P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
This week we will be in the Book of Acts looking at how the Holy Spirit creates a supernatural community.
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
Lover of my soul, all my words fall short and I have nothing new. How could I express all my gratitude? I, therefore, command my soul to get up and praise the Lord. As I throw up my hands and give you my praise, I find joy in the pain and a peace that passes all my understanding.
– Tina Rosewell (based on “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake and God’s Word)
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 91:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2
Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture in Acts 2, where we read:
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost just as Jesus promised it would. Awe and power came over the 120 gathered in the Upperroom. Instantly Peter gave his first and greatest sermon through the power of the Holy Spirit. The crowd was cut to the heart and wanted to know what to do next. They were led to repent and be baptized. To enter into the family of God as their sins are forgiven and as they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 3,000 joined the 120, so what’s next for them? The Church begins. The Church we will see is a supernatural community created by the Holy Spirit. We will be in Acts 2 all week seeing the marks of a supernatural community created by the Holy Spirit. It will be a slow churn this week as we meditate and pray over the aspects of what that looks like.
Today, we will be focused on what it looks like to be devoted. The text actually points to them being “continually devoted” to the aspects we will look at all week. But what does devotion look like in this life for us? The dictionary definition begins with devotion being related to religious feeling. Merriam-Webster defines devotion as “religious fervor”. This makes sense for devotion to be related to worship. We come to a world though where lots of things are worshipped besides God. Our sinful nature takes the little gods in our lives and makes them our ultimate God. We take money, success, spouses, children, careers, opinions, political parties, and a thousand other things and we devote our lives to them. Our lives whether we want to say it or not revolve around worship. The choice we have is what will be the object of our worship and devotion. We see then that the community we surround ourselves with shares commonalities in what we worship. It is just natural if you love a football team and are a devoted fan that you would surround yourself with other devoted fans. If your job becomes what you worship then anything is on the table to be sacrificed in the worship of it. Community flows out of devotion, so we need to think about what we are devoted to today.
Lord, open my eyes like you opened the eyes of the people who heard Peter’s sermon. Cut me to the heart and let my only response be what do I do now? Show me where my devotions lie. Give me honesty that allows your Spirit to move in my life.
1)How would I define devotion?
2)What are the things that I am devoted to?
3)How does the way I spend my time, talent, and treasure reveal what I am devoted to?
Lord, would you send your Spirit again? We desire to see you move just like how you did through the early church in the Book of Acts. Wake your sleeping Church and give us your Spirit that is devoted to you alone. May we be able to say that you have added to our number day by day those who are being saved? Let your power rest on us.
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 they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I yield to all that you are. You are a jealous God deserving of all of my devotion. If I am honest though I fail at that day after day. Forgive me that I give my devotion to so many things outside of you. Fill me with your Spirit that I may be devoted to you and you alone.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in 1 John 1:7:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
Closing Prayer
Lord, there is no one else and nothing else, that gives me that deep bubbling joy, that takes me unaware. I desire to sit here with you longer and my soul clamors for more time with you. And yet, I know I must move! One thing I desire is that I take you with me, everywhere I go, spreading your fragrance to those you would have me meet.
– Tina Rosewell
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.