P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We think about the life of Abraham 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
Heavenly Father, I come before you with a humble heart, seeking your presence and guidance. You are holy, loving, and full of mercy. Draw me closer to you, that I may walk in your light and know your truth. Cleanse my mind, renew my spirit, and fill me with your peace. Teach me to trust you more each day and to follow your will with faith and love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 92…
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
Psalm 92:1-4
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Romans 4:1-8
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?”
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Romans 4:1-8
God comes to Abraham in Genesis with astounding promises. Promises that he can’t see and, frankly, promises that seem impossible in many ways. Abraham believes, and he goes. The Bible clarifies that Abraham was deemed righteous because of his faith and not his works. There is always the fight against our sinful nature to try to make ourselves in our own power acceptable to God. It is a lie that has seeped into our souls. God wants our hearts, and with that his Holy Spirit will transform us into obedience.
Lord, I ask that you enlarge my faith. Break me of the lie that I need to earn your love instead of trusting in your Son and his work on the cross.
Lord, visit your people again with the Holy Spirit in a supernatural way for a period of time. Pour out your glory, and let us see you. Bring us to repentance and transform our hearts.
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?
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Romans 4:1-8
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I am saved through faith alone, through Christ alone. Break me of my desire to try to earn my salvation. Cover my sin and forgive my lawless deeds. Let your love for me turn my life into one of obedience.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Isaiah 26…
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3
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.