Praying for love

And this is my prayer:

that your love may overflow
more and more
with knowledge and insight,

that you may be able to discern
and do
what is best,

that you may be truthful
yet inoffensive
as you innocently await
the Day of Christ.

Philippians 1:9-10

prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, using a variety of Bible translations from Bible Gateway.

Most of the previous paraphrases on this blog have been collected into the book, What the Bible Says About Love. Lord willing, this begins a series on what the Bible says.


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Our common union in the Trinity

May the grace
of the Lord Jesus,

the love
of God our Heavenly Father,

and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit

be in communion with us all.

Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased 2 Corinthians 13:14 after reading several translations of the verse provided by Bible Gateway.

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God’s love fills the earth

O LORD,
Your faithful love
fills the whole earth!

Teach me Your Laws
of Love.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, paraphrased Psalm 119:64 after reflecting on the verse in a variety of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Loving the One Who Listens

I love the Lord!
He hears my voice.
He hears my pleas for mercy.

As long as I live,
I will call on the Lord –
The One Who Listens.


Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Psalm 116:1-2 after reflecting on the verses found in a variety of translations on Bible Gateway.

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God’s love, day and night

By day
the Lord aims
His love
toward me!

All night
His song runs
through me —

a prayer
to the God
of my life.

Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Psalm 42:8 after reflecting on the verse found in a variety of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Living in the love of Christ

Jesus said:

If you believe My words
and follow my instructions,
you will be with Me
in My kind of love!

I’m only asking you to do
what I have done
by keeping God’s Word
and staying centered
in My Father’s love.

Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased John 15:10 after reading and praying about the verse from many of the translations on Bible Gateway.

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The Name, The Word to trust

I bow to You, Lord,
and praise Your Holy Name
for Your totally reliable
love
and Your faithfulness
forever
to the truth.

Nothing can stop or top
Your Name and the promises
You have given us
in Your Word.


Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Psalm 138:2 after pouring over many of the translations found on Bible Gateway.

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No law against real love!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,” Galatians 5:22-23, English Standard Version (ESV.)


Is there a law against love?
Are there commandments
against joy and peace?

What about patience, kindness,
and just plain goodness?

What about the right
to be gentle,
the right to control oneself,
especially in public?

No law can stand
to forbid
the fruit of the Holy Spirit!

Mary Sayler, ©2017, prayer-a-phrased Galatians 5:22-23 with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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God’s Love holds on and on

Lord, You do everything
needed
to fulfill Your plan
in me!

Your loyal love
holds on and on.

Never let go
of the works
in Your hand.


Psalm 138:8 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Settling the score

No vengeance!
No resentment!
No keeping score!

Give everyone
the love
you need.

Leviticus 19:18 paraphrased by Mary Sayler with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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How to love your wife

Jesus Christ loves
the Church (His Bride)
so much that He gave Himself up for her!

Husbands, that’s how
to love your wives.

Ephesians 5:24 paraphrased by Mary Sayler with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Not seeing but believing love

Jesus, I’ve never seen You,
but I love You.

I cannot see You right now,
but I believe
You’re here,
loving me.

What joy!

No words can describe
the glorious delight
found in You, knowing
You will save me.


1 Peter 1:8-9 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, ©2017, using many of the translations on Bible Gateway.

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Love that lasts forever

To those who honor God,
the lasting love of the Lord
will go on and on –
forever.

And to those who keep His covenant
and remember His right ways,
the goodness of the Lord
will reach [teach, influence, affect]
our children’s children.

Today's Bible reading in Psalm 103:17-18 has been prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, ©2017, with the help of many translations found on Bible Gateway.

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The other half of John 3:16

For God so loved
and prized all
of His creation,
He gave
His Only God-Son
that whosoever believes

in Him

will not pass away
and be gone forever
but will have eternal life

in Him.

For God did not send
His Son to us
to accuse and condemn us,
but that we
and the whole world
might be saved
through Him –

Jesus Christ
The Way.

John 3:16-17 as prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, ©2017, in the blessed company of many translations found on Bible Gateway

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Love and honor others

Devote yourself
to loving God’s children.

Give unto others
the honor you want.


Romans 12:10 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017, after reading various translations on Bible Gateway.

Call to freedom

Brothers! Sisters!
You are free
to do as you please!

But, oh, don’t squander
your liberty
on enslaving
sin!

Use your freedom
to help others,
serve others,
and live a life of love.

Galatians 5:13 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, after reading various translations on Bible Gateway.

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God is with you!

The LORD your God
is right here
with you –

the Mighty One Who
saves
you.

What delight
the LORD takes
in you!

Celebrate God’s love!

With joy
the LORD your God
will sing and rejoice
over you.


Mary Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased today’s Bible reading of Zephaniah 3:17 as found in various translations on Bible Gateway.

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Getting crucified with Christ

Resurrection Power
Galatians 2:20

Look! That’s me on the cross –
selfishness crucified, so
my truest self can now
receive You, Lord.

Now
I can live by You in faith!

Now
I can live in You Who loves me.

Mary Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased Galatians 2:20 as a poem after reading various translations of today’s Bible verse on Bible Gateway.

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Living real love

1 John 3:16

How do we know what real love is?
Jesus!

He exchanged – surrendered –
His life on earth
for our lives eternal.

Now let’s give Him our lives
(give up our wants and wishes)
to provide for the needs
of our brothers and sisters
in Christ.

Mary Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased today’s Bible reading of 1 John 3:16 with the help of various translations found on Bible Gateway.

Mary's newest book PRAISE! with contemporary psalms and free verse poems has been released by Cladach Publishing 

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Jesus commands: Love!

In the Ten Commandments, God gave us our marching orders! Those directives are meant to instruct, guide, and transform our daily lives and develop the right kind of relationship with God, ourselves, and other people.

Revisiting those commandments or “Ten Words” in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, we might think we’ve obeyed them all, and externally speaking, that may be true. But Jesus gets into our minds and hearts with His one command: “Love one another as I love you,” John 15:12.

Not only would that one commandment fulfill all ten, but this marching order takes the Golden Rule to a higher level. i.e., Instead of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” we’re told to treat one another the way Jesus would treat us – with relentless love.

This doesn’t just mean to love each other the way we love ourselves since that might not be nearly enough! We’re to love each other the way Jesus loves us – nearly and dearly. Then, as we believe in, accept, and receive Jesus’ love, we’re ready to let His love fill us and overflow.

Mary Sayler on John 15:12 and the Ten Commandments as found in the many translations on Bible Gateway

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