Bible story
Joseph Sold By His Brothers’ Prayer
A short, Scripture-shaped bible story prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.
The prayer
A prayer to pray now
Lord, Your Word tells how Joseph's brothers stripped him of his coat, threw him in a pit, and sat down to eat. They had lunch while their brother cried out from the dark. That casual cruelty shocks me every time I read it slowly.
Lord, the cruelty of family is sometimes the deepest cruelty. Joseph was young and proud about his dreams, but he did not deserve the years of slavery and prison that followed. He did not earn that suffering.
Yet the same story ends with You working through the betrayal. You used it to rescue two nations from famine. Genesis 50:20 says what they meant for evil, You meant for good.
Father, the betrayals I have suffered have been smaller than Joseph's. Use them as You used his. Do not waste them. Work in me the same readiness, at the long end of the story, to forgive what was meant for harm and to bless what You intend for good.
Amen.
How to pray it
- Read it slowly. Move through this prayer one line at a time, out loud if you can, letting each phrase land before the next.
- Make it personal. Pause where a line meets your day and name the person, fear, or hope it touches before God.
- Carry it with you. Keep one sentence with you — on your phone or in your pocket — and return to it when the day gets loud.
Verses to pray
Pray these slowly, one line at a time. Scripture quoted from a public-domain translation.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.
Genesis 50:20When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him;
Genesis 37:23Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.
Genesis 37:28
Questions about this prayer
When should I pray joseph sold by his brothers’ prayer?
Pray it whenever the words fit your moment — at the start of the day, in a hard stretch, or when you simply want to turn toward God.
Which Bible verses anchor this prayer?
This prayer is anchored in Genesis 50:20, Genesis 37:23, Genesis 37:28. The "Verses to pray" section above quotes them in full.
Can I save or share this prayer?
Yes. Use the Copy prayer button to copy the words, or open the Chosen Portion app to keep a daily prayer, devotional, and Scripture with you.