P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
James talks about bridling our tongue today and what real religion looks like.
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
Holy Spirit, make me see, make me know, make me understand, so that I may love You more and more.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 56…
I praise God for what he has promised;
yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?
I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light.
Psalm 56:10-13
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:26-27
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 anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:26-27
James introduces the theme of the tongue here, and he will unpack it later in the letter. He brings together a lot of themes that he will write about in a brief couple of verses. We see this idea of deceiving ourselves and our hearts when we say we believe something, and our actions do the exact opposite. He ends with if a pure religion is what you are after than this is what it looks like. Visiting the orphans and widows in their affliction and keeping oneself unstained from the world.
Lord, I ask that you show me what I am called to do in this life. Show me where I am deceiving myself and being stained by the world.
Lord God, You are the breath of life and the fire of our hearts. Awaken us from spiritual slumber, ignite a passion for your truth, and stir a holy hunger for your presence. Revive your Church, O Lord, renew our love for you and for one another. Let your Spirit move mightily in us, that we may live boldly for Your glory and shine your light into the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As I read the passage for the final time, I listen to 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 anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:26-27
Yielding Prayer
Lord, help me to honor you not only with my beliefs but with my words and actions. Teach me to speak with grace, truth, and self-control, and to care deeply for those who are forgotten or in need. Give me a heart that reflects your compassion and a faith that is alive through love. Keep me from being shaped by the values of this world, and set me apart for what pleases you. Let my religion be more than words—let it be a life of pure devotion and obedient love.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Isaiah 66…
Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.
“These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
and who tremble at my word.
Isaiah 66:2
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.