P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Today we will explore how to prepare our hearts to be filled.
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
Our Jesus, on Christmas we celebrated your first Advent (or “arrival”) into our dark and helpless world as Immanuel, God with us. We now want to thank you for not leaving us as orphans after your death, burial, resurrection and then return to Heaven. For, after that return, you sent us the promised Holy Spirit; the Spirit of truth, our helper. Enable us over these next few weeks to better understand how you desire to live and reign within us through the Holy Spirit. Let us hear your voice and experience your very real presence as we meet with you now. And then, by your Spirit, lead us through this day! (Based on John 14:16-18)
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the promises of God that I find in Deuteronomy 30
“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.”
Deuteronomy 30:11-16
As you read the passage, ask the Lord to reveal a word or phrase that stands out to you.
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:24-25
As I reread the passage, I am reflecting on the questions, “How is my life touched by this word?” and “How does this passage connect with my life?”
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:24-25
In order for us to be filled by the Spirit of God, we first need to be emptied.
D.L Moody wrote, “ I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and self-seeking, and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will come and fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit, ambition and self-seeking, pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God; and I believe many a man is praying for God to fill him when he is already full with something else. Before we pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray for Him to empty us. There must be an emptying before there can be a filling.”
This feels impossible, does it not? And yet it also makes sense! Thankfully we know that, even though, “With man” some things are “impossible,” “with God all things are possible.” (Mt. 19:26). We must trust that the Spirit will help us get there. We are to be a people of continual confession. A people who desire, seek and pursue a life of holiness. But we are to do that by the power of the Spirit, who works with us to accomplish our surrender. In other words, we don’t have to conjure up the ability to surrender on our own. He helps us! Though we do need to “work” and participate in that process!
So, what does that look like practically? Because, this is actually something you can do right now (and every day hereafter). We will now come humbly before our God and walk through a prayer of confession and repentance in the “ask” section below. During this time of prayer, focus on recommitting every area of your life to God and yielding to him as best you can in all things. We are trusting him to help us prepare our hearts to be filled.
Holy Father, as intimidating as this may be, I am asking you to prepare my heart to be filled. Reveal and remove anything in me that is hindering your filling. Jesus, as you prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” I offer you now my life. Use it for your purposes and at your direction. I trust you with it, and know that your plan for me is good!
Right now, I ask you to show me any sin that robs me of your fullness. Any pride, selfishness, ambition or self-seeking. Show me anything that is contrary to your law as I sit here in stillness, and help me know you are a compassionate God who forgives as soon as I ask. Lord, some things in my life are a continual struggle. Things like unforgiveness, lack of love, addictions, worldliness, people pleasing (instead of God pleasing) and worry. (Or maybe it’s something entirely different.) Whatever it is, I lay these things at your feet in repentance and ask you to help me choose you and your way on this day. I trust that you will help me as I willingly give them to you. And in those cases where I struggle to be willing, accomplish my surrender. Help me believe that I am now clean before you and that my heart is now ready to be filled!
Lord, I want all of you that there is to have! I want that personally, I want that for Rio, and I want that for the Church here in South Florida! So, give us faith for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our day! And teach us to wait on you, to listen for your voice, to pray persistently for your Empowering Presence, and then to walk in your power. Do a great work through us for the sake of your Kingdom and your glory!
As I read the passage for the final time, I listen for 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?
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:24-25
Yielding Prayer
My Jesus, sometimes when I confess my sins to you, I do not “feel” clean. And yet your word tells us that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), and that, if I confess my sins, you are faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness. (1 Jn. 1:9) So, let me trust your word and walk out into my day in that assurance and joy!
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Proverbs 1:
“If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.
Proverbs 1:23
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.
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.