Arise, Shine

Isaiah 60:1-3

Isaiah 60:1 says: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” The LORD speaks it to Zion, promising that His glory will rise over His people while darkness covers the earth.

Lord, You say, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Some mornings I wake up under thick darkness, and I cannot make my own light. So I look to You. Rise upon me, Lord, and let Your glory be seen in my life today. Lift my head and warm my heart, and let someone still in the dark find their way to Your light through me. Amen.

The Scripture

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
— Isaiah 60:1-3

Prayer points from Isaiah 60:1-3

Thank God that the light comes from Him, not from you.
Name the darkness you are waking up to.
Ask the LORD to rise upon you today.
Ask Him to let His glory be seen in how you live.
Pray for someone who is still sitting in thick darkness.
Thank Him for His promise that the days of sorrow will cease.

About this verse

Isaiah 60 is a promise of hope for Zion, the city of the LORD. The chapter before closes with a promise that the Redeemer will come to Zion, and chapter 60 opens with a call to get up: arise, shine, for your light has come. The light is not Zion’s own. It is the glory of the LORD rising upon her, like the sun at dawn. The passage is honest about the dark: darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples. But the LORD will rise upon His people, His glory will appear over them, and nations will come to their light, and kings to the brightness of their dawn. Near the end of the chapter He promises that He Himself will be their everlasting light, and that the days of their sorrow will cease. It is a prayer for a dark morning, and for anyone who needs God’s light to rise on them again.

When to pray this prayer

First thing in the morning, before you check your phone
When you wake up heavy and do not want to get out of bed
At the start of a new season after a long, dark one
When the news makes the world feel dark
When you want your life to point others to God

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