First Commandment: Love

Mark 12:28-31

Hearing an argument,
one of the scribes
came forward to ask,
“Then which is the first
of all commandments?”

Jesus replied,
“The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The LORD our God
is the only LORD,
and you shall love
the LORD your God

with all of your heart,
with all of your soul,
with all of your mind,
with all of your strength,

and the second command is this:

you shall love your neighbor
as yourself. No other
commandments are greater
than these.”

©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in the Gospel of Mark by referring to several of the many translations provided by Bible Gateway.

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For the love of Christ

Prayer-a-phrase of John 15:12-17

And Jesus said to all who follow Him:

Here’s what I want you to do:
“Love one another as I love you.”

What kind of love is that?

The greatest love is when
you give your life for your friends.

You are My friends,
and you show this
by doing as I ask.

You’re not enslaved by Me!

A slave has no idea what his master is doing!
But I told you everything I’ve heard from My Father,
because you are My friends.

You didn’t choose Me first,
but I chose You,
and now I’m appointing you
to go and bear fruit for eternity!

Then, whatever you ask the Father in My Name,
He will be able to give you
as you fulfill My command:

Love one another.


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased this scripture in John 15 from several of the many translations found on Bible Gateway.

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The love commandments

Mark 12:28-31

Coming up to Jesus, a religious expert asked,
“What’s the most important commandment?”

Jesus said, “The first thing to hear and heed is this:

The Lord, our God
alone is God!

And you shall love the Lord your God
in body, mind, and spirit:

with all of your heart,
with all of your soul,
with all of your mind,
and with all of your strength and being.

The second thing to hear and heed is this:

Your shall love other people just as much
as you must love yourself.

No other commandments mean more than these.


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased this scripture in Mark 12 from some of the many translations found on Bible Gateway.

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Love and pray for your enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

To all who follow Him, Jesus says:

You have heard people say
it’s okay to love your neighbors
and hate your enemies,
but I say,
Love your foes
and pray for those who trouble you.
This shows you’re children
of your Father, Who makes the sun
shine on the good and the bad,
and Who causes rain to fall on all –
the just and the unjust.
For if you love only those who love you,
what reward can be had?
Even despicable people do the same!
And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,
what’s unusual about that?
Even pagans greet their own families!
To be perfectly fair,
care for others as your Heavenly Father
perfectly loves and cares for you.


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Matthew with the help of translations found on Bible Gateway.
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Love comes together in Christ

Hebrews 10:23-25

Let’s hold on
to the hope we have,
and trust God
to keep every promise.

Let’s pray about ways
to stimulate love,
and motivate one another
to engage in good.

And, oh, don’t stop
getting together
as some have done,
but encourage each other
to assemble more often
as the day of the Lord
draws near.


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Hebrews by comparing translations 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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See the love!

1 John 3:1-2

Oh, look!

See what love the Father
has poured onto us,
the children of God!

That’s who we are!

And we know Whose we are –
whether other people
know it yet or not.

Oh, Beloved,
we are God’s children –
now!

What we will be
has not yet been revealed,
but we do know this:

When Christ comes,
we shall be like Him
for we shall see Him
as He is.


©2015, Mary 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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Loving and living in the light of Christ

Prayer-a-phrase of 1 John 2:3-10

How do we know we know God?
If we keep Christ’s commandments!

People who say they know God
but do not obey God’s Word
are just lying to themselves,
and the truth is not in them.

But whoever obeys God’s Word
is perfected by the love of God.

By this we'll know: If we say
we live in Christ,
we will walk as Jesus did.

Beloved, this isn’t a new command
as it’s been true since the beginning,
so you’ve already heard this word,
and yet, this is new
because it’s come true now
in Christ and in you:

Darkness is passing away,
and true light shines in Christ!

So, if you say you live in the light
but loathe other Christians,
you’re still in the darkness.

Those who love all believers
will live in the light of Christ
and cause none to stumble.


©2014, Mary Sayler, poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in I John by comparing translations 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

Jesus Christ says, I love you!

I correct and discipline
those whom I love.

I correct and discipline
you, My love.

Be earnest about turning
your heart and life
toward Me.

Listen!
I’m standing at your door,
knocking.

If you sense My voice
and open your heart, I
will come in
to be with you
and sit down with you,
and together,
we shall dine.

Stay with Me, and I
will seat you near My throne,
just as My Father did for Me.

If you can hear,
listen –
listen to what the Spirit
is saying to you
who live in Me.

Revelation 3:19-22


©2014, Mary Sayler, a poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Revelation by comparing translations on Bible Gateway.

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What love does

Remind everyone to obey
those in authority
and be ready to do good.

Remind everyone not
to talk ill of anyone nor
quarrel, but be
gentle and respectful of all.

Remember how we once
foolishly disobeyed? We, too,
went the way of envy
and other evils, and, oh, how
we hated one another!

Then God
our Savior
showed us true
kindness and love
by saving us –
not because
of anything
we had done,
but because
of God’s own
mercy.

And God cleansed us from sin
and gave us a fresh start
and gave us a new life in the Spirit
and generously poured into us
the Holy Spirit of our Savior
Jesus Christ.

God’s grace made us righteous.
God's gift gave us confidence
and hope
of life
forever in Christ.

Titus 3:1-7


©2014, Mary Sayler, a poet, writer, and lifelong lover of the Bible, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Titus by comparing translations 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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