P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Today, we come before our Father asking him to purify our hearts so that our acts of righteousness are done for his glory, not for the praise of people.
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 am reminded today that your steadfast love never ceases. Your mercies never come to an end, and they are new each and every morning. Your faithfulness to your people is great. Meet with me. Speak to me by the power of your Word and your Holy Spirit.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 139…
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Psalm 139:1-6
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
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?”
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
Jesus warns us that even good works can become corrupted when we do them to be noticed. Giving to the needy is beautiful in the eyes of God, but when we turn generosity into a performance, our hearts drift away from the Father. Jesus invites us into a quieter, deeper obedience—one that does not need applause because it rests in the joy of being seen by God. We do not have to announce our righteousness, defend our motives, or seek the reward of human praise. Our Father sees what is done in secret, and his approval is better than the recognition of the world.
Lord, show me what it looks like to live for your reward over the rewards of this earth. I ask that you show me your face.
Father, revive our hearts by freeing us from the need to be seen by others. Restore in us a pure love for you and a quiet joy in serving for your glory alone.
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?
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
Yielding Prayer
Father, I yield my desire for recognition to you. Teach me to give, serve, and obey with a sincere heart, trusting that you see what is done in secret. Make my obedience quiet, joyful, and free from the need for applause.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Hebrews 6…
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
Hebrews 6:10
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