Spiritual Practices: Imagining the Text
Sometimes passages in the Bible need to be observed and absorbed with awe and wonder instead of analyzed, dissected, and categorized. This is one of those passages. Read the passage over in its entirety a few times. As you do, imagine that you are a participant in the scene. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Sometimes passages in the Bible need to be observed and absorbed with awe and wonder instead of analyzed, dissected, and categorized. This is one of those passages. Read the passage over in its entirety a few times. As you do, imagine that you are a participant in the scene. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Imagine the scene in heaven, visualize the seraphim and hear them calling to one another.
- Imagine you are in Isaiah's place seeing the awesome glory of God revealed. How does it make you feel? Like Isaiah, do you feel a sense of unworthiness in the light of the glory and holiness of God?
- Imagine the seraphim bringing a live coal to your lips and declaring that your guilt is taken away. How would you feel?
- Imagine God asking for someone to go and serve him. Like Isaiah, would you jump at the chance to serve and testify about a God like this?
Spiritual Practices: Breath Prayer
Overview
Isaiah has a once in a generation experience with God. He sees a vision of God revealed in all of his glory and holiness. Immediately, Isaiah is overwhelmed and realizes his sinfulness and inadequacy in the face of such holiness. He cries out, but God sends a seraphim to declare that his guilt is removed and his sin is forgiven. I imagine Isaiah was overwhelmed with the immensity of God's grace and mercy. He hears God ask for someone he can send, some who can go and represent him. Immediately Isaiah jumps at the chance. With a fresh understanding of God's glory and holiness, with a fresh experience of God's grace and mercy, Isaiah wants nothing more than to be able to tell others about God.
God is still looking for people he can send, people who can represent him to the world. When we truly understand God's awesomeness, when we truly experience God's grace and mercy, shouldn't we respond like Isaiah did? Shouldn't we want to be ones sent by God? That's what this breath prayer is about.
Prayer
Almighty God, send me
Overview
Isaiah has a once in a generation experience with God. He sees a vision of God revealed in all of his glory and holiness. Immediately, Isaiah is overwhelmed and realizes his sinfulness and inadequacy in the face of such holiness. He cries out, but God sends a seraphim to declare that his guilt is removed and his sin is forgiven. I imagine Isaiah was overwhelmed with the immensity of God's grace and mercy. He hears God ask for someone he can send, some who can go and represent him. Immediately Isaiah jumps at the chance. With a fresh understanding of God's glory and holiness, with a fresh experience of God's grace and mercy, Isaiah wants nothing more than to be able to tell others about God.
God is still looking for people he can send, people who can represent him to the world. When we truly understand God's awesomeness, when we truly experience God's grace and mercy, shouldn't we respond like Isaiah did? Shouldn't we want to be ones sent by God? That's what this breath prayer is about.
Prayer
Almighty God, send me
Exploring the Text: Unclean lips
Wow, what a powerful passage! You have probably heard these verses before. It has been taught in Sunday School and even sung as a worship song in many churches. There are a lot of powerful precepts in these few verses, but let’s focus on verses 5-8.
This event was a life changing event in Isaiah’s life. This took him from where he was to where he needed to be in his spiritual walk. This was a defining moment that launched his ministry as a prophet.
The first thing that Isaiah realized is that he is a man of unclean lips in a generation of people with unclean lips. We can certainly say that we live in the midst of people with the same problem. People tend to cuss with no remorse, and some of the conversations that I hear are completely vulgar. In addition to that, there seems to be a lot of grumbling and complaining going on. Speaking of that, have you heard the latest…? Oh yeah, there is a lot of gossiping going on as well.
Isaiah evidently fell into the trap of some of these “unclean lip” scenarios as well. Not that I can condemn him, because it is easy to do. When you are constantly around negative people and conversations, it is easy to find yourself getting sucked into the conversation and the negativity that goes with it.
When we truly meet the Lord, sin is exposed and repentance can take place. Isaiah knew of his wrongdoing and was willing to repent. As he confessed his sin, the seraphim then had to cleanse his lips. Confession and cleansing had to take place. Confessing our sins is great, but without cleansing, by the blood of Christ, salvation does not take place.
Before Isaiah could enter into the ministry that God called him to, he had to deal with this situation. Now he was able to say the best words of all. He could accept his calling. He said to God, “Here am I, send me.” Telling God that you are willing and able to do His will is the best use of your words and lips.
Our mouths can cause us a lot of trouble so we must watch what we say and how we say it.
Have you found yourself saying words that are inappropriate? Maybe you have been in a conversation that was not uplifting. Perhaps you have said things that you have regretted and wish you could take back. Repent and ask Jesus to cleanse you of this sin. From then on, you can make a concentrated effort to speak words of love and encouragement. Speak words of grace and do your best to tame your tongue (James 3:8). Be willing to say “yes” to God when called upon.
Rick Heinrich
Wow, what a powerful passage! You have probably heard these verses before. It has been taught in Sunday School and even sung as a worship song in many churches. There are a lot of powerful precepts in these few verses, but let’s focus on verses 5-8.
This event was a life changing event in Isaiah’s life. This took him from where he was to where he needed to be in his spiritual walk. This was a defining moment that launched his ministry as a prophet.
The first thing that Isaiah realized is that he is a man of unclean lips in a generation of people with unclean lips. We can certainly say that we live in the midst of people with the same problem. People tend to cuss with no remorse, and some of the conversations that I hear are completely vulgar. In addition to that, there seems to be a lot of grumbling and complaining going on. Speaking of that, have you heard the latest…? Oh yeah, there is a lot of gossiping going on as well.
Isaiah evidently fell into the trap of some of these “unclean lip” scenarios as well. Not that I can condemn him, because it is easy to do. When you are constantly around negative people and conversations, it is easy to find yourself getting sucked into the conversation and the negativity that goes with it.
When we truly meet the Lord, sin is exposed and repentance can take place. Isaiah knew of his wrongdoing and was willing to repent. As he confessed his sin, the seraphim then had to cleanse his lips. Confession and cleansing had to take place. Confessing our sins is great, but without cleansing, by the blood of Christ, salvation does not take place.
Before Isaiah could enter into the ministry that God called him to, he had to deal with this situation. Now he was able to say the best words of all. He could accept his calling. He said to God, “Here am I, send me.” Telling God that you are willing and able to do His will is the best use of your words and lips.
Our mouths can cause us a lot of trouble so we must watch what we say and how we say it.
Have you found yourself saying words that are inappropriate? Maybe you have been in a conversation that was not uplifting. Perhaps you have said things that you have regretted and wish you could take back. Repent and ask Jesus to cleanse you of this sin. From then on, you can make a concentrated effort to speak words of love and encouragement. Speak words of grace and do your best to tame your tongue (James 3:8). Be willing to say “yes” to God when called upon.
Rick Heinrich