Welcome to Week 30 of A 2020 Prayer Life!
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
July 22
Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord, and in his vision the Lord was on a throne: "In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.' And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke." (Isaiah 6:1-4 NASB)
In your prayer time, meditate on Isaiah's experience.
What is the significance of the fact that when Isaiah saw You, he saw You on a throne?
If I had never heard of You before and didn't know anything about You except what I read here, what would I know about You just from this passage?
If this passage was all that I knew about You, how would I respond to the passage? How would I respond to You?
In your prayer time, meditate on Isaiah's experience.
What is the significance of the fact that when Isaiah saw You, he saw You on a throne?
If I had never heard of You before and didn't know anything about You except what I read here, what would I know about You just from this passage?
If this passage was all that I knew about You, how would I respond to the passage? How would I respond to You?
July 23
"In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.' And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke." (Isaiah 6:1-4 NASB)
In your prayer time, meditate on Isaiah's experience.
If I could get a glimpse of You, what would I see?
If I fully experienced Your presence what would I hear?
If I had Isaiah's experience, how would I respond?
In your prayer time, meditate on Isaiah's experience.
If I could get a glimpse of You, what would I see?
If I fully experienced Your presence what would I hear?
If I had Isaiah's experience, how would I respond?
July 24
"In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.' And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke." (Isaiah 6:1-4 NASB)
In your prayer time, contemplate both Isaiah's experience and your reflections on it from yesterday.
Lord, is what Isaiah saw -- and what I imagined I might see -- true, whether I see it or not?
Is that Isaiah heard -- and what I imagined I might hear -- true, whether I hear it or not?
How much of a difference in my response to You should there be based on what I see or hear?
In your prayer time, contemplate both Isaiah's experience and your reflections on it from yesterday.
Lord, is what Isaiah saw -- and what I imagined I might see -- true, whether I see it or not?
Is that Isaiah heard -- and what I imagined I might hear -- true, whether I hear it or not?
How much of a difference in my response to You should there be based on what I see or hear?
July 25
We have spent several days focusing on Isaiah's vision of the Lord on His throne. Now we turn to Isaiah's response:
"Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.'" (Isaiah 6:5 NASB)
In your prayer time, contemplate Isaiah's response.
What does Isaiah's response to You reveal about You?
What does Isaiah's response reveal about Isaiah?
How does Isaiah's response to You inform my relationship with You?
"Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.'" (Isaiah 6:5 NASB)
In your prayer time, contemplate Isaiah's response.
What does Isaiah's response to You reveal about You?
What does Isaiah's response reveal about Isaiah?
How does Isaiah's response to You inform my relationship with You?
July 26
Following Isaiah's "woe is me" response, he reports this:
"Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, 'Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.'" (Isaiah 6:6-7 NASB)
In your prayer time, talk to the King, the Lord of Hosts, about the series of events reported by Isaiah: that is, his vision, his sense of woe and uncleanness, and then this moment of purging.
What does the fact that Isaiah cries, "Woe is me!" when he sees You tell me about You?
What does the fact that one of Your seraphs responded by cleansing Isaiah of his iniquity and sin tell me about You?
What does Isaiah's experience tell me about human beings in Your presence?
What does Isaiah' experience tell me about myself and my relationship with You?
As you contemplate being in the presence of the eternal King of the Universe, praise Him for His majesty and awesomeness, and thank Him for His grace that cleanses and enables you to be in His presence.
"Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, 'Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.'" (Isaiah 6:6-7 NASB)
In your prayer time, talk to the King, the Lord of Hosts, about the series of events reported by Isaiah: that is, his vision, his sense of woe and uncleanness, and then this moment of purging.
What does the fact that Isaiah cries, "Woe is me!" when he sees You tell me about You?
What does the fact that one of Your seraphs responded by cleansing Isaiah of his iniquity and sin tell me about You?
What does Isaiah's experience tell me about human beings in Your presence?
What does Isaiah' experience tell me about myself and my relationship with You?
As you contemplate being in the presence of the eternal King of the Universe, praise Him for His majesty and awesomeness, and thank Him for His grace that cleanses and enables you to be in His presence.
July 27
As we come near the end of Week 30, we want to meditate on a quote from Charles Spurgeon:
“True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God.”
In your prayer time, be conscious of prayer as an approach to the throne of God. Remember the throne that Isaiah saw. Speak to the Lord out of your sense that you are approaching His throne.
“True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God.”
In your prayer time, be conscious of prayer as an approach to the throne of God. Remember the throne that Isaiah saw. Speak to the Lord out of your sense that you are approaching His throne.
July 28
We continue today to consider a larger portion of the insight from Charles Spurgeon:
“True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God. It is not the utterance of words, it is not alone the feeling of desires, but it is the advance of the desires toward the Lord our God. True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that -- it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of heaven and earth.”
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about Spurgeon's words and your response to them.
When have I made prayer a conscious approach toward Your throne? When have I not? What has been the difference in my praying?
When have I merely uttered words to You?
When have I gone through "a mere mental exercise" rather than appearing before my King?
Teach me to more fully understand and participate in the "spiritual transaction" with You.
“True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God. It is not the utterance of words, it is not alone the feeling of desires, but it is the advance of the desires toward the Lord our God. True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that -- it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of heaven and earth.”
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about Spurgeon's words and your response to them.
When have I made prayer a conscious approach toward Your throne? When have I not? What has been the difference in my praying?
When have I merely uttered words to You?
When have I gone through "a mere mental exercise" rather than appearing before my King?
Teach me to more fully understand and participate in the "spiritual transaction" with You.