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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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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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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NOTHING removes us from Christ’s love

What can possibly separate us from Christ’s love?
Can pain and suffering, hardships or distress,
harassment, torment, or torture,
starvation or destitution,
danger or death? No!

The Scriptures say, “For Your sake, Lord,
we’ve been destroyed. We've been thought of
as sheep to be slaughtered!”

But, now –
in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Christ Jesus Who loves us!

For I am certain that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor principalities,
neither anything going on right now
nor anything yet to come –

not soaring heights or plunging depths,
and not anything in all of creation
will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Romans 8:35-38 prayer-a-phrased by Mary Sayler, © 2017, with scriptures from the many translations found on Bible Gateway.

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God Is Love

1 John 4:11-18

Beloved, God loves us so much,
we must love one another too.

No, we haven’t seen God,
and yet, by loving one another,
God lives in us!
And God’s love perfects ours.

How do we know we’re in God,
and God is in us?
We have His Spirit.

Furthermore, we have seen
(through God’s Word) how
the Father sent His Son
to save us and the world.

If we acknowledge Jesus
as the Son of God,
we can be sure God lives in us
and we in Him. And we can know
and believe in the power of love
God gives.

For God Is Love!

So as we remain in love,
God remains in us
and brings our love
to perfection.

Then we can know for sure
not to worry about judgment day
because we’re living as God wants.

Oh, Beloved, in love
there is nothing to fear!

God’s perfect love
frees us
from any fears we have
of being punished,
tormented, or even
harshly rebuked.

So if you’re still afraid,
pray to experience
ever more fully
the pure, pure love
of God.

© 2016, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in 1 John 4 with the help of several of the many translations found on Bible Gateway.

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Born again in love

1 John 4:7-10

Beloved, let’s love one another!

Love comes from God,
so everyone who knows love
knows God,
and is born again.

People who show no love
do not know God
for God is love.

And the love of God
became clear
as God sent
His only begotten Son
into the world
to imprint His life upon us.

So, our love comes,
not because we love God,
but because God loves us
and gave His Son
as the expiation –

the compensation,
the penance,
the punishment,
the amends –

for our sins.


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in I John by comparing many of the translations found on Bible Gateway.

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How to imitate Christ’s love

Philippians 2:1-5

Beloved,
If you can find any encouragement in Christ,
any comfort in God’s love,
any fellowship in the Holy Spirit,
any compassion and any mercy anywhere,
you’ll bring joy to the Family of God
by having the same mind,
the same love,
the same loving thoughts
to unite your hearts.

Instead of focusing only on yourself
and the attention you might like,
focus on other people
and their needs.

Then you’ll see – really see –
and look out for others
The Way
Christ Jesus looks out
through His love for you.


©2014, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s Bible reading in Philippians 2:1-5 by comparing translations found on Bible Gateway.

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Love shines from the Golden Rule

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets,” Matthew 7:12, King James Version (KJV.)

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets,” Matthew 7:12, New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE.)

“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets,” Matthew 7:12, New American Standard Bible (NASB.)

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets,” Matthew 7:12, New Living Translation (NLT.)

The Golden Life

Love others
The Way
you want them
to love you.

Love others,
and you will
fulfill
what the Law
and Prophets
agree our
God of Love
requires.

©2014, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased the above poem from parallel translations found on Bible Gateway.

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