P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Jesus shifts the question from other people to what the disciples believe about him themselves.
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
Creator God, you created me from the dust, and to dust, I shall return. As I enter into your presence would you breathe your life into me and reanimate me through your Spirit? Speak to me now.
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 98:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
Psalm 98:4-6
Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture in Matthew 16:15-17 where we read:
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus asks them, “But who do you say that I am?” After what I imagine to be a brief pause, Peter speaks for the group. Peter the bold and the brazen steps up and says you are Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter had clarity in the midst of all of the confusion. Where did that knowledge come from? Did Peter put things together that the others couldn’t? No. Jesus shows him that this is not knowledge that comes from flesh and blood, but it comes from God the Father. The Father reveals the Son to us. Remember where they are and what a bold statement this would be in the midst of all of the gods of the day. Peter is saying Jesus is not like everyone else. He is the Christ. He is the anointed Messiah. He is fully man, yet he is fully God. He is the Son of the Living God. Peter had clarity on who Jesus is and it’s beautiful.
Jesus, give me the boldness of Peter to speak the truth in a messy world. In a world that is trying to pull me to worship everything else, give me clarity in who you are. Let me worship you as God.
1) Who do I say that Jesus is?
2) What do I learn about God because he is the one who reveals the Son to us?
Our Father and our God, I come to you now to ask for revival in our nation. I pray that your Spirit would fall on your Church. Would you wake us from our slumber and free us from our love of this world? I ask that you would manifest yourself in a supernatural way in this season of time and draw all people to yourself. Come in such power and glory that we would know that this was of you and not the work of human hands. Hear the cry of my heart and respond oh Lord!
As I read the passage again slowly, I listen for anything that You would say to me in it. Help me see how to position my life in order to yield to your word.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Matthew 16:13-20
Yielding Prayer
Lord, you are the Christ. Show me who you are and give me clarity that you are the God who loves me. From your love let me chase after you in obedience. Let my heart desire to worship you with my life.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Isaiah 41:10:
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
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.