P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We begin the week looking at some words of Jesus before we get back into the story of Abraham.
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, I come before you with a humble heart. In your presence, I seek guidance and strength. I thank you for your endless love and grace, which sustains me each day. As I approach you now, I ask for your Spirit to illuminate your Word to me now. Fill my heart with your peace. Let me experience your presence during this time.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 118…
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
Psalm 118:1-4
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:35-40
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?”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:35-40
After Jesus feeds the 5,000 miraculously the people continue to chase after him. Jesus knows they just want their physical stomachs to be filled, but he has something far greater to offer them. He reveals to them that he is the bread of life. He is the one who satisfies all of the longings and desires of our hearts. Verse 37 right after that proclamation is absolutely astounding. Jesus says to them and to us today that whoever the Father gives him and those that come to him will never be cast out by him. Think about the difficulty of your life with all of the ups and downs in it. Think about all of the times that human relationships have come to the point where you may feel cast out. Jesus comes to us and says you can rest assured that once you have come to me you will never be cast out. We are going to see as this week progresses how amazing that is in Abraham’s life and in our own lives.
Lord, I ask that you remind me of who you are today. Remind me that you are the God who will never cast me out. That your grace is lavished upon me because you went to the cross on my behalf.
Lord, We come to you in need of renewal and revival. Breathe new life into our weary souls and reignite our passion for your truth and love. Cleanse our hearts from all that hinders our walk with you, and restore our faith and zeal. Fill us with your Spirit, empowering us to live boldly for your glory. May your presence transform us, and may Your light shine through us to touch the lives of others. Amen.
As I read the passage for the final time, I listen for 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?
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:35-40
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I yield in obedience to you today. There are so many things in my life that say they will satisfy me, yet in the long run, they come up empty every time. I was created to find life in you and you alone. Forgive me for when I seek that elsewhere. Let me rest in the truth that you are never going to cast me out in the ups and downs that come with this life. You are so good to me. Let me experience your love today.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Matthew 28…
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
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.
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.