Praying God's promises through a storm

As Hurricane Dorian approaches the United States, fear can sweep over us like a tidal wave! God knows this and has already given us comfort in these words:

Proverbs 3:24-26, Contemporary English Version (CEV)

…you will rest without a worry
and sleep soundly.
So don’t be afraid
of sudden disasters
or storms that strike
those who are evil.
You can be sure
that the Lord
will protect you from harm.

As you read and re-read those comforting words from God’s Word, what words would you use to claim that promise in prayer? For example:

Heavenly Father, no matter how scary things seem, we claim Your protection for we truly believe You want only good for us and not harm. Thank You for letting us know we have nothing to fear as we rest in the strength of Your love. Praise You, Lord, for protecting me and my home, church, community, and loved ones in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Mary Sayler, ©2019

…

Praying Bible prayers and Bible promises

For several years, the Bible Prayers blog has focused on actual prayers in the Bible – prayers that have been prayer-a-phrased (prayerfully paraphrased) into contemporary language after comparing many of the translations found in my home and also on the Bible Gateway website.

If you’ve followed this blog (thank you very much and God bless you!) you’ve probably noticed long gaps between posts, which I pray will be only temporary.

Meanwhile, I’ve been collecting and paraphrasing Bible prayers for a book, which, Lord willing, will soon be available because I believe so strongly in its importance – first as a means of providing an up-to-date version of actual Bible prayers in one easy-to-read book - and also because praying those prayers means we automatically have prayer partners from the past, present, or future, who agree with us in prayer as two or more of us gather in Jesus’ Name.

In addition to that goal, a thought recently came to remind me that powerful, timeless, and relevant prayers are also available as we appropriately claim God’s promises in the Bible. Lord willing, this blog will soon include those prayers too.

For example, consider Psalm 119:165 in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible: “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Or, according to the Amplified Bible (AMP), “Those who love Your law have great peace; Nothing makes them stumble.” Or, the Contemporary English Version (CEV) says, “You give peace of mind to all who love your Law. Nothing can make them fall.”

With those translations and others in mind, a prayer that claims this biblical promise might go like this:

Oh, Lord, we praise You for Your encouraging Word to us through scripture. Thank You for promising to give us great peace of mind if we take Your will to heart, mind, and spirit. Thank You for showing us Your will in the instructions and commandments You’ve given us in the Bible. Praise You for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, for the strength of Your Word, and for Jesus Christ, Who keeps us from falling away from You. In His Name we pray, amen.

Mary Sayler, ©2019

…