P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We enter into the backslide of Abraham today.
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…
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
Psalm 118:8-13
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
Genesis 20:8-13
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?”
So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
Genesis 20:8-13
Abraham is called out by Abimelech for what he has done. Abraham is honest to own up to it, but he tries to justify his actions. Abraham has done this before and he falls back into it again. It gets worse because this comes after God has promised Abraham and Sarah that they will have a son by next year, which means Sarah is most likely pregnant at this time! Abraham now sends his pregnant wife who bears the son of promise out on her own. This is a lesson for us that we need to be aware of the temptations that draw us back into disobedience. This world is always trying to lead us away from God and we need to the Holy Spirit to convict us and draw us back into repentance.
Lord, I ask that you protect me from myself and from my own sinful ways. Remind me that on my own I am not strong enough to withstand all the temptations that come at me day after day. I am in need of your help through the Holy Spirit.
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?
So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
Genesis 20:8-13
Yielding Prayer
Lord, you are so merciful to meet me where I am at. Forgive me for all the times that I run back into sin whether I mean to or not. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that helps me in my time of need.
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.