P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
As we continue to look at our “Ask” section, we see how good God is to his children when we do ask.
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 ask that you would meet with me at this moment. Let me experience you deeply. Pour out your Spirit on this time. Let me rest in the fact that you know everything about me and that there is nothing I can hide from you, yet you promise to draw near to me when I draw near to you. You are the God who draws near to his people and I ask that you would do the same for me now.
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 148:
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 148:11-14
Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture in Luke 11, where we read:
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9-13
Tim Keller has a great illustration that makes this verse hit home for me. He says, “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.” That kind of access is what Jesus is offering to us in this passage. We have a God who is inviting us to ask, seek, and knock and he will respond! Granted he’s not a vending machine instead, he is a good Father. This means that we might not get exactly what we asked, sought, and knocked for. He will give us exactly what we need when we need them when we do those things. To be honest, the problem isn’t God in our lives, it is our lack of asking, seeking, and knocking. It is our pride and the deception of the devil that teaches us that this world is all there is and that we have to do it on our own. Our issue isn’t God responding our issue is in our lack of asking
Lord, it seems odd to ask for more of a desire to ask, but that is actually what I need. I need to be broken of my self-reliance and transformed into being dependent on you through prayer. So I ask for the desire to ask today. That I would become an asking person.
1)What keeps me from asking, seeking, and knocking constantly?
2)Is prayer a habit for me or a last-ditch effort when all goes wrong?
3)Where can I create a discipline of prayer in my life today?
4)Do I trust God and his response to all of my asks?
Lord, revive your people by drawing us to yourself. As we seek to abide, ask, and follow you over this next season would you do only you can do? Revive our hearts and pour out your Spirit among us. Wake those who are asleep and resurrect those who are spiritually dead. We ask that you come in a supernatural way to meet with your Church as we unify under one banner and cry out to you!
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.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9-13
Yielding Prayer
Lord, you are a good, good Father. I confess and seek forgiveness for not coming to you with everything. I confess my pride in thinking I can do this on my own and putting you on a back burner in my life. I surrender now to ask, seek, and knock in all aspects of my life. I surrender to your response to all of those asks as well, even if they may not be what I want at this moment. Teach me to trust you above all else.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
James 4:8
Closing Prayer
Lord, you have met with me today. You have poured out your Spirit and wisdom on me. Let me now leave being renewed by who you are and who I am in you. Let me be a light in a dark world that points people to your glory.
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.