Thursday - Pray Like This

Welcome to daily prayer. Welcome to daily prayer. This week we are praying “Hallowed be your name”. Jesus taught us to pray this way and showed us how to live this way. Today we look at how Jesus prayed and lived out this prayer all the way to the cross and we are asking the Lord to help us live this way.

Each day we will simply pray P.R.A.Y. together:

P. Pausing 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-Yielding to God and saying Yes to God’s ways

As we begin our prayer now, let’s take a few deep breaths and remember that God is here. 

Father, I set aside all my distractions, and everything grabbing for my attention.

I give everyone and everything to you. 

I’m asking that you would give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know you better. 

Open our eyes that we may see you and honor your holy name. 

Praise:

“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, Son, and Holy Spirit, we love you and we worship you. 

A Scripture Reading from John 12:23-28:

23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 

24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? 

No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 

28 Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 

A Time to Rejoice in the Lord:

Lord, I’m in awe of the deep level of love and trust. 

Jesus, when the weight of the cross was in front of you and your soul was deeply troubled, your motive and heart cry was still, “Father, glorify Your name.” I adore you that you did not run from the hour of trial. You allowed yourself to be broken like a seed in the ground so that we could be rescued. I rejoice that because you were lifted up on the cross, the enemy's power is defeated and we are drawn into your family. You have displayed the glory of God. All of your goodness passing before us. All of your justice and mercy, love and faithfulness meeting together. Today, I rest and rejoice in your sacrificial love.

A time to acknowledge our needs and ask God for help:

O Lord, you call us to follow Jesus in hallowing your name but I acknowledge the massive gap between my daily reactions to trials and the way Jesus modeled life. 

I admit that when my soul is troubled or my comfort is threatened, my prayer is, "Father, save me from this hour" rather than "Father, glorify Your name." 

I confess that I love my life in this world too much. I hold too tightly to control, to my reputation, to comfort.

Lord, help.

Let's ask the Lord for help:

Father, today I ask that you would give me the mind of Christ. Impart his heart of obedience and trust into me. O give me the courage to let go of the things I am trying to control and cause your name to be treasured in me and through me. 

Lord, teach us how to face challenges for the sake of your name.

Give us grace to value your renown above our own comfort. 

Help everyone in our church family learn what it means to follow Jesus to the cross.

As we listen to the passage again, let’s listen for a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit may want to impress on our hearts today. 

27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? 

No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 

28 Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 

Yield and Say Yes:

Father, I say YES to your ways. I give you my attention, my heart, and my allegiance today. 

I renounce the lie that surrender to you will mean the loss of my identity. 

I trust your character, I take up my cross, and I say YES to letting your name be glorified through my life today. I say YES to who you have made me to be. For Your GLORY! 

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 for the glory of your name. 

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.