Moses confronts God in prayer

As the Lenten season leads us to Easter, our times of seeking God can lead us to repentance. But undoubtedly we mean our need to repent, not God’s!

Moses had other thoughts. His honesty, faith, and daring placed him face-to-face with God – a position which can also lead to confrontation!

Exodus 32:11-13 – King James Version

And Moses besought the Lord his God,

and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot

against thy people, which thou hast

brought forth out of the land of Egypt

with great power, and with a mighty hand?

Wherefore should the Egyptians speak,

and say, For mischief did he bring them out,

to slay them in the mountains, and to consume

them from the face of the earth?

Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent

of this evil against thy people.

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,

thy servants, to whom thou swarest

by thine own self, and saidst unto them,

I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven,

and all this land that I have spoken of will I give

unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

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

Exodus 32:11-13 – paraphrased

O, Lord, why are You so angry

with Your people – the very ones

You rescued with such great power?

After displaying Your mighty force,

do You really want everyone

to think You brought us here 

to strike us dead?

Please do not bring disaster!

Remember Your faithful servants

who have gone before us –

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob –

and how You promised them

countless descendants

more numerous than stars.

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

As Christians, we’re also to be honest with God and express our faith, knowing Jesus is beside us, ready to help.

“For there is one God, and there is one Mediator for all people – Jesus Christ,” 1 Timothy 2:5.

“Jesus Christ has negotiated a new covenant between God and us,” Hebrews 9:15.

Throughout Lent and beyond, may we always feel free to approach the Lord with what troubles us – no matter what!

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020

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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

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