Christ’s love does not let us down

Romans 5:5-11

Our hope in Christ Jesus
does not disappoint us
or put us to shame
because the Holy Spirit
pours into us
the love of God!

For when we were weak and helpless
and unable to save ourselves,
Christ died for all of us – sinners all –
at just the right time.

Think of it! Few of us would be willing
to die for someone else, though, perhaps,
we might for family or friend.

But the Lord proved His amazing love for us
that, while we were way far away from God,

Christ died for us:

justifying us by His blood,
saving us from end-time wrath,
reconciling us to God by His death.

Oh, how much more
will our lives be saved by His life!

Praise God!

Through Jesus Christ our Lord
our fellowship with God, ourselves,
and one another is restored!


© 2015, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Romans 5:5-11 from 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 Get a Life!

A Bible scholar and expert in God’s Law asked Jesus,

“Rabbi, what do I have to do to have life forever?"

Jesus responded with questions of His own:

“What’s written in the Law?
How do you read it?”

Quoting scripture, the man said:

“You shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart
and all your soul
and all your strength
and all your mind.
And you shall love your neighbor
as much as you love yourself."

Jesus said,

“That’s right!
Now, do it,
and you will have life.”

Luke 10:25-28


Prayer-a-phrased scriptures came from the many translations on Bible Gateway.

©2014, Mary Sayler, poet, writer, and pray-er for our country and the church throughout the world

How faith in Christ leads us to love

Because of our faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ,
we have been made right with God!

With God, we have peace.

Because of our faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ,
we have access
to the Grace of God,
and we rejoice in the hope
of God’s Glory.

We can even rejoice
in our troubles,
knowing that trials help us
to endure,
and endurance develops
our character,
and character strengthens
our hope,
and hope will not lead
to disappointment

because the Love of God
pours into our hearts,
through the Holy Spirit,
Who has been given to us
and keeps filling us
with God’s Love.

©2014, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased Romans 5:1-5 from the poetic words found in many translations on Bible Gateway.

…

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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Nothing can separate you from God’s love

Romans 8:38-39

For I am totally convinced
that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities
nor powers,
nor things present
nor things to come,
nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us
from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


©2014, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased from Romans 8:38-39 with the parallel translations found on Bible Gateway.

...

God’s costly love for everyone

God the Father
loved the world
so very much
He gave His only Son,
so everyone
who believes in Him
will not perish but will
have life forever.

For God the Father
did not send
His Son into the world
to condemn the world,
but that, through Him,
the whole world might be saved.

And all who believe in Him
are never condemned,
but oh, those who do not believe
have already been sentenced
because they found no faith –
in the Name
of God’s only Son.

So this is the verdict:
Light came into the world,
but people loved darkness
to hide their sinfulness.
And all who act abhorrently
apparently hate the Light
and will not come to light,
so no one can see what they’re doing.

But those who want what’s true
do come to the Light,
so everyone can clearly see
their deeds have been done in sight
of God –
the Father Who so loves.

© 2013, Mary Sayler, prayer-a-phrase, John 3:16-21

Bible-taught love

Dear Child of God,
teach others about true love:

Let the older men know
to show self-control,
thoughtfulness, and wisdom
with sound faith, patience,
and a pure love
that endures.

Let the older women know
to live with reverence
for God and life,
avoiding too much wine
and unkind words of any kind
as they teach what’s good
and show young women how
they should respect their husbands
and love their families –
becoming their biggest fans!

Such behavior will reflect well
on the Word of God.

And, as you urge young men
to show control, let your life
display a sure way to integrity,
gravity, and pure speech
that speaks well for each
of us in Jesus’ Name
as true love puts evil to shame.

© 2013, Mary Sayler, prayer-a-phrase, Titus 2:1-8

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#Valentine from God

Holy, holy, holy
are you to the LORD –
treasured and held
by the heart of God.

Even though few,
the LORD loved you
and kept the vows
sworn to you
as Family.

With power, the LORD
bought your freedom

from anything that enslaved you,
from anyone who held you hostage
from anywhere foreign
to where God Is.

And, therefore,
you can be sure of this:

The LORD, your God
is the only God,

loyal to all who
accept the covenant
with the LORD God,
Who Is and Will Be
keeping a faithful
love vow with your
whole Family for
a thousand generations,
starting now.


© 2013, Mary Sayler, prayer-a-phrase, Deuteronomy 7:6-10

Living in love

And Jesus told His followers:

“Just as the Father has loved Me,
so have I loved you.

Live in My love.

If you keep My commandments,
you will live in My love in the same way
I’ve kept My Father's commandments
and live in His love.

I have told you these things
to give you My joy.

Live fully in that joy.

And this is what I require:

Love one another
as I have loved you."

John 15:9-12


Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy of knowing You love me! Help me to live in Your love and draw others to Your love in Jesus’ Name.


© 2013, Mary Sayler

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Believing and Praying in the Love of the Risen Christ

If we condense the whole Gospel into a single Bible verse, we’d probably pick the one previously posted and the one Christians most often quote: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life," John 3:16.

We especially think of this holy love during Holy Week as we recall the Resurrection on the first Easter when Jesus Christ overcame death and led The Way to eternal life – life that lasts forever.

We want that life! We want that promise to believers in John 3:16, but, as the next verse goes on to say: “God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that, through Him, the world might be saved," John 3:17.

Wow! As soon as we hear the promise of eternal salvation and everlasting life in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, we learn that, through Him, the whole world can be saved.

What does this mean to us as Christians?

If we take our faith one verse further, does this mean, for instance, that we might see results from our prayers for pure air, pure water, unpolluted food, and an earth free of baths in blood?

Could such prayers heal the ozone?

Could such prayers bring our families back to God and Christians back to the Bible and to the church?

Could our prayers – prayed in the love of God and the power of the Risen Christ – heal hearts deprived of God, not only in our neighborhoods, but around the world?

Prayer: Heavenly Father and Creator of the world and of time, space, and eternity, help us to believe! Help us to stay awake and aware of Your Love and the restorative, redemptive power of the Risen Christ to permeate every cell, every fiber, every particle of every person, place, and living thing. Thank You, Lord, for Your breathtaking love! Breathe on us in Your Holy Spirit and give us Your prayers to pray for our homes, environment, and the whole world in Jesus’ Name.

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©2012, Mary Sayler. Thank you for telling others about this site when giving them these words and prayers. Thanks, too, for following other Bible topics listed on Blogs by Mary. May God bless you and give you each day your daily prayers.

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