A Prayer of Comfort

 

In times of need, the prayer of God’s people in Psalm 94 reminds us to seek and confess the comfort God brings. We, the people of now, can find consolation in this same prayer for our nation. Pray for yourself, of course! Then change “my” to “our” and “I” to “we.” Pray, too, for other nations (“their” and “they”) who need God’s comfort.

 

Psalm 94:17-19 – a prayer of God’s people

Unless the Lord had been my help,
my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

When I said, My foot slippeth;
thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.

In the multitude of my thoughts
within me thy comforts delight my soul.

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

 

Psalm 94:17-19 – a prayer of God’s people
in contemporary language

Unless You had been my help, Lord,
my soul would have lived in silence.

When I thought my foot slipped….
When I thought I was falling,
Your steady love,
Your unswerving mercy
held me up.

When I get anxious or
worried or upset,
You comfort my heart.
You console my soul.

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

 

 

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Praying for Mercy, Praying to See

 

When two blind men approached Jesus for healing, the people around Him criticized them and tried to shoo them away. Despite this ill treatment by others, the men kept calling out to the Lord – not for sight but for mercy. 

No wonder! If the reaction of the crowd was typical of the way these men were usually treated, their suffering and rejection by others might have felt worse than their blindness.

 

Reading the story in the King James Version below, Jesus’ response seems odd and unexpected. i.e., He doesn’t go to the blind men. He stands still and calls them to Him.

 

Jesus calls and gives us the choice to follow.

 

Although obvious to everyone, Jesus did not presume the men wanted to see. Remember? They had prayed only for mercy. So the Lord called them to Him. The Lord waited for them. Then Jesus asked them what they wanted to ask Him.

 

Matthew 20:30-33

from the King James Version

 

And, behold, two blind men

sitting by the way side,

when they heard

that Jesus passed by,

cried out, saying,

 

Have mercy on us,

O Lord, thou son of David.

 

And the multitude rebuked them,

because they should hold their peace:

but they cried the more, saying,

 

Have mercy on us,

O Lord, thou son of David.

 

And Jesus stood still, and called them,

and said,

 

What will ye

that I shall do unto you?

 

They say unto him,

Lord, that our eyes

may be opened.

 

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

 

 

Matthew 20:31b-33

paraphrased

 

Lord, Son of David,

have mercy on us!

 

Lord, Son of David,

have mercy on us!

 

Lord Jesus,

we want to see.

 

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

 

Having the Lord Himself ask us to tell Him what we want shows His compassion, grace, and mercy! And so, we ask:

 

 

Dear Lord God, help us to receive Your mercy and see more clearly in Jesus’ Name.

 

…

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Praying for mercy

We often equate mercy with clemency and compassion, but God’s mercy offers much more. His mercy offers us forgiveness, redemption, and peace. That’s true for us individually and also for God's family. 

We’re all in this together! So let’s pray to receive God’s mercy over us and our country. Let's do all we can to be at peace with God, each other, and ourselves.

Deuteronomy 21:8-9 – a prayer of Moses

from the King James Version of the Bible

Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel,

whom thou hast redeemed,

and lay not innocent blood

unto thy people of Israel's charge.

And the blood shall be forgiven them.

So shalt thou put away the guilt

of innocent blood from among you,

when thou shalt do that which is right

in the sight of the Lord.

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

Deuteronomy 21:8 – a prayer of Moses

paraphrased into everyday language

Lord, You freed us!

Now please

make peace with us.

Don’t let the guilt

of unsolved offenses

reside with Your people.

Give us peace, Lord.

Give us peace.

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

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Psalm 67 for today

God, be merciful to us and bless us.
Let Your face shine upon us,
so Your ways may be known on the earth
and Your saving strength among all nations.

Let the people praise You, O God.
Let all the peoples praise You.
O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy
for You shall judge us rightly
and govern the nations of the earth.
Let the people praise You, O God.
Let all the peoples praise You.

Then the earth will yield abundance,
and You, God, our God, shall bless us.
Yes, God shall bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will hold You in awe.

prayer-a-phrase by Mary Harwell Sayler

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