Obliged to love

Romans 13:8-10

Don’t be obliged
to anyone for anything
except for being
obligated to love.

Whoever loves others
has fulfilled the law!

Consider the commandments:

Do not commit adultery with anyone.
Do not murder anyone.
Do not steal from anyone.
Do not scheme to get
what anyone else has.

See?
The commandments add up to one:

Love anyone as yourself.

Love harms no one!
Therefore, your love fulfills God’s law.


© 2015, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in Romans 13 from several of the many translations on Bible Gateway

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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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To the young or inexperienced

1 Timothy 4:12-16

Beloved,
give no one cause to look down on you
just because you’re young or inexperienced.

Set a good example
by the way you speak, act,
and show love, faith, and
wholesome behavior.

Keep reading God’s word
before teaching
or exhorting anyone else.

And do not neglect
the God-given gift
you have received –
conferred to you
through the church.

Practice these things.

Be committed to them.

Then your spiritual growth
will be a blessing to everyone.

Take care of yourself
and what you say
in teaching others.

As you keep on doing
your work in the Lord,
you’ll receive saving grace
for yourself and all who listen.

© 2015, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased these words from today’s Epistle reading in 1 Timothy by drawing on a variety of translations on Bible Gateway.

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For God so loved the world

John 3:13-17

And Jesus said,
“No one has gone up to heaven
except The One
who came down from heaven:
the Son of Man.

And as Moses lifted up
the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in Him
may have everlasting life.”

For God so loved the world,
He gave His only Son
so that everyone
who believes in Him
might not perish
but have eternal life.

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


© 2015, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased these lines from today’s Gospel reading in John with the help of translations on Bible Gateway.

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Deck yourself out in love

Colossians 3:12-17

You are God’s chosen ones –
the holy elect –
dearly loved!

Now clothes yourselves
in mercy, kindness,
gentleness, and patience,
so you can bear up
under complaints
and forgive one another
as the Lord has forgiven you.

Beyond this
clothe yourself in love –
the perfect bond –

and let the peace of Christ
control your hearts.

You’re called to be
One Body in peace,
so be thankful!

Let the word of Christ live
in you richly
as you teach
and exhort one another
with wisdom,
singing Psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
with hearts given in grace
to God.

And whatever you do –
whether in words or actions –
do all in the Name
of the Lord Jesus
with thanks to God our Father
to Whom we belong
in Christ.

© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading from Colossians with help from the many translations on Bible Gateway.

Love brings home the Lord

John 14:23

Jesus answered and said,

If you love Me,
you will keep My word,
and My Father will love you.
And We will come to you,
and make Our Home
to be at home
with you.

©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased this verse in the Gospel of John with readings from many of the translations provided on Bible Gateway.
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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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