P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We begin a new series today where we will walk through the life of Joseph in the Book of Genesis.
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
Father, I come before you with a humble heart, longing to meet with you. Thank you for the gift of your Word and the privilege of prayer. Quiet my mind, still my spirit, and open my eyes to see your truth. May your Spirit guide me into understanding, and may my heart be soft to receive and obey. I draw near to you now, Lord, trusting that you will draw near to me.
I choose to rejoice, with all God’s people, in the powerful promise that God gives us in Psalm 25…
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalm 25:10
As you read the passages below, ask the Lord to cause a word or phrase to stand out to you.
Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Genesis 37:1-11
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?”
Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Genesis 37:1-11
Joseph’s story begins with God’s favor and brotherly tension. Jacob loved Joseph more than his brothers, and the special robe became a visible reminder of that favoritism. Joseph also received dreams from God, pointing to a future role of leadership. But instead of bringing his family closer, these dreams stirred up jealousy and hatred. This part of the story shows us that God oftentimes may place dreams, gifts, or callings in our lives that others won’t understand. The danger comes when pride or immaturity overshadows God’s purpose. Joseph had to learn that God’s calling was not about boasting but about serving. In the same way, we are called to steward God’s gifts humbly, remembering they are meant to bless others and glorify Him, not ourselves.
Lord, show me the call on my life. Give me not just a call, but the humility necessary to achieve that call.
Join us for Pray First, set your heart on God this week, asking Him to awaken a deeper longing for His presence.
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Malachi 3:10.
God’s blessings and the fulfillment of His promises are often contingent upon our fulfillment of His conditions. Because of this, we need to honestly ask ourselves: are we actively seeking to understand and live in alignment with His will?
Pray: Gracious Lord, as we seek You for revival this week, we thank You for Your promise to pour down abundant blessings on us, Your church! As we explore the “full tithe” You call us to give, break our hearts over anything that is not in alignment with You. Make us keenly aware of what our complacency costs us, and the blessings that go unfulfilled
As I read the passage for the final time, I listen to 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?
Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Genesis 37:1-11
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I thank you for the gifts, callings, and dreams you place in my life. Forgive me for times when I’ve let pride or jealousy take root instead of humility and trust. Today, I yield my heart to your timing and your ways. Teach me to steward your blessings with humility, to celebrate others’ gifts without envy, and to trust that your purposes will be fulfilled in your perfect time. I lay down my pride and choose obedience, walking in humility before you.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in Genesis 50…
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good
Genesis 50:20
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.