Prayer for Repentance, Tuesday Noon Eastern, April 15, 2025

Prayer for Repentance, Tuesday Noon Eastern

April 15, 2025

O Lord, you moved Isaiah to write these words:

See, my servant will act wisely;
    he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
    his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
    and his form marred beyond human likeness—
so he will sprinkle many nations,
    and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
    and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

Oh, dear Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we bow before You in awe that your Love for us cost You so very much, infinitely more than we can fathom. We find ourselves in a nation that has scorned Your love and chased after violence and murder, bribery and lies, immorality and unholiness. Please make intercession for us as a nation. Use these times of national and global turmoil, in the midst of those who are in Christ celebrating your sacrifice and resurrection, to grant our culture and nation repentance. Break our hearts before You. Fill our eyes with tears of remorse for turning aside to our own ways. Soften our hard hearts and stiff necks, crush our pride, make our selfishness detestable in our own eyes. Bring us to our knees in lament before You. Stir up Your people to obey Your Royal Law and through them bring conviction and revival to our culture....that this land might sing Your praises and glorify You; that we might exalt Your name and declare Your majesty to the nations of the world.

We ask this not for our own comfort or ease, but for Your glory and Your glory alone.

In the precious name of Jesus, who willingly endured the mocking and mutilation, the cross of crucifixion, the pain of our punishment, and the fullness of agony and loneliness when You turned Your face away from Your only Son in order that He might bear the full weight of Your wrath on our behalf. Forgive us for treating this great and infinite sacrifice so lightly.

In His precious name we pray, Amen.

Thank you for joining today. May the Lord bless you throughout this very special week.