The Bible Prayer of Jesus

“Thou art my father, my God,” Psalm 89:26.
Our Father which art in heaven

“The Lord our God is holy,” Psalm 99:9.
Hallowed be Thy name.

“Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,” Psalm 145:13.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done

“I will be exalted in the earth,” Psalm 46:10.
in earth, as it is in heaven.

“And the Lord God humbled you, let you hunger, then fed you with manna….to make you know that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of the Lord,” Deuteronomy 8:3.
Give us this day our daily bread.

“Hear in heaven Your dwelling place and forgive! To those whose hearts You know, let it be according to their ways – for You, Lord, You alone, know the hearts of all,” 1 Kings 8:39.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

“Listen, O Shepherd of Israel, You Who lead us like a flock,” Psalm 80:1.
And lead us not into temptation,

“Fear the Lord your God, and God will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies,” 2 Kings 17:39.
But deliver us from evil

“Yours, O Lord is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty! All that is heaven and earth is Yours! Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted above all,” 1 Chronicles 29:11.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.


Bible verses were prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, with scriptures found on Bible Gateway then interwoven with the Lord’s Prayer from the King James Version (KJV) of Matthew 6:9-13.

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My First Bible Prayer

Growing up in a church that relied on spontaneous prayer, rather than prayers from the Bible, I didn’t hear the Lord’s Prayer aka Our Father right away. However, my Sunday School teachers encouraged us to get into the habit of bringing a Bible to church and reading it regularly at home, which I did at the time and have kept doing for decades.

At some point in those early years with God’s Word, I ran across a short prayer in Psalm 19:14 that’s often referred to as “David’s Prayer.” Whether King David was the actual psalmist for these particular lines, I don’t know, but I do know that the prayer became my prayer.

Since I first learned “my prayer” in the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), that’s still my first choice for praying and sharing with you:

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer,” KJV.

Today’s “Verse of the Day” on Bible Gateway featured this Bible prayer, which I then searched out in other English versions such as the Good News Translation (GNT.)

“May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer!”

Since the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) often counts the title or inscription of a psalm as the first verse, this version can be found as Psalm 19:15:

“Let the words of my mouth be acceptable,
the thoughts of my heart before you,
Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Regardless of the translation you prefer, my prayer can be your prayer too.

Dear Lord God, Heavenly Father,
help me to say only what’s true
and acceptable to You.

Write Your words upon my heart,
and help my thoughts to keep You
continually in mind and spirit

for You are the Rock, the Tower
to Whom I run. You are
The Spirit Who redeems
our untoward words
and fills us with Your power.

by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017

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Praying for enemies and other meanies

In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus taught His followers a different way of looking at things and responding to other people. As He told us, You have heard it said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you and pray for those who use you or mistreat you, spitefully.

Thank God, Jesus commanded us to pray for our enemies and love them without demanding something as humanly impossible as liking them!

From a biblical perspective, love has little to do with preferring people to whom we fondly respond. Instead godly love calls for upright actions whereby we act with kindness and consideration for the well-being of others, including unsavory characters and people we dislike.

Wanting to please and obey God would be reason enough for us to love our enemies, but God might have more in mind. For example, loving our adversaries can disarm them, calm them, heal them, and help them to hear what we have to say about our forgiving Father and His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Even though earthly foes might bully or people abuse, our prayers promptly propel our enemies into a spiritual realm protected by the power of Almighty God. Think of it! What blessings, what spiritual awakening, what new hope of reconciliation could our loving prayers bring to the most unlovable people?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father of All, forgive us for wishing anyone ill! Help us to convey Your love to everyone with whom we have contact. Give us Your words of blessing, especially to our families, other Christians, and church leaders, but also to those who wish us ill or, worse, who malign You. Protect us, Lord. Help us to do what’s best from Your perspective and become excellent examples of Your forgiving love in Jesus’ Name.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, from her new book, What the Bible Says About Love

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Praying for God to empower the church

Kneeling before the Father –
from Whom every family
in heaven and earth
has its true Family Name –
let's pray for God’s great glory
to give us the power to be
strengthened in our spirit
through the Holy Spirit.

Let's pray for Christ to quicken
our hearts with faith,
so our lives will be built
on unshakable love.

And pray for all of God’s people
to be fortified by Christ’s love,
so we can see how wide,
how long, how high, how deep
His Fortress of Love really is.

For Christ’s love is greater
than anything we can know!

And His love fills us with God.

Now to Him Who Is Able
to do far more than we
can ask or imagine,
let's let His power be at work in us,
the Body of Christ, and may we,
as one church, bring glory to God
for ever and ever.

Ephesians 3:14-21 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, using scripture from various translations on Bible Gateway.

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May the peace of the Lord be with you

Don’t worry!
Be prayerful.

Ask God
for everything
you need, and
thank God,
even as you pray.

And the peace
of the Lord,
which is too great
to understand,
will keep watch
over your heart
and mind
in Christ Jesus.


Philippians 4:6-7 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, © 2017, using scripture from various translations on Bible Gateway

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Praying for the media with Psalm 12

As you read Psalm 12, keep the media in mind and prayer. Perhaps our complaints about them and our prayers for them might help them to see the tremendous power they have for good, for healing, and for unity in this country and around the world.

Help, LORD!
Have godly people gone?
Have the faithful disappeared
from the human race?

Who’s lying now? Slick speech
and double-mindedness
make it hard to tell.

LORD, please put a stop to slick talk!
Shut boastful mouths who have said,
“We can say what we like!
Who will stop us?”

LORD, You know how
poor people have been oppressed,
and needy people
from every race and culture
groan.

Help us to stand up for them!
And, please, LORD, provide the help
they’re gasping to get!

Only Your promises
have no self-serving motives.
Your Word is like silver
purified seven times.

You, O LORD, will protect us from all ills.
You will guard us from all jadedness,
even while wickedness struts about,
and people keep lifting up the evils
in the land.


Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Psalm 12, using many of the translations found on Bible Gateway.

Praying with Psalm 11

LORD, I choose to hide myself in You.

Some might say, “Fly like a bird
to the mountains to escape
the bow and evil arrows
ready to shoot in the dark
the upright in heart.
If our foundations
collapse, then what could
a good person do?”

LORD, from Your holy temple –
from Your holy throne in heaven,
surely Your eyes see! Surely
You lift Your eyelids to see
how people are acting, LORD.
You examine each action, but
Your soul hates wicked ways
and violence.

Someday You’ll rain coals of fire
on all evil and fill the cups
of Your enemies with nothing
but a scorching wind!

You alone are righteous, LORD,
and You love what’s done right.
May decent, honest people
see Your face
everywhere.

Psalm 11 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, using many of the translations found on Bible Gateway, ©2017.

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