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A Prayer about Becoming an Oak of Righteousness

A Prayer about Becoming an Oak of Righteousness

That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified… Isaiah 61:3

Lord Jesus,

As we prayed yesterday, 

we have much to mourn 

in our days on this earth: 

our sinful, rebellious hearts; 

our sorrow over injustice, poverty, 

broken relationships, sickness, war, and death. 

[Name something you are currently mourning.]

And yet, you say a day is coming 

when you will wipe away our ashes, 

when you will place on our heads 

“a beautiful headdress,”

anointing them 

with “the oil of gladness.” 

The day is coming 

when you will  remove our “faint spirits,” 

outfitting us instead in “the garment of praise” (Isaiah 61:3). 

In that day, we will  become “oaks of righteousness,” 

waving our wild and lovely branches 

in a swaying dance to your glory. 

Oh, Lord, hasten that day.

In your transforming name. Amen.

Read Isaiah 61:1-4; Psalm 45:7; Psalm 132:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21.

An Eternity of the Lord’s Favor

An Eternity of the Lord’s Favor

…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn… Isaiah 61:2

Lord Jesus,

Two days ago we began praying about your merciful mission: 

to bind up hearts broken by sin and sorrow,

to free us from hearts imprisoned by sin and evil. 

Today, we continue to meditate on the jaw-dropping truth 

that you came to bring God’s “favor,” 

his immeasurable grace, 

his astounding mercy, 

his unfailing love. 

And while we don’t like to think 

about a “day of vengeance,” 

it is good to know that the day is coming 

when everything that is wrong will be made right, 

when all we mourn on this earth—

the injustices of racism and oppression and poverty, 

the cruel ravages of sickness and slavery 

and war and death, 

will come to an abrupt end. 

In that day, your year of favor will last forever. 

May we live and love in the light of that day.

In your merciful name. Amen. 

Read Isaiah 61:1-4; Luke 4:18-19; Romans 12:19-21.

A Prayer about Finding Freedom

A Prayer about Finding Freedom

He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound… Isaiah 61:1

Lord Jesus, 

May we stop our scrolling for one minute 

to consider your merciful mission: 

When a bully taunts our child; 

when our child turns his heart away from you,

Our hearts break.

When trusted allies become enemies, 

when we act like enemies toward trusted allies,

Our hearts break.

[Add your own sentence or two about what breaks your heart.]

God sent you to bind up our broken hearts. Thank you.

When work consumes us; 

when we consume substances to numb us;

Our hearts are bound.

When pursuit of people’s approval drains us; 

when we cling too tightly to people to find security,

Our hearts are bound.

[Name some ways your heart can be bound.]

God sent you to “proclaim liberty to the captives,” 

to open the prison “to those who are bound” (Isaiah 61:1). 

Lord, thank you for your mercy and grace. 

We are so glad you completed your mission.

Draw us to seek you with our whole hearts.

In your healing name. Amen. 

Read Isaiah 61:1-4.

A Prayer about the Mission of Jesus

A Prayer about the Mission of Jesus

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…Isaiah 61:1

Lord Jesus,

Dazzle us again with this strange but good news:

You weren’t just a man who decided to go about preaching. 

You were “anointed,” set apart for a special mission, 

designated to be a different kind of king. 

You weren’t anointed 

by the board of your church or by a seminary. 

You were set apart for this mission 

by the other two members of the Holy Trinity: 

the Holy Spirit and the Holy God. 

Together, in trinitarian agreement, 

since the foundation of the world, 

you all planned this special mission:

You would come, as the only God-in-flesh, 

not to the rich and the rulers, 

but to the poor, the afflicted, and the broken-hearted. 

And you would bring “good news.” 

We are grateful for your mission 

and grateful to be the people for whom you came.

In your anointed name. Amen. 

Dear friends, stay tuned. Tomorrow, we’ll pray more about Isaiah 61 and that good news. 

A Prayer about the Age of Exaltation

A Prayer about the Age of Exaltation

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:14

Almighty King, 

We live in the Age of Exaltation, especially self-exaltation.

We need inversion therapy—

we need our ways of thinking and acting 

to be turned upside-down 

by the extraordinary news of the gospel. 

You say, 

“everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, 

but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

You sent your Son, the King of the Cosmos, 

to this “humus,” this earth, as a humble servant

to save us from our self-exaltation.

He “did not count equality with God 

a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing, 

taking the form of a servant. 

And being found in human form, 

he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, 

even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).

By your grace, through Christ’s death and resurrection, 

raise us up to live in the humility of our now-exalted King.

In Jesus’ humble name. Amen.

Read Luke 18:9-17; Philippians 2:1-11. 

A Prayer about Finding Rest in Prayer

A Prayer about Finding Rest in Prayer

…and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” Mark 1:37 

Rest-giving Jesus,

Today we return to our theme 

of finding rest in an anxious world. 

As we witness what you did, 

empower us to do the same:

You rose very early in the morning, 

and you went “out to a desolate place,” 

and you prayed (Mark 1:35). 

Lord, one thing is clear — 

we need to find quiet. 

In order to find rest, 

we must be intentional 

about getting away from the noisy demands 

of our cell phones 

and our self-talk, 

of our crying babies 

and our screaming inboxes. 

Why must we get quiet? 

Because if we do not, 

we cannot hear you singing 

your delight over us (Zephaniah 3:14-17). 

If we do not get quiet, 

we cannot “stay on purpose,” 

as Vanessa pointed out in her talk*. 

If we don’t get quiet, 

when people come to us with their demands, 

“Everyone is looking for you” 

(bosses, employees, 

friends, spouses, 

children, grandchildren….), 

we will puff up with pride and think, 

“Oh, how important I am!” 

But you did not puff up with pride 

when your disciples told you that. 

No, you “stayed on purpose,” 

and you refused to yield 

to someone else’s purpose for you 

that was not your God-given purpose. 

You said, “Let us go on to the next towns, 

that I may preach there also, 

for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38). 

Precious Jesus, 

forgive us for getting distracted, 

for not listening to 

your voice, 

to the Father’s voice, 

to the Spirit’s voice. 

Forgive us for hearing the demands and applause of “everyone”

 and thinking we must do as they say. 

Help us in our desperate weakness 

to follow you, 

to do our Father’s will. 

In your praying name. Amen.

Read Mark 1:35-39. 

This prayer, like yesterday’s, was inspired by a talk given at the PCA women’s ministers leadership training by Vanessa Hawkins.