P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
The moment of truth has arrived in our story 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 116…
The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Psalm 116:5-6
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Genesis 22:9-12
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?”
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Genesis 22:9-12
Abraham and Isaac arrive at the place on Mount Moriah where the sacrifice will take place. Mount Moriah is the future home of the temple where all future sacrifices will take place for the people of God. Picture the story now. Abraham takes his son, his only son. Lays him onto the wood. Binds his hands out like a “T” and takes the knife to slaughter his beloved son of promise. The Lord calls out to him and intervenes. He knows that Abraham fears him because he has not withheld his son, his only son from him. Astounding! Now think about what the details of this story sound like. Jesus is the greater sacrifice. He is the true Son of promise that God does not withhold from us. Unlike Isaac, God allows his son to be killed for our sins. Genesis 22 is pointing our eyes to Jesus and his sacrifice for our sins.
Lord, I ask that you give me a heart of obedience that does not withhold anything from you. Every good and perfect gift in my life comes from you and you can be trusted above all else with even our most precious earthly gifts.
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?
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Genesis 22:9-12
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I come to you now and lay down the things that I have been holding onto too tightly. I repent that I lack faith and trust in you when it comes to certain things on this earth. Fill me with your Spirit and let me know and experience that you are the God who can be trusted even with my most precious earthly gifts.
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.