P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We see the tale of two sons and the frustration that comes with that.
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
Heavenly Father, I come before You with a humble heart, seeking Your presence. I thank You for Your endless love and grace, which sustain me each day. As I approach You now, I ask for Your light to guide my path, Your wisdom to shape my decisions, and Your peace to fill my heart. May I feel Your closeness and reflect Your goodness in all I do. In Your holy name, I pray. Amen.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 103…
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
Psalm 103:1-2
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 21:8-14
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?”
And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 21:8-14
At this point, Ishmael would have been around thirteen years old. You can imagine as the only child for thirteen years Abraham had grown quite fond of him. Maybe even seeing Ishmael as his chosen heir if God does not give life to Sarah’s womb. Sarah has had enough though. She tells Abraham to cast Hagar out. This displeases Abraham, but God intervenes. God says to do whatever Sarah says because he is going to take care of Hagar and Ishmael.
Lord, at times you call us to trust you in difficult situations where the answer you give is confusing. I ask that you fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me to listen to you above all.
Dear God, I come before you with a heart longing for revival. Renew my spirit and fill me with your love and strength. Remove any barriers that hinder my relationship with you and ignite a new passion within me for your Word and your ways. Let your presence transform my life and empower me to live out my faith boldly. In Jesus’ name, I pray. 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?
And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 21:8-14
Yielding Prayer
Lord, you are God and I am not. You are omnipotent and I am not. You are omnipresent and I am not. At times my heart lacks trust in you. Remind me today that you can be trusted. You are the God who calls me to obedience, so today wherever I find myself fill me with your Spirit that trusts you and obeys what you command.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Philippians 4…
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
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.