I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. Isaiah 63:7
How do you prepare to pray? One way is to fill your mind with the goodness of God. When you read the context of Isaiah 64, you will see this clearly. It’s like watching an athlete taking a run-up to the long jump: she gathers speed, and then she launches into the air.
The run-up to the great prayer of Isaiah 64 begins in chapter 63, where Isaiah fills his mind with the goodness of God: “I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love” (63:7).
He goes on to list the works for which God is to be praised. Isaiah is not praying at this point; he does not address God directly until the middle of verse 14: “So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name” (63:14).
So what’s Isaiah doing in verses 7-13? He is preparing to pray by filling his mind with the goodness of God. Effective prayer arises from confidence in God’s goodness.
Faith is the conviction that God is always up to something good. So if you want to pray with faith begin by filling your mind with the goodness of God and the great truths of the gospel.
Take some time to fill your mind with the goodness of God as described in Isaiah 63:7, and allow this to launch you into prayer.
