P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Today, we remember how far Christ has brought us and choose to remain grounded in the hope of the gospel.
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
Jesus, you are supreme over all things! You are the way, the truth, and the life. You are the Word in the flesh. I approach your throne in confidence knowing that your blood has covered me. Meet me in this time and fill me with your Spirit and bring transformation to my soul.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 104…
I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 104:1-3
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Colossians 1:21-23
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?”
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Colossians 1:21-23
We were once separated from God, but Jesus has reconciled us through his death. Our standing before God has been completely changed because of what Christ has done for us. We are now invited to remain grounded, stable, and steadfast in the hope of the gospel. When circumstances shift and emotions change, the good news of Jesus remains firm. Together, we can build our lives on this unchanging hope and refuse to be moved away from the grace we have received.
Lord, remind me of who I was before I met you, not to bring shame, but gratitude for all that you have done.
Father, revive us by bringing the wonder of the gospel back to the center of our hearts. Make us deeply aware of your grace and firmly rooted in the hope we have in Jesus.
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?
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Colossians 1:21-23
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I choose to remain grounded in the gospel today. Keep my heart steady and help me refuse every voice that tries to move me away from the hope I have in Christ.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Hebrews 6…
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19-20
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