P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We continue in the word gifts today as we take a look at the gift or exhortation/encouragement.
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
Guide us, O God, by your Word, and Holy Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find freedom, and in your will discover peace; through Christ our Lord, Amen.
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 84:
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
Psalm 84:5-8
Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture, where we read:
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:4-8
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:11-12
The gift of exhortation/encouragement is such a necessity in the body of Christ. In a world that seeks to tear down the people around us, the Church is called to build up. One of the greatest gifts we have been given is the people in our midst who utilize this gift. Leslie Flynn has a beautiful description of this gift when she says,
“The gift of exhortation involves the supernatural ability to come alongside to help, to strengthen the weak, to reassure the wavering, buttress the buffeted, steady the faltering, console the troubled, and encourage the halting! Just as the Holy Spirit is an instrument of help, so the Spirit uses this gift to make us instruments of encouragement to fellow saints.”
Three ways that this gift comes alive are to correct (to rebuke gently), to encourage, and to comfort. Those who have been given this gift have a supernatural ability to call us back to truth that we have walked away from in a way where we feel listened to and encouraged, but a change is necessary for our life. Those who have this gift are the ultimate hard-core cheerleaders in our lives. They are always writing cards, texts, and emails, letting you know that you are loved and cared for by God and them. They build up the Church by building up the bride of Christ.
Lord, open my eyes to what you have for me. I want to have everything that you have created for me to have. Give me the desire to pursue the gifts that your Spirit has given me. Give me wisdom and discernment to identify and use what you have bestowed upon me.
1)How does the gift of exhortation/encouragement build up the body of Christ?
2)How can this gift be applied and used?
3)What characteristics does someone who has been given this gift have?
4)Have I been given this gift, why or why not?
Wake us up, Lord! Remind us to live aware, to redeem the time, to listen to your words, and to be willing to make a difference in the places you’ve called us to be. Thank you for your mighty power that acts on behalf of your children. Out of your kindness, please extend to us your grace and freedom. Cover us with your protection. Empower us with your strength. We ask for an awakening of your presence in our own lives and in the world around us, as never seen before. We pray for your help to be faithful to proclaim your name, and that all the enemy’s plans to silence the name of Jesus would be crushed.
As I read the passage again slowly, I listen for anything that You would say to me in it. Help me see how to position my life in order to yield to your word.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:4-8
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:11-12
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I praise you that your Spirit has gifted the gift of exhortation/encouragement to your body. Would you strengthen those who have been called to that, because we need it so desperately in our world? It is beautiful that you use your people to lift up our very souls in certain moments. Let it be all for your glory.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Matthew 28:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Closing Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me with love. Fill me with joy. Fill me with peace. Fill me with patience. Fill me with kindness. Fill me with goodness. Fill me with faithfulness. Fill me with gentleness. Fill me with self-control. Let me walk in your Spirit today as I leave here.
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.