(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verse 1)
Oh God my Father, although we sin against You many times, You love us so much that You still keep on feeling compassion for us. Your love and mercy are never ending. May we as humans copy You in this noble feeling of compassion Amen.
2. And the nations will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess the nations as male and female slaves in the LORD's land; they will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verse 2)
Oh God You love us so much that You have the power to make our enemies our servants as in the case of Israel, whom You referred to the nations who were there enemies as being their escorts who will take them back to the lands that You had promised them. This is also applicable in our situations, for You are able to use those people who may have cheated us out of a promotion to promote us back to our rightful positions Amen.
3. When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4. you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased! How his insolence has ceased!
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 3 to 4)
Oh God my Father, You will give us victory over all our enemies, the greatest one is our self. We will sing and rejoice and in joy and thanksgiving and celebrate Your victory over our sinful self which has become our victory for You have made us victorious. Even though I may have obsessions, compulsions or inclinations or lack of anger management skills, You can and will give me victory over such negative traits. Let's raise our voices to You my God and celebrate for even as we pray Your healing flows and Your victory is achieved Amen. I invite you all to join in this song and prayer by clicking on the following link:-
Song Come on and celebrate
5. The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, 6. that struck down the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution. 7. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 5 to 7)
Oh God my Father You are able to fight our enemies and claim a victory over them and bring order in a world that is becoming overwhelmed with disorder, sin and selfishness. Amen.
8. The cypresses exult over you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you were laid low, no one comes to cut us down."9. Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. 10. All of them will speak and say to you: "You too have become as weak as we! You have become like Us! 11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol and the sound of your harps; maggots are the bed beneath you, and worms are your covering.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 8 to 11)
Oh God my Father our pride is the vehicle that will take us to hell. Nobody will ever feel sorry to see us depart from this earth, not even nature over which we had command and mastery as humans. Even the souls of those who were before us will criticise us for our misgivings and shall show no mercy, for if we ever considered ourselves better than others we are totally wrong for we are all broken and prone to sin. God my Father I pray that You show us Your mercy not because we deserve it but because of Your great love for us Amen.
12. How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verse 12)
Oh God my Father at times we feel so proud about, ourselves that we seem to forget our own brokenness due to our sinful nature and end up making a mess of our lives due to our feelings of superiority which serve to mask our true feelings of inferiority. May we be aware of both our strong points and even of our weaknesses, so that we remain living a balanced life Amen.
13. You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven: I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; 14. I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High."
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 13 to 14)
Oh God my Father at times our pride gets the better of us and we make declarations that are the fruit of pride and haughtiness. I pray oh God my Father that we remain humble and keep in mind that pride is not to dwell in us. When I feel proud I switch my thoughts to my sins and then return back in gratitude and humility to You my God and Father.
15. But you are brought down to Sheol to the depths of the Pit. 16. Those who see you will stare at you, and ponder over you; "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17. who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who would not let his prisoners go home?"
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 15 to 17)
People who might think of meeting us in heaven or in hell to their, astonishment, may be amazed to see us in hell, because while living as humans we appeared to be successful and now we end up missing our goal due to sinful pride. We may have given others a false impression of ourselves, so much that we might mislead people, however, You oh God my Father knows us as we really are Amen.
18. All the kings of the nations lie in glory. each in his own tomb; 19. but you are cast out, away from your grave, like loathsome carrion, clothed with the dead, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the Pit, like a corpse trampled underfoot. 20. You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have killed your people. May the descendants of evildoers nevermore be named!
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 18 to 20)
Oh God my Father the fall of the proud is indeed worthy of pity, for even in the grave they will experience no rest but torment for their negative acts. I oh God my Father that we seek repentance and turn back from our negative ways. Amen.
21. Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their father, Let them never rise to possess the earth or cover the face of the world with cities.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verse 21)
Oh God my Father, how true are Your words. The sins of the earthly fathers are inherited by their sons. Up to this day I am still labelled for the sins of my earthly father and at times even associated him in his areas of weakness but never in his strengths which is totally unfair. I pray that people associate me with You my heavenly Father instead of my biological one. I would be more than happy, people would make my day! Amen.
22. I will rise up against them, says the LORD of hosts, and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, offspring and posterity says the LORD. 23. And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the LORD of hosts.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 22 to 23)
Oh what a mighty avenger we have oh God almighty. You are always there for us. I thank You forever and ever. You fight our wars for us and achieve impossible results in order to stand up for the truth and for what is right, however You cannot do so when we are at fault as in the case when I accidently violated a one-way street and became aware of it when I was half-way down the hill facing the upcoming traffic. If I get a ticket I will accept it as being my fault, although many streets have been changed due to road works, however this does not justify the fact that i violated the sign. Amen. I am ready to accept the cosequences of my negative actions.
24. The LORD of hosts has sworn: As I have designed, so shall it be; and as I have planned, so shall it come to pass: 25. I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him under foot; his yoke shall be removed from them, and his burden from their shoulders.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 24 to 25)
Oh God my Father let Your will be my will and may I always seek to live according to Your will Amen. You have great plans for me and my issues, that in time You will trample and finally remove that yoke which has been on my shoulders for so many years. Amen
26. This is the plan that is planned concerning the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. 27. For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 26 to 27)
Oh God my Father we can make many plans however, Your are in control of the course of our life, and try as we might, nobody can ever change that. We can head on to different pathways that go against that planned by You, however in the end we will still arrive at the destination according to Your will. You love us so much that You do not want our souls to be lost Amen.
28. In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came: 29. Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the root of the snake will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 28 to 29)
Oh god my Father those of us who may think that an event will turn events in their favour, so that their crooked plans will be fulfilled may be in for a surprise, for evil breeds more evil, and is transmitted throughout the generations. If one is the company of negative people be on the lookout for although the sons may appear to be different than the rest of the family, the genetic traits still play a vital role in the physical and psychological formation of the person, that may also determine even one's behaviour. Oh God my Father, that we may be all like You our heavenly father and not like our relatives, who like us are also tainted by sin and negative traits, even though, the majority may be considered as being God-fearing people Amen. I pray that You set us free from our gentic descent and all inherited traits Amen.
30. The firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will make your root die of famine, and your remnant I will kill.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verse 30)
Oh God my Father You are so just in Your dealings with humanity, You stand up for the poor and needy and bring the selfish to shame. Even though You use strong words such as kill and destroy I know that although Your justice is great so is Your love for us Amen.
31. Wail, O gate; cry, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in its ranks. 32. What will one answer the messengers of the nation? "The LORD has founded Zion, and the needy among his people will find refuge in her."
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 14 verses 31 to 32)
Oh God my Father today we face the same question and we greatly need to come up with an answer. What will we say to Your angels and prophets, whom You send to test us? Do our actions reflect our faith in You? When we are harassed by these terrorist groups will we refer to You or to military action without attempting to refer to You for a healthy solution?
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Oh God my Father may our hearts be a throne on which only You can sit. May we be humble and not violent in our relationships with others. May we also have an attitude that seeks peace and not violence, even though the smoke of offense of military weapons or spiritual warfare may already be at full blast against us. You are my refuge and my salvation only in You can I find consolation Amen.
