P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Today, we come before our Father asking him to reorder our loves so that our treasure, vision, and service belong fully to him.
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 16…
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:19-24
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?”
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:19-24
Jesus teaches us that our hearts follow our treasure. Earthly treasures are fragile, temporary, and vulnerable to loss, but treasure in heaven is secure forever. Jesus also shows us that what we fix our eyes on shapes the whole direction of our lives. If our vision is clouded by greed, comparison, or worldly desire, our hearts grow dark. Then Jesus brings us to the central issue: we cannot serve two masters. We cannot be ruled by both God and money. As his people, we are called to treasure what lasts, see with kingdom clarity, and serve the Lord with an undivided heart.
Lord, let me behold your glory and allow me to forget the things of this earth.
Father, revive our love for eternal treasure. Open our eyes to the beauty of your kingdom and free us from serving money, possessions, or worldly security.
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?
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:19-24
Yielding Prayer
Father, I yield my treasures, desires, and loyalties to you. Teach me to store up treasure in heaven and to serve you as my only Master. Give me a clear eye and an undivided heart.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Colossians 3…
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:2-4
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