P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
The Israelites come to the bitter waters in the wilderness.
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, you promise that when I draw near to you that you will draw near to me. I call on that promise now. As I enter into your Word fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me insight into what you have for me today.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 103…
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:8-12
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
Exodus 15:22-27
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?”
Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
Exodus 15:22-27
The Israelites have short memories and fickle hearts. They saw the plagues, they crossed the Red Sea, and yet their first moment in the wilderness is one of doubt. They get to the bitter waters and Marah, and instead of trusting God and Moses, they instantly grumble. The gods of Egypt and Pharoah were no match for their God, but undrinkable bitter waters are surely too tough for him to handle. Their behavior seems absolutely insane. When I take a step back, it doesn’t take long for me to see my short memory and fickle heart. Doubt and grumbling are often on my shortlist, sadly. God meets with the people of Israel, and he meets with us. He reminds them who He is and who they are. For God is our Lord, our healer.
Lord, I ask that you fill me with your Spirit and convict my heart of that which is not of you. Show me my grumbling. Show me my doubt. Reveal to me the bitterness in my soul. Meet with me as my healer.
Lord, I repent of all bitterness that has accumulated in my heart. I repent of the lack of forgiveness that I have clung to. I repent for the anger and hatred that has arisen due to unchecked bitterness in my heart. Let me follow in your footsteps and let forgiveness be my first thought and not my last resort.
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?
Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
Exodus 15:22-27
Yielding Prayer
Lord, in obedience, I seek after you today. In a world where grumbling is acceptable, let it not be to my own heart. Give me faith to trust what you say. Let me see and behold your beauty today. I lay all bitterness at your feet. Transform my soul through the power of forgiveness.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Matthew 6…
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15
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.