P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We get back to the story of Abraham and we see him fall back into sin.
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…
Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
Psalm 118:5-7
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
Genesis 20:1-7
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?”
From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
Genesis 20:1-7
Abraham is back at it again! He heads into a new territory and tells the new king that Sarah is his wife in order to protect himself. We will get more into that tomorrow. Look at Abimelech though. Who does he sound like in this moment pleading with God to withhold judgment from the innocent? He sounds like Abraham pleading on behalf of Sodom. God is putting the actions of Abimelech up against the actions of Abraham for us to see. Take a look at verse 6 again because it is amazing! God says that he protected Abimelech from sinning. God in his power protects Abimelech from actions that would produce his judgment. Incredibly, God is a part of our lives in such a way that he protects us from ourselves. He cares for you!
Lord, I thank you that you care for me in a way that you are attuned to my daily life. You walk with me through the course of the day. I ask that you let me experience that today in a very real way.
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?
From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
Genesis 20:1-7
Yielding Prayer
Lord, keep me far from the evil one today. He seeks to destroy me, yet you are far more powerful than he is. Protect me from myself today and keep me from sin. Show me where I am vulnerable and fill me with you Holy Spirit because I cannot do it on my own.
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.