but to our enemies.

~~

© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved.