P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
This week Abraham meets with Abimelech again, this time for a treaty of sorts.
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 bow before you, yearning for Your guidance and comfort. Your love and mercy have been my strength, and I am grateful. Please open my heart to your will and fill me with your Spirit. Lead me in your truth, and help me to trust in your plan. Surround me with your peace and draw me closer to you.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in 1 Chronicles 16…
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
Genesis 21:22-24
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?”
At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
Genesis 21:22-24
Abimelech comes to Abraham with a show of strength this time by bringing along Phicol the commander of his armies. This may show strength, but in the end all it shows is that Abimelech believes that not even his armies are strong enough to defeat Abraham so he asks for an oath. A couple things to point out today to get us thinking. Firstly, Abimelech leads with “God is with you in all that you do.” What a testament to not only God’s movements through Abraham, but Abraham’s faith and his obedience to God. Second thing to point out is that Abimelech is asking for kindness, in Hebrew it is “hesed”. It is a voluntary commitment by a stronger party to meet the needs of a weaker party. It is the same kindness that God shows to us. Lastly, Abraham is making a deal to let Abimelech and future generations stay in the land that is rightfully his that God will give him. It is interesting how gracious Abraham is with things of this earth.
Lord, I ask that you pour out your Spirit in me that when people see me they will be able to say, “God is with you in all that you do.” What a beautiful thing to seek after in this life.
Heavenly Father, I seek your revival in my life. Restore my soul and renew my mind. Pour out your Spirit upon me and awaken a deeper love for you. Help me to turn away from distractions and focus on your purpose for my life. Let your grace renew my heart and inspire me to walk in your truth with unwavering faith.
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?
At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
Genesis 21:22-24
Yielding Prayer
Lord, my life is not my own and it was bought with a price. Fill me with your Spirit and give me strength to accept that. Give me a hope that looks to what you have for me in light of all of the things around me. Let me be a beacon of hope in this life.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Jeremiah 29…
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
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.