By Judith Cooley

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1
Praying scripture over ourselves, our loved ones, our community, and world is powerful and effective. Praying scripture is powerful because we communicate to God and ourselves that we trust who He says He is, and we claim Him promises as truth. Praying scripture is effective because we can see line for line, promise for promise His works being done.
We have the honor, the privilege, and the duty to pray scripture over ourselves and others not because of the blessings that God will rain down, but because of the eternal souls we could reach for the Kingdom if we do.
Isaiah 60 shows us that God will one day be our everlasting light. There will be no more need for sun and moon because God’s light will break through all darkness forever. The book of John says that Jesus is the light of all mankind and the light that no darkness can overcome. Jesus tells us in the New Testament that we are salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Considering the privilege it is to be created in God’s image, to be a light in this dark world, Isaiah 60 presents another promise to pray over ourselves to reach others. A promise so humbling and so inspiring we must truly grasp what “glory” means. How awed and humbled we ought to be by the great affection He has for us.
Isaiah 60 says the Lord’s light will rise on us and His glory will appear over us. What an aw- inspiring promise that is when we consider what “glory” means.
Glory is something marked by beauty or resplendence. Resplendence means glowing splendor or something glowing with great brightness. We all want to be marked by some degree of beauty and how fitting that this is by God’s design. The only time we get this desire jumbled is when we aim to focus that beauty outwardly instead of inwardly, where the focus belongs. Our resplendence comes from pointing ever to the One who gave us life by embodying that fruits of the Holy Spirit. We should be marked by the beauty of standing in contrast to the ways of the world ,the beauty of emulating our Father.
Glory also means the splendor and beatific happiness of heaven. The definition is beautiful and poetic on its own, but, for clarity, beatific is defined as blissful appearance. When we pray Isaiah 60 and other verses over ourselves, we can reach others because the blissful happiness of heaven that is upon us. When we know Jesus as our personal Savior, we live differently. We have a hope that holds to eternity. We have the Holy Spirit motivating, comforting us, and refining us, so that the glory – the blissful happiness of heaven- envelops us.
There are several more definitions for glory, but simply, glory is a ring or spot of light. Jesus is the light that no one and nothing can overcome. God is the light that will one day vanquish all darkness and shine forever. We are His ambassadors. We are His lights, His fireflