Praying for Salvation

Dis-ease, distress and unrest abound in our country, in the world, and in biblical times too. Here’s how King David prayed in such a time as this:

Psalm 69:13-21, 29-30 – a prayer of David

from the King James Version of the Bible

But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord,

in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude

of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink:

let me be delivered from them that hate me,

and out of the deep waters.

Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither

let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit

shut her mouth upon me.

Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good:

turn unto me according to the multitude of thy

tender mercies.

And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I

am in trouble: hear me speedily.

Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it:

deliver me because of mine enemies.

Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame,

and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all

before thee.

Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am

full of heaviness: and I looked for some

to take pity, but there was none; and

for comforters, but I found none.

They gave me also gall for my meat; and

in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

But I am poor and sorrowful:

let thy salvation,

O God, set me up on high.

I will praise the name of God

with a song, and will magnify him

with thanksgiving.

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

Psalm 69:13-21, 29-30 – a prayer of David

paraphrased into contemporary English

I keep on praying to You, Lord,

hoping You will show me favor.

In Your consistent love, O God,

answer my prayer with the truth

of Your salvation.

Rescue me from this mire!

Don’t let me sink any lower!

Save me from those who wish me ill

and pull me from deep waters.

Don’t let anything overwhelm me

or bottomless waters swallow me

or death traps devour me!

Answer my prayers, O Lord,

for Your wonderful love does not fail.

Let Your abundant mercy care for me.

Don’t hide from me! Hurry

and answer me, for I am in trouble.

Come and redeem me. Free me

from whoever is against me.

You know I’ve been insulted,

humiliated, and disgraced,

for You see what’s been brought

against me. Such insults break

my heart, and I am in despair.

If only One would show pity!

If only One would turn and comfort me.

But they give me gall and, for my thirst,

sour wine to drink.

O God, I am suffering and in pain!

Rescue me by Your saving power.

Then I will praise Your Name with songs.

I will honor You by giving my thanks.

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

Lord God, Heavenly Father of us all, give us Your prayers to pray for ourselves, one another, and the world in the power of Jesus’ Name.

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Praying for God’s protection

In this prayer-psalm, King David asks God to protect him – not from the enemy, whoever or whatever that might be – but from fear. He also prays, in essence, to be kept untouched by the ills and ill-will around him.

Psalm 64:1-2 – a prayer of David

from the King James Version of the Bible

Hear my voice,

O God, in my prayer:

preserve my life

from fear of the enemy.

Hide me

from the secret counsel

of the wicked;

from the insurrection

of the workers of iniquity:

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

Psalm 64:1-2 – a prayer of David

paraphrased into contemporary English

Hear my voice, O God,

even when I complain!

Protect my life from fear

and dread of terror.

Hide me from hateful plots

and hate-filled people,
from trouble-making mobs.

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

Praise You, Lord God, for heeding our prayers and keeping us safely tucked into Your Holy Spirit.

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Pray for forgiveness, peace, healing!

As riots abound around our country and the world, Pentecost week has come, reminding us of the coming of the Law of Moses to bring God's people together and, centuries later, the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower us as we minister to and build up God's people everywhere. And so, in the Name of the Lord God and all that is Holy, let's do everything we can to communicate God's love:

• Let's try to truly hear what others have to say, especially if their lives differ greatly from ours.
• Let's aim to identify each problem and look for workable solutions instead of lumping everything into an impassible mountain.
• Let's pray together.
• Pray with the family of Korah.
• Pray for the Lord to remind us, we, too, are One in the Family of God.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring forgiveness, peace, and healing in Jesus’ Name.
• Pray for God’s Love to be clearly visible as the banner He places over ALL of His people.

Psalm 60:1-5 – a prayer of the family of Korah from the King James Version of the Bible

O God, thou hast cast us off,

thou hast scattered us, thou hast

been displeased;

O turn thyself to us again.

Thou hast made the earth

to tremble; thou hast broken it:

heal the breaches thereof;

for it shaketh.

Thou hast shewed

thy people hard things:

thou hast made us to drink

the wine of astonishment.

Thou hast given a banner to them

that fear thee, that it may be displayed

because of the truth. Selah.

That thy beloved may be delivered;

save with thy right hand, and hear me.

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

Psalm 60:1-5 – a prayer of the family of Korah - prayerfully paraphrased into everyday English

O God, have You rejected us?

You have been angry with us

and broken down our defenses.

Restore us now!

You made the land quake

and split open.

Now heal these rifts

before the world falls apart!

You made Your people

quake from hardships

and stagger from the cup

You gave us to drink.

