P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Jesus knows this man’s heart and he knows what this man loves the most.
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, you promise in James 4:8 that you draw near to those who draw near to you. At this moment my desire is for your presence so I ask that you fulfill that promise to me today and draw near to me. Meet me in your grace and mercy as I come to you.
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 93:
The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty!
Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, forevermore.
Psalm 93:3-5
Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture in Mark 10 where we read:
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Mark 10:17-22
Don’t read past Jesus seeing this man and loving him. What Jesus does is the most loving thing this man could have asked for. What Jesus knows is that this man loves his wealth more than anything. Because of that, this man cannot let go of his money to follow Jesus. He has made money his Savior. St. Augustine stated, “The essence of sin is disordered love.” What we will see throughout this whole series is that Jesus shows us our deformed hearts. That Jesus often times is on the list of what we love, but he is not first. We take the good things that he gives us and we make them god things. We take the blessings and we make them our Savior. We don’t just do this with money but with all the other created things of this world. For this man, his deformed heart loved money more than anything. He could not give up his money so he walked away disheartened and sorrowful. He experienced Jesus, but he loved his great possessions too much.
Lord, I ask that you open my eyes to the things I love. Show me where my deformed heart is causing me to love and worship the created things over you.
1)If I had to make a list (a list that no one will see so I can be honest) of the top five things I love, what would it be?
2)Why is it so easy for me to take the good things that God gives me and make them gods themselves?
3)Where is my heart worshiping something over God? In other words, what do I spend most of my time, my talents, and my treasure chasing after?
Lord, throughout history, you have met your people and poured out your Spirit on them. I ask that you would do the same in our world today. Would you bring revival to your people? Wake us wear we are sleepy and draw us to repentance where we are stuck in sin. We ask to see your glory spread throughout our city, our country, and our world.
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.
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Mark 10:17-22
Yielding Prayer
Lord, my heart is not unlike the Rich Young Ruler. My heart is prone to make idols that I worship above you. Break me of this desire and show me a more beautiful way. Convict me today and fill me with your Spirit. Transform my heart to run back to you and to worship you above all!
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Romans 8:32:
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:32
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.