P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We hear the heart of David to the Lord in the midst of 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
Merciful God, I come to you in this Lenten season aware of my need and grateful for your grace. You know my weakness, my distractions, and the places where I resist surrender, yet you invite me near. As I open your Word, quiet my heart and clear away pride and hurry; show me what needs repentance and give me courage to turn from it. Lord Jesus, you walked the path of fasting, temptation, and suffering on the way to the cross—teach me to follow you in humility and trust. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see truth, soften my heart to receive it, and shape my life in obedience. Let this time be more than routine; let it draw me closer to you and prepare me for the joy that comes through the cross. Here I am—ready to listen.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us 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
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
Psalm 56
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?”
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
Psalm 56
Psalm 56 is the prayer of someone who is afraid yet refuses to let fear rule them. David does not deny the reality of his enemies or the weight of his distress. He names it plainly: people pursue him, trample him, and twist his words. Fear is present—but it is not in control. Again and again, David turns his anxiety into prayer and his vulnerability into trust in the Lord.
What is striking is how personal David’s confidence becomes. He believes that God has kept count of his tossings, bottled his tears, and written them in his book. Nothing is wasted, unnoticed, or dismissed. He fights fear and his circumstances with prayer. In the midst of his prayers, he reminds himself of who his God is and who is ultimately in control. In the end, with his circumstances unchanged, he can confidently pray, “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Lord, in the midst of this life with the highs and lows, give me greater faith to trust you. Let me run to you quickly when I am looking for stability and hope.
Lord, I have heard of your deeds, and I stand in awe of your works. Renew them in my day and in my life. In wrath remember mercy, and let your power be known again through humility and faith. (Adapted from Habakkuk 3:2)
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?
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
Psalm 56
Yielding Prayer
God, when fear rises in me, I choose to trust you. You see my tears, you know my anxious thoughts, and you are not distant from my struggle. I surrender my need for control and my desire for immediate relief. Teach me to praise your word and obey your leading even when fear remains. I place my life, my steps, and my future in your hands, trusting that you are faithful to sustain me.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in 2 Thessalonians 3…
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
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