A Prayer about Becoming an Oak of Righteousness

by | Mar 15, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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.



A Prayer about an Eternity of the Lord’s Favor

by | Mar 14, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about 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

by | Mar 13, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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

by | Mar 12, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Mission, Spiritual Growth

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

by | Mar 11, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

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 the Fast God Chooses

by | Mar 10, 2025 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Fast God Chooses

Is this not the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6-7

Holy Lord,

in this season before Easter, 

those who observe Lent may choose to fast. 

Whether we choose to fast or not, 

may we heed Isaiah’s call to true fasting. 

The Lord has no interest in showy fasting 

which has nothing to do with serving the Lord: 

“Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight 

and to hit with a wicked fist” (Isaiah 58:4). 

Instead, he calls us to true fasting, 

as Eugene Peterson puts it:

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:

To break the chains of injustice,

Get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

Free the oppressed,

Cancel debts. 

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

Sharing your food with the hungry,

Inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

Putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

Being available to your own families” (Isaiah 58:6-7, The MSG).

Merciful God, in this season of global heartache,

redeem our fasting and redeem our non-fasting, 

May any sacrifice we make 

result in the light of Christ breaking forth 

in our lives in extending extraordinary love 

to our friends, neighbors, strangers, and enemies.

In Jesus’ transforming name. Amen.