And yet, You have raised a banner

over those who fear You,

so we can rally together

when we’re under attack.

Save us with Your hand of power!

Answer us, so those dear to You

may be delivered into safety.

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

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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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Praying for our Leaders – and theirs

As the pandemic continues to affect our country and almost every other country too, tensions increase and blame abounds, spreading the contagious dis-ease of bad attitudes and depressing outlooks. 

We can contribute to the general malaise, or, as Christians, we can take another tack. Here’s how the Apostle Paul prayed in troubling times.

1 Timothy 2:1-6  – a prayer of Paul

from the King James Version of the Bible

I exhort therefore, that, first of all,

supplications, prayers, intercessions,

and giving of thanks, be made for all…;

For kings, and for all that are in authority;

that we may lead a quiet and peaceable

life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight

of God our Saviour; Who will have

all to be saved, and to come

unto the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and one mediator

between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Who gave himself a ransom for all,

to be testified in due time.

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

1 Timothy 2:1-6  – a prayer of Paul

paraphrased into current language

Remind us, Lord,

to make our requests –

our prayers,

intercession,

and thanksgiving –

for everyone,

including our leaders

and all those in authority,

so we may live

peaceful,

quiet,

godly,

holy lives.

Surely this pleases You,

God our Savior,

for You want everyone

to be saved

and come to know

the truth in You.

You alone are God,

and we have One

mediator between You

and other people –

the One, Christ Jesus,

Who gave Himself

as a ransom for us

and everyone.

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

May this Bible prayer remind us to pray for our leaders, whether we like them or not, and also to pray for those in authority in other countries too, yes, including tyrants!

May this Bible prayer remind us to pray for everyone God puts on our minds.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020

P.S. Even if I forget to say so, the Bible Gateway website has long eased and aided my search for Bible prayers and other biblical topics.

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Praying for God to redeem

This Bible prayer of Moses speaks for us, too, as we seek God’s protection and redemption from all ills, including COVID-19.

Deuteronomy 9:26-29 – a prayer of Moses

as translated in the King James Version 

I prayed therefore unto the Lord, and said,

O Lord God, destroy not thy people

and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed

through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth

out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

 Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;

look not unto the stubbornness of this people,

nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:

Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say,

Because the Lord was not able to bring them

into the land which he promised them,

and because he hated them, he hath brought them out

to slay them in the wilderness.

Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance,

which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power

and by thy stretched out arm.

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

Deuteronomy 9:26-29 – a prayer of Moses

paraphrased into everyday English

O Lord God, You have redeemed Your people.

Your mighty hand has released us from all that

enslaved us, so please don’t do away with us now!

Think about Your faithful servants who came before us

and forget about the stubbornness – the wickedness

so obvious at this moment. Otherwise, people will say

You weren’t able to help or give us what You promised.

They’ll say You hate us and brought us to this place

to die. But, Lord, we are Your people, Your family –

the ones You rescued with Your enormous power

and open arms.

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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Praying for pardon

We’ve heard about the “sins of the fathers” being “revisited upon the children,” but God said – whether child or parent – each of us carries responsibility for own actions. That’s true, of course, since God said so! But it primarily refers to punishment such as fines or jail time.

Bad decisions and unhealthy lifestyles today can, and most likely will, affect even a great-grandchild. For example, they might eat the nutrition-less foods they had growing up. Or they might do drugs because their grandmother did. They might not be taught social skills or the godly standards expressed in God’s word.  

As one generation passes poor choices onto another generation who doesn’t know they even have choices, the chain continues – unless we seek God’s power in our lives and those of our ancestors and offspring for generations gone and to come.

That’s what Moses did. As the mediator between God and God’s people who had been enslaved for hundreds of years, Moses pleaded for this visitation of sin to cease.

Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses

And now, I beseech thee,

let the power of my lord be great,

according as thou hast spoken, saying,

The Lord is longsuffering,

and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity

and transgression, and by no means

clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity

of the fathers upon the children

unto the third and fourth generation.

Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity

of this people according unto the greatness

of thy mercy, and as thou hast

forgiven this people, from Egypt

even until now.

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

Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses

Lord, I need evidence of Your power!

You said You’re slow to anger

and filled with unfailing love,

forgiving all sorts of sin and rebellion,

yet not excusing the guilty.

Indeed, when parents sin, their choices

and actions affect other people–

even a great-great-grandchild!

But please pardon us, Lord!

Please keep on parenting us

with Your glorious love.

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

May God forgive us our sins and break any chains of bad inheritance, traumas suffered, or “bad blood” between us and others affecting us, our families, and our countries in Jesus’ Name.

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