Silence: Find a quiet place, remove potential distractions, clear your mind of other thoughts, and ask God to speak to you as you read and contemplate this passage:

Reflective Reading: Read Isaiah 56: 6-7 thoughtfully:

6 …to love the name of the LORD,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations…”

Meditation: Reflect on this passage from Isaiah’s prophecy. What is God speaking to you through this exchange? What is the Isaiah’s challenge to God’s people?

Oration: From your reading and prayer, verbalize or write in the space below your response to what God is speaking to you from this passage:

Contemplation: Over the next day, contemplate this passage and what God is saying to you. Think on these topics:

• What does it mean to ‘keep the Sabbath’? How committed are you to specifically setting aside time for worship and renewal?
• What are things that ‘hinder’ God’s people at First Baptist from ‘keeping the Sabbath’? What can we do to eliminate or minimize these ‘hindrances’?
• What are the promises carried in this passage to those who ‘keep the Sabbath’?
• What actions might this passage be directing you to begin?