P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Joseph finds himself in a literal pit 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
Father, I come before you with a humble heart, longing to meet with you. Thank you for the gift of your Word and the privilege of prayer. Quiet my mind, still my spirit, and open my eyes to see your truth. May your Spirit guide me into understanding, and may my heart be soft to receive and obey. I draw near to you now, Lord, trusting that you will draw near to me.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 36…
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Psalm 36:5
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
Genesis 37:21-24
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?”
But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
Genesis 37:21-24
Reuben tried to lessen his brothers’ evil by persuading them not to kill Joseph but to throw him into a pit instead. Joseph, stripped of his robe—the symbol of his father’s love—was cast into the darkness of an empty cistern. In this moment, Joseph must have felt abandoned, humiliated, and powerless. Yet even in the pit, God’s hand was at work. Joesph’s story is going to constantly remind us that following God does not mean avoiding hardship. Sometimes we find ourselves “in the pit” through no fault of our own. But even there, God’s presence has not left us, and his purposes are still unfolding.
Lord, I ask that you remind me who you are in the midst of my suffering. Reveal your presence to me today.
Join us for Pray First, set your heart on God this week, asking Him to awaken a deeper longing for His presence.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:15
Our complacency towards obedience causes many negative consequences in our lives, including robbing us of the fullness of the Spirit and the power we need to bring God’s Kingdom to earth.
Prayer: Gracious Lord, I ask that You would show me any sin that I have allowed to go unchecked in my life. Reveal to me what blessings I have forgone because of my lack of repentance and confession to You. Help me believe that simply the act of turning from my sin causes You to come running with compassion, ready to grant me victory, peace and freedom in my life, and power for the work!
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?
But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
Genesis 37:21-24
Yielding Prayer
Father, when life feels like a pit, I confess how easily I become discouraged or fearful. But I know you never leave me, even in the darkest places. Today, I yield my need for control and my demand for answers. I choose to trust that you are with me and that your plan is unfolding, even when I cannot see it. Strengthen my faith to cling to you in the pit, and shape me into someone who reflects your steadfast love.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Genesis 50…
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good
Genesis 50:20
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.