P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We close our week resting and trusting that we serve a God of victory!
Together we will pray (P.R.A.Y.) each day – ‘P’: Pausing to be still as we come into the presence of the Lord. ‘R’: Rejoicing as we remember who our God is and what He has done, and Reflecting on His word. ‘A’: Asking God to help us and others. And ‘Y’: yielding to His will in accordance with His word.
As I come before you to pray, I still my thoughts and quiet my mind. I seek to make you the center of my focus.
Prayer of Approach
As I enter into your presence, I wait on you, my God. You are a shield about me. You are my glory and the lifter of my head. I cry aloud to you today and I trust that you will answer me from your holy hill. (Psalm 3:3-4) I surrender this time to you and refix my gaze on who you are.
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 8…
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8
Today, we reflect on 1 Samuel 17:48-54, where we read:
When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
1 Samuel 17:48-54
David slays the giant, Goliath, with a sling and stone. God delivered the enemy into his hand just like David said he would. This is a huge physical victory for Israel, but this story points us to a greater victory. A victory that as God’s children we take part in.
Think back to how Goliath was described when we first met him. Yes, he is a giant, but what about how they would have seen him in full armor. He had a a helmet that made his head appear smooth. His chain mail would have made him appear to have scales. His legs were covered with bronze armor as well making his body look like one continuous color. Lastly, he had a bronze javelin between his should blades that would have made him appear to have a tail. It would seem that the Lord wanted us and them to realize that Goliath would have looked like a massive serpent. David literally crushed the head of the serpent and took and buried Goliath of Gath’s skull in Jerusalem.
David fulfilled the prophecy of Genesis 3:15, which says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”” David the offspring in the lineage of Eve, the same lineage that Jesus will come from did exactly that he crushed the head of the serpent. The story of David and Goliath points us to a far greater fulfillment though of Genesis 3:15.
Jesus, the eternal Son of God, left Heaven and came to earth. He lived perfectly, but on that fateful Friday on Golgatha (the place of the skull) outside of Jerusalem Satan, the serpent, bruised his heal. Jesus was crucified and died and it seems like death has one, that Satan has the final victory. On Sunday though as Jesus rises forever defeating sin, death, and Satan, he fullfilled his promise to crush the head of the serpent.
Jesus one the battle for us. He did what we could not do. He won a victory far greater than David did versus Goliath. We worship a Savior who through his death and resurrection claims victory over every evil, injustice, and sin on our behalf! Praise Jesus!
Jesus, you are my victor! Lord, I ask that you would reveal to me where in my life that I want to be my own hero. Where in my life am I trying to be my own Savior and thus not giving you the glory you deserve? Where has my hope diminished because I feel like sin, death, and evil are the final victors in the end? Restore my hope that you are victorious over all things, because of you are the perfect Savior who was crucified and resurrected on my behalf.
Reflection Questions:
1) Where in my life do I doubt that Jesus is or one day will be victorious over the things of this world?
2) Where do I place my hope? Is it in my ability to save myself or is all of my hope in Jesus’ work on my behalf?
Jesus, as I pray for your people today. That as we look at a world that is in shambles we would fix our eyes on you. That as it seems like evil and Satan will be victorious in the end would your Church stand tall knowing that in the end you will subdue everything under your feet. Encourage your children across the world with this truth today.
As I read the passage again slowly, I listen for anything that You would say to me in it. Help me see how to position my life in order to yield to your word…
When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
1 Samuel 17:48-54
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I surrender my pride that makes me believe that I can save myself. Would you humble me today? Would your Spirit fill my heart and my mind that you really have fought the battle for me and that you are the true victor. Would I surrender my doubts and worries that cling so easily to my soul that would make me believe otherwise. I yield to your glory as the only Savior, the only perfect Son of God who could defeat sin and death on my behalf. Let me rest in that today. Allow that thought to remain constant in encouraging me as I seek to be your hands and feet in this world.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Romans 8:31-32…
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:31-32
Closing Prayer
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant, we pray, that we might be grounded and settled in your truth by the coming of your Holy Spirit into our hearts. What we do not know, reveal to us; what is lacking within us, make complete; that which we do know, confirm in us; and keep us blameless in your service through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.1
1St. Clement of Rome