Friday - Pray Like This

Welcome to daily prayer. We are in 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 about relationship and partnership with God. 

Today we reflect on the discipline and refining work of the Father.

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

Lord, I submit myself to you and set aside every distraction. 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)

Father, today we praise you for your love and faithfulness. You are committed to saving us to the uttermost and having us share in your life. 

A Scripture reading from Hebrews 12:4-11:

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. 

How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

A Time to Rejoice in the Lord:

Father, I rejoice that I am your child. We praise you that you love us and that your committed to our growth and maturity.

If you didn’t care, you would do nothing to correct or redirect us. But God, you are good and you prune and discipline. Discipline is discipleship. 

Lord, I thank you that you love me too much to leave me the way I am. Thank you that you will never leave me or forsake me. I respect you, I honor you, I trust you. 

Father, I trust that you are working all things together for good. 

A Time to Acknowledge and Ask:

Father, I acknowledge that I have sinned in what I have done and in what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart and I have not loved my neighbor as myself. Forgive me Lord.

I acknowledge that I am prone to resist your correction.

Forgive me for doubting your presence or goodness when I am experiencing trials. 

I ask that you would keep me from being offended by what you allow or how you discipline me. 

I acknowledge that I am experiencing trials and growth pains. 

Lord, give me spiritual endurance. Protect my heart from hardening, help me comfort others who are going through trials.

Father, help me to walk in step with the Spirit. I repent of any judgments I have made about you and I renounce any resentment or bitterness I have had toward your boundaries or correction. 

Lord, keep me from believing lies about your goodness. You are a good Father. You are the Gardener. You’re the Refiner. 

Lord, I confess that I do not like the refiners fire. I want out. But I want you to do your work in me. Pull out the weeds and remove the dross. I want to be fruitful and I want my faith to be like gold.

Let’s take a minute and pray for anyone we know who is resisting or struggling against sin or going through a trial or difficulty. Ask the Lord to give them perspective, strength and protection. 

As we listen to the passage again, let's listen for a word or phrase that the Lord may want to highlight from today's verses:

A Scripture Reading from Hebrews 12:4-11

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. 

How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Lord, I trust you and I believe that everything in my life is “Father-filtered.” Not a hair can fall from my head apart from your care. So again today I entrust myself to you and I yield to your loving care. 

I resist and renounce the Enemy and all of his works and Father, I submit to you for you to do your good work. 

I yield my comfort for the sake of your holiness in me. 

You are the Potter and I am the clay. 

I say “Yes” to sharing in your holiness. Father, I want to be like you. 

As we finish, let’s pray 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 this day 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.