Thursday - 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 to be with him 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. 

Pause and Praise 

As we begin our time together, let’s quiet our hearts and minds before the Lord.

Lord, open our eyes to see you and our ears to hear you. We cast all of our cares on you because you care about us. 

Father, today we praise you. May your kingdom come and your will be done. 

May your kingdom, your power, your glory fill our lives and this world. 

A Scripture reading from Luke 11:9-13:

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

A Time to Rejoice in the Lord:

Father, I rejoice that you are a good good Father. You know what we need. You are better than we deserve and you are able to do above all that we could ask or imagine. If human parents love to bless their kids, how much more do you delight in blessing us. 

Jesus has taught us that we will receive if we ask. We will find if we seek. The door will be opened if we knock. Father, I rejoice in your generosity and your wisdom. I’m thankful that I can trust you no matter what!

Give me confidence that you delight when we trust in your love and goodness. 

A- Let’s acknowledge our needs and ask for God’s help: 

Father, I acknowledge that I have left a lot of things on the table because I have not asked. You tell us that we have not because we do not ask. Lord, I acknowledge that I have been anxious about my needs but I have not asked. Sometimes I doubt that you will answer. 

I don’t feel confident to ask so I haven’t been asking, seeking, and knocking. Forgive me. 

Lord, sometimes its laziness. Sometimes its doubt. Forgive me for not believing that you delight to give good gifts to those who ask. 

I renounce the lie that you don’t care. I renounce the lie that you’ll will give me a snake when I have asked for a good gift. 

So Lord today I ask that you would give us more of your Spirit. Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit and give us greater perspective. Greater power to love. Give us confidence that you delight when we trust in your love. 

I want to invite you to take a minute and ask the Father for provision in whatever area you need it today and pray for someone you know who has a need. 

Lord, help me to rest in your delight today. 

SAY YES:

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:

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Father, I say yes to your promise today and surrender to your wisdom and goodness. 

I yield to your timing and your ways. I settle in my heart to trust you even when things don’t make sense to me.

Father, fill us with your love. Help us to love you and to love and see others the way you do. 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.