P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Today we look at the life that prays with power.
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
My Father, as I enter your gates this morning, there is thanksgiving in my heart! I praise you, that as your child, I can approach your throne of grace! Thank you for your promise that, as I draw near to you now, you will faithfully draw near to me. Assure me today of your great love for me as I open my heart to you and seek to be changed in your transforming presence.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 34…
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:15-18
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
“In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”
Psalm 10:4
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”
Psalm 105:4
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21
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?”
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
“In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”
Psalm 10:4
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”
Psalm 105:4
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21
On the first day of this week, we considered God’s incredible promise: if his people pray, he will heal their land. This verse also outlines several conditions that must be met before this healing can occur. We should remember that these conditions are not prerequisites for becoming a Christian. God’s salvation is a gift of grace received through faith in Christ, entirely undeserved. However, if we desire to live lives of fullness and power, as we’ve seen in the lives of the Christians in the early church, then we must remain close to God and, empowered by the Holy Spirit, follow His commands. Let’s briefly examine each of these requirements:
Humility: Psalm 10 reveals that pride hinders the wicked from “seeking” the Lord. As we’ve seen this week, a recognition of our complete dependence on God, or humility, is the heart attitude that fuels our prayers and is pleasing to the Lord.
Seeking His Face: John Piper brilliantly explains “seeking” in this way: “God’s manifest, conscious, trusted presence is not our constant experience. There are seasons when we become neglectful of God and give him no thought and do not put trust in him and we find him “unmanifested” — that is, unperceived as great and beautiful and valuable by the eyes of our hearts. His face — the brightness of his personal character — is hidden behind the curtain of our carnal desires. This condition is always ready to overtake us. That is why we are told to “seek his presence continually.” God calls us to enjoy continual consciousness of his supreme greatness and beauty and worth.”
Turning from our Wicked Ways: This condition involves more than just a change of heart; it requires a continual turning of our lives toward God through confession and repentance. Unfortunately, we will inevitably sin, and our Galatians passage reminds us of specific fleshly behaviors—including subtle sins like jealousy, envy, and divisiveness—that must be purged from a Christian’s life. But before we are tempted to despair at the thought of needing to walk in perfect obedience, let’s remember that what God wants from us is a willing heart that chooses obedience. When we sincerely commit to following him in our heart, the Holy Spirit empowers us more and more to live out that obedience (Hebrews 13:20-21).
In light of this truth, let’s go before the Lord…
Gracious Lord, I’m awestruck by the consistent and multifaceted ways you reveal the path that leads to you and, therefore, to life, freedom, and power! It can seem so very difficult, and yet, you have gone to great lengths to give us your Holy Spirit to help us. Thank you! Guide me now into truth as I consider these questions:
My God and Father, I understand that you meant prayer to be the great power by which your church should do its work. It is when we ask, not only for ourselves but also for others, that you answer and heavenly blessings are brought to earth. What a wonderful privilege it is to partner with you to have your kingdom come! So today, I ask that you would bring revival, first into my heart, as I seek to align myself rightly with you, and then into my home, neighborhood, workplace and the world!
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?
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
“In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”
Psalm 10:4
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”
Psalm 105:4
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21
Yielding Prayer
I yield, my Jesus. Teach me to walk in humility. I know that everything I am and have has come from your hand. You have been incredibly gracious to me in all things! Teach me to walk in continual consciousness of you. Remind me throughout my day to turn my face to you so that I might be strengthened by the knowledge of your character and faithfulness to me. Teach me to walk in obedience. I desire to follow you completely. Show me as soon as I step off the path and give me a willing heart to repent and turn back. Thank you for the promise that you will work all this in me as I step out in faith! Amen.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Hebrews 13…
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 13:20-21
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.