| But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. | So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. |
| O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. | You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. |
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| In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. | My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. |
| So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. | So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. |
| Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. | Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. |
| Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. | Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. |
| And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. | And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. |
