P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We begin in the Old Testament, looking at another prophecy that Jesus will one day come.
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 the Savior who entered time and space to raise your people from the dead. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and open my eyes to the power of your Word. Speak and transform my heart today as I meet with you.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 95…
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Psalm 95:1
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
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?”
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
Isaiah 9:6–7 announces the coming of a King unlike any the world has ever known—a Child who carries the full weight of God’s rule on his shoulders. In a world marked by darkness, God’s answer was not a warrior, a politician, or a system, but a Person. Jesus embodies every name Isaiah speaks: Wonderful Counselor for our confusion, Mighty God for our weakness, Everlasting Father for our loneliness, and Prince of Peace for our restlessness. His kingdom is not fragile, temporary, or dependent on human strength; it is ever-increasing and eternal. These verses remind us that God keeps His promises, God’s timing is perfect, and God’s rule brings peace. Advent invites us to slow down long enough to welcome this King—not just into the world, but into every corner of our lives.
Lord, let me see the beauty of your Word today. Thousands of years before your Coming, you were foretold, and everything that was said was fulfilled.
Lord Jesus, in this Advent season of longing and light, awaken our hearts again. Stir in us a holy hunger for your presence. Revive what has grown weary, rekindle what has grown dim, and breathe new life into every place that has settled for less than your fullness. As we wait for your coming, come now into our homes, our churches, our city, and our own hearts. Make room in us for your Spirit to move in power. Let your hope rise, your joy break in, your peace settle over us, and your love shine through us like a new dawn. Revive us, O Lord. We are waiting for you.
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?
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
Yielding Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace. Today, I yield myself fully to your rule. Let your wisdom guide my steps, your strength uphold my weakness, your love anchor my heart, and your peace govern my decisions. I surrender every part of my life to your kingdom that will never end. Establish your reign in me, Lord, and make my life a place where your peace and glory dwell.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in John 16…
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
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