Isaiah 59 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Isaiah 59.

Meditate on verses 1-2.

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not so short that it cannot save;

nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Isaiah 59 is your story. It is the story of every person who has and who will ever live on earth. Sin separates you from God. Sin in your life means no righteousness, no hope, no salvation, only darkness and gloom.

God saw your hopeless situation, and it was displeasing in His sight. He saw there was no man to intercede on your behalf. So the LORD Himself brought salvation. He put on righteousness, salvation, zeal, and vengeance. The LORD came as your Redeemer. All you have to do is turn from your transgression to your Redeemer LORD and fear His Name (Isaiah 59:15-20).

Reread this chapter. It is your salvation story.

Pray Isaiah 59:21 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, Your covenant is with _______ and me.

Let Your Spirit be upon us.

Put Your Words in our mouth.

Do not let Your Words depart from our mouth,

nor from the mouth of our offspring,

nor from the mouth of our offspring’s offspring now and forever.

In Your name, Jesus~”

From The Watchman on the Wall by Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Isaiah 58 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Isaiah 58.

Meditate on verse 6.

Is this not the fast which I choose,

to loosen the bonds of wickedness,

 to undo the bands of the yoke,

 and to let the oppressed go free

and break every yoke?

Isaiah 58 is a soul-searching chapter. God spoke to people who used religious ritual in hopes of manipulating Him to give them what they wanted. They gave up eating food so God would notice them. However, God knew what was in their hearts; the people fasted to find their own desires, not God’s. Fasting made them “hangry,” so they were mean to their workers, striking them with a wicked fist, and creating contention and strife (Isaiah 58:3-4).

God gave His definition of fasting in Isaiah 58. Fasting is giving up wickedness. Fasting is freeing and loosening. Fasting is not depriving yourself of something to make God feel sorry for you in order to get you what you want. God’s fast is:

1.     Loosen the bonds of wickedness

2.     Break every yoke

3.     Let the oppressed go free

4.     Share your bread with the hungry

5.     Bring the homeless poor into your house

6.     Cover the naked

7.     Do not hide from yourself – get honest about yourself before God

Who or what in your life does God want you to give freedom? What could you fast; what could you give up that would bring life to those around you? Do you need to fast anger, abusive speech, and selfishness?

Get honest before the LORD and pray Isaiah 58:9-11 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, help ________ and me remove the yoke from our midst.

Let us stop pointing the finger and speaking wickedness.

When we do, then You will answer when we call.

We will cry, and You will say, ‘Here I am.’

Help us give ourselves to the hungry

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted.

Then let our light rise in the darkness

and our gloom become like midday.

LORD, continually guide us

and satisfy our desire in scorched places.

Give strength to our bones. 

Let us be like a watered garden

and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

In Your name, Jesus~”

From The Watchman on the Wall by Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Isaiah 57 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Isaiah 57.

Meditate on verse 21.

“There is no peace,” says my God,  “for the wicked.”

There are precious promises and dire warnings in Isaiah 57. God said in the first two verses that the righteous man is taken away from evil and enters into peace. The high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, also said, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (v. 15).

It is amazing to think the God of the universe resides with you when you are humble and sorrowful about your sin. He stays with you to revive you, so you can live for and with Him forever.

But with those who continue in the pride of their sin, God is angry and hides His face from them. The LORD says they will have no peace (Isaiah 57:21).

Pray Isaiah 57:14-15 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“High and exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

 please build up and prepare the way for ________ and me.

As Your people, remove every obstacle out of our way.

Give us a contrite and lowly spirit,

so we will dwell with You on a high and holy place.

Revive our hearts.

In Your name, Jesus~”

From The Watchman on the Wall by Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Isaiah 56 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Isaiah 56.

Meditate on verses 6 and 7.

Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,

to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD,

 to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath

and holds fast My covenant;

 even those I will bring to My holy mountain

and make them joyful in My house of prayer. 

Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

will be acceptable on My altar;

for My house will be called a

 house of prayer for all peoples.

