P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We turn to Psalm 34 and see how David looked back on the Lord’s faithfulness.
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 Nahum 1…
The Lord is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
Nahum 1:7
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:1-10
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?”
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:1-10
David praises God not because life has become easy, but because he has tasted God’s faithfulness in the midst of fear. His praise is a decision, not a reaction. “I will bless the Lord at all times” is spoken by someone who knows distress yet chooses to worship.
David invites others into his testimony, not to highlight his strength but to highlight God’s nearness to the broken. Those who seek the Lord are not promised wealth, power, or comfort—they are promised that they will not lack what they truly need. Even the strong lions go hungry, but those who depend on God are sustained. Obedience here looks like humility: seeking rather than grasping, trusting rather than striving, praising rather than panicking. David’s confidence rests in the character of God, who hears the cry of the needy and proves himself good to those who take refuge in him.
Lord, I will bless you at all times. Your praise shall continually be in my mouth. Let me magnify you.
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?
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:1-10
Yielding Prayer
God, I choose to bless you at all times, not because my life is perfect, but because you are faithful. Teach me to seek you instead of striving for security on my own. I yield my pride, my fear, and my expectations to you. Help me trust that you will provide what I truly need as I walk in obedience. I take refuge in you and rest in your goodness.
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