Seeking A Heart Of Compassion
"(1) "Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins. (2) "Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God. (3) 'Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?' Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers. (4) "Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. (5) "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? (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? (7) "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (8) "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard." [Isaiah 58:1-8 NASB]Lord Messiah Jesus, it is easier for me to act religious than to act in be a righteous person doing righteous actions for right reasons. Lord have mercy on me and send upon me a deep spirit of repentance.Take the heart of stone from me that keeps me from feeling any empathy or care for the one who is hurting and oppressed and give me a heart of flesh that feels deeply my own guilt and the needs of those around me. Make of me an instrument of YOUR loving peace today.Lord Messiah Jesus help me see how I need to work for the change of institutionalized oppression and how the very structure of our society causes harm to some people. Help me see and seek to undo injustice as it exist in my culture.Grant me personally the ability to care about the hungry and to try to provide aid to them where I can. Give me eyes to see how I can show help to the homeless and not hide myself from their struggles. Lord, give me greater faith to do greater love. Forgive me my lack of compassion.Send this spirit of true fasting not only upon me but all your people. Awaken us to the needs of our times. Send to us light and healing. Make YOURSELF known through us. Shine Jesus Shine now.Send to us revival, reformation, renewal, and restoration. Lord have mercy. Do what we don't believe YOU can do in our generation. Lord help us now. Amen