P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Isaac brings up a good point ot Abraham today.
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, seeking your presence. Guide me with your wisdom, surround me with your love, and fill me with your peace. Help me to draw closer to you, to listen for your voice, and to follow your path. Thank you for your unending grace and mercy.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 118…
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
Psalm 118:24
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:4-8
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?”
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:4-8
You can feel the tension building as Abraham tells the servants to stay where they are and that he and Isaac will continue on. Abraham grabs the offering supplies and lays the wood upon the back of his son, his only son. And again, he goes in obedience. Isaac brings up a good point though when he asks about where the lamb is. We see the heart of Abraham when he fully trusts that God is going to provide for them. Abraham is living within the vision of trusting God and his promises. We learn a lot about Isaac in this narrative as well. This kind of trust in your father and God is something that is grown by experience. Just like Lot’s daughters were influenced by Sodom, Isaac has been influenced by his father and the trust he has that the Lord will provide
Lord, I ask that you strengthen my trust in you as I live on this earth and face difficult situations that I don’t have all the answers to. Fill me with your Spirit and speak to me through your Word.
Lord, We humbly come before you, seeking revival in our hearts and in our land. Stir within us a renewed passion for your Word and your ways. Cleanse us of our sins and fill us with your Holy Spirit. Ignite a fire in our souls that burns brightly for your glory. Help us to love others as you have loved us, and to spread your message of hope and salvation.
Revive us, O Lord, and let your light shine through us, transforming our communities and drawing many to your saving grace.
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?
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:4-8
Yielding Prayer
Lord, my life is not my own, because I was bought with the price of your only Son’s blood. Let my life and my obedience match that price. Let me see that you love me and give me a radical trust that you will provide for me in the way I exactly need. Give me a Spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control today.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in 2 Corinthians 5…
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21
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.