God caused the iniquity of all people to fall on Jesus (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus was pierced through and crushed for the transgressions and iniquities of everyone (Isaiah 53:5). Because of Jesus, even foreigners (those who are not Jewish) can join themselves to the LORD. When you join yourself to Christ, you become the house/temple of God (Hebrews 3:6; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

As a house of prayer, spend this day talking to God. Ask Him to examine your life in light of the Truth, which is His Word.

Pray Isaiah 56:1-2 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let ________ and me preserve justice and do righteousness.

Let us accept Your salvation and righteousness.

Bless us as we do this,

 as we take hold of Your salvation and righteousness.

Keep us from profaning Your sabbath,

and keep our hands from doing any evil.

In Your name, Jesus~”

From The Watchman on the Wall by Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Isaiah 55 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Isaiah 55.

Meditate on verses 1-2.

Ho!  Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;

and you who have no money come, buy and eat. 

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

and your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good,

and delight yourself in abundance.

Do you ever think about the invitation God gives to you? 

You Are Invited to a Banquet

Host:  The LORD

Cost:  No cost to you

Come and drink from the waters and eat what is good.

Delight yourself in abundance.

If you accept this invitation,

The LORD will make an everlasting covenant with you!

Isaiah 55 is a beautiful invitation to enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. Once you have that relationship with Christ, you commemorate it with a covenant meal, the LORD’s Supper/ Communion. What is your reply to this invitation? Do you choose to delight in the LORD’s abundance?

Pray Isaiah 55:6-7 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please let ______________ and me seek You

while You may be found.

Let us call upon You while You are near.

Let the wicked forsake their way

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let us return to You, LORD.

God, thank You that You have compassion on us,

and You abundantly pardon.

In Your name, Jesus.”

From The Watchman on the Wall by Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Isaiah 54~ Praying God's Word

Please read Isaiah 54.

Meditate on verse 8.

“In an outburst of anger

 I hid My face from you for a moment,

but with everlasting lovingkindness

I will have compassion on you,”

Says the LORD your Redeemer.

God tells you about two of His attributes in Isaiah 54:8, His lovingkindness and His compassion. The LORD’s lovingkindness is His attitude toward you which contains mercy. Lovingkindness leads you to repentance. God’s compassion soothes, cherishes, and loves you deeply like a parent loves a child.

You may feel afflicted, storm-tossed, and not comforted today (Isaiah 54:11). Let the LORD’s promises encourage you. The LORD who has compassion on you says, “My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and my covenant of peace will not be shaken” (Isaiah 54:10).

Pray Isaiah 54:13-14 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, thank You that You will teach ________ and me

and our well-being will be great.

Establish us in righteousness

and keep us far from oppression. 

Do not let us fear

 and do not let terror come near us.

In Your name, Jesus.”

From The Watchman on the Wall by Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Isaiah 53 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Meditate on Isaiah 53:6.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all

to fall on Him.

This is the “Suffering Servant” passage of Scripture. It actually begins in Isaiah 52:13. When Isaiah asks, “Who has believed our message?” (Isaiah 53:1), the message is in Isaiah 52:13-15.

Acts 8:26-40 tells about an Ethiopian who believed the message. He was reading this passage from Isaiah when he met Philip. Philip preached Jesus to him by explaining this Suffering Servant Scripture. These are good verses to use when witnessing to Jews about Jesus. Many have come to faith in Christ when this part of their Bible is explained to them.

Reread these verses from Isaiah praying Isaiah 53:5 and 12 to thank your Suffering Servant for pouring Himself out to death for you and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7). Tell those you are guarding what Jesus did for them.

“LORD,  You were pierced through for _________ and my transgressions.

You were crushed for our iniquities.

The chastening for our well-being fell on You.

By Your scourging we are healed.

Jesus, You poured Yourself out to death.

You were numbered with transgressors.

You bore the sin of many,

and You interceded for us, the transgressors.

Thank You, Jesus, for loving us that much.”

From The Watchman on the Wall by Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell