Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the afflicted. He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a faint spirit, so that they will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord to display his beauty.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending us your Son, the Messiah, who taught the good news of repentance and forgiveness. We pray that you will continue to send your Spirit on men to preach the same good news to us, the afflicted. Without our Messiah, our sins cause us trouble, and they bind us. However, the good news is this: Jesus’ forgiveness released sin’s shackles, and we are now wrapped in Jesus’ healing robes of righteousness.
You sent your Son to come to this earth to release us from all our chains of sin; Jesus burst our cells open, freeing all from death’s prison. Sin’s chains that once bound us caused us to be left with scars of guilt and shame; Jesus has dressed those wounds for us and washed them in our baptismal waters. Through faith in Jesus, we are restored to you; he has removed our sins and put on us his righteousness. We now have nothing to fear or be sad about because you planted the seeds of faith in us. By the Holy Spirit’s work, we know we are forgiven for all our sins because Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead. In Jesus’ resurrection, we, too, will be raised. The promise of everlasting life is for everyone who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Knowing he has removed sin’s locks and opened heaven’s gate so that all who believe may enter.
Lord, you have done everything for us, including planting faith in us. May this message of good news be spread all around us today so that someone new may hear of your love and forgiveness through Jesus. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
God sent his Son to redeem you and his Spirit to trust Jesus’ work. Through the forgiveness of sins, you are restored to the Father. When God completed his plan of salvation, he returned his favor to all people; it is delivered by faith to all who believe in Jesus.