P.R.A.Y

PAUSE

REJOICE & REFLECT

ASK

YIELD

Personal Worship

Today we will reflect on the idea that because of the truth that God is light, we either have fellowship with him in the light or we walk in darkness.

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.

Pause

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

O God, for you alone my soul waits in silence in this moment. I wait in your presence for my salvation comes from you and from you alone. You alone are my rock and my fortress. In you I place my trust. (Psalm 62:1-2) I ask that your Holy Spirit would fill me as I enter in.

Rejoice and Reflect

We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 27…

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!
       Psalm 27

Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture in 1 John 1:5-10, where we read:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
       1 John 1:5-10

God is light and there is no darkness in him. God does not just radiate light, but his nature is light. God is completely pure and holy. John uses verse 5 as the basis for two appeals to God’s people. The first appeal is that because God is light, Christians should live according to God’s pure nature, so they should not sin. The second appeal is that because God is light, when we do not live according to that truth, when we do sin, we should confess our sin to God and experience his forgiveness. 

The Christian life starts with God, not us. That is why before John ever talks about our behavior he talks about who God is. We also see that there are consequences for when we walk in the light and consequences when we are in darkness. When we walk in light after the nature of God we have fellowship with God, with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us. If we deceive ourselves and choose to remain in darkness by denying our sin or not confessing it the reverse happens. Our fellowship with God and with others suffers.

Ask

Jesus, I ask that you would reveal the darkness in me. Would you show me where I am walking in darkness? Bring to light where I have hidden sin and sin that I have become okay with in my life. Convict my heart to the sin and darkness in my life, so that I can bring it you in faith to receive forgiveness. 

Reflection Questions:
     1) Where is there sin in my life
     2) How is my sin affecting my fellowship with God?
     3) Where is sin affecting my fellowship with others around me?

Lord, you are light. You are pure and holy. May you strengthen your Church across the world to walk in that light. I come before you to ask that you would show us as your people the sin that is hurting our fellowship with you. Would you root out any darkness that your bride is walking in?

Yield

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…

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
       1 John 1:5-10

Yielding Prayer

Jesus, I surrender to you the sin that is causing me to walk in darkness. I confess everything that I wrote down above where I find myself caught in sin. I ask to receive your forgiveness that you have purchased by your work on the cross. Would you cleanse me? Give me your Spirit and enstill in me a desire to run towards the light and away from darkness. Would you strengthen my resolve to confess to every sin in the moment I realize that I have sinned. Thank you for your faithfulness to me in the midst of my sin.

Yielding Promise

And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in John 8:12…

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   
       John 8:12

Closing Prayer

As I go from here, may I feel your love as my Father, your presence as my friend, and your mercy as my Savior. Fill me, Holy Spirit, that I may walk in step with what you would have for me today! Seal in me the truths declared from your Word. Teach my heart to bow before you as my Lord in every opportunity you give me today.