Tuesday - Pray Like This

Welcome to daily prayer. This week we are beginning an eight week journey with the Lord’s Prayer called “Pray Like This.” This week we are focusing on our approach to God as Father. 

Prayer is not about performance but about relationship and partnership with God. Each day we will simply pray P.R.A.Y. together:

P. Pause and praise him. 

R-reading Scripture and rejoicing in God’s goodness and greatness, 

A-acknowledging our needs and asking God to help us and others. 

Y-saying Yes to God’s Ways and yielding to him. 

As we begin our time together, let’s pause and be still and remember that God is here. 

Lord, I set aside all my distractions and look to you for life. I give everyone and everything to you. 

“O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15). 

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to your name, O Most High. To declare your love in the morning and your faithfulness by night.” (Psalm 92:1-2)

A Scripture reading from Galatians 4:4-7

“4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”

A Time to Rejoice in the Lord:

Father, I rejoice that I can call you Abba. There was a set time when you sent your one and only Son to redeem us. You removed every barrier that would keep us from you. 

I rejoice today that you wanted me in the family. I am your child. You sent the Spirit of your Son into my heart so that I can confidently say, “I am a child of God” and know that it’s true. 

I belong. I am yours. Father, I rejoice that you have qualified me to share in the inheritance of your people in the kingdom. You have rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into the kingdom of your beloved Son. O, we redemption in him, the forgiveness of sins (Col 1). I belong and I am an heir of your promises. Thank you Lord. 

Let’s acknowledge our needs and ask God to help us:

Father, I acknowledge that I need your help to see. I have allowed this world, my unrenewed mind, and the enemy to distract me from my place and purpose. I have tolerated doubts about my place with you. I've allowed the desire for others things to cloud my vision. Father forgive me. 

I experience fear and I don’t run to you for refuge. 

There are many times that I don’t walk in the confidence that I have an inheritance or that I really can come boldly before you.

Lord, I have obeyed other voices and not trusted yours. Father, today I’m asking for help. 

Can I rest with you for a few minutes and let go of all the worry? Abba, let your truth wash over me today. 

Father, I pray for your church that we would live confidently that you love us. That we are included. That we have purpose. That we belong. Let us walk boldly because we know that we belong to you. 

As we listen to the passage again, let’s listen for a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit may want to say to us from todays verses and let’s be ready to say yes to God’s ways

“4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”

Father, I yield to you today. I say Yes. You are Abba. You are my Father. You are our Father. You have included us. We did not deserve it. We do not deserve it but you desire us and we yield to your love today. 

Father, fill us with your love. Help us to love you and to love and see others the way you do too. Give us grace and courage to do what you say. 

Let’s finish by praying the Lord’s Prayer together:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen

*Special thanks to our friends at 24/7 Prayer and Lectio 365 for the outline P.R.A.Y.