P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We end the week with one of Paul’s letters that reminds us that God uses the weak.
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
Lord, I come before you with a humble heart. In your presence, I seek guidance and strength. I thank you for your endless love and grace, which sustains me each day. As I approach you now, I ask for your Spirit to illuminate your Word to me now. Fill my heart with your peace. Let me experience your presence during this time.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 118…
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord‘s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:19-24
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
As I reread the passage, I reflect on the questions, “How is my life touched by this word?” and “How does this passage connect with my life?”
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Once we set our egos aside these words from Paul are beautiful. When we embrace humility and our stories we understand that God has written our lives to point to him. We are not the heroes. Our lives are meant to be seen in such a way that they point others to the one true hope in the Living God. Let our boasts today be in the Lord!
Lord, I ask that you fill me with your Spirit. That I can embrace my weakness and set aside my ego so that people can see you and you alone.
Lord, We come to you in need of renewal and revival. Breathe new life into our weary souls and reignite our passion for your truth and love. Cleanse our hearts from all that hinders our walk with you, and restore our faith and zeal. Fill us with your Spirit, empowering us to live boldly for your glory. May your presence transform us, and may Your light shine through us to touch the lives of others. Amen.
As I read the passage for the final time, I listen for how the Lord is inviting me to respond to him. Where in my life do I need to yield in obedience to what he has for me?
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I yield in obedience to what you have for me today. It is not flashy, but it is beautiful. Forgive me for desiring to be the strong and the wise in my own power. Show me that there is a greater way for me to follow. Fill me with your Spirit and create in me a humble heart.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Matthew 28…
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Closing Prayer
Lord, enable me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to love you today with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to serve you today, by loving and caring for others as I do my own self; and, to exalt you today, by telling the people in my world about the abundant and eternal life found only through faith in Jesus.
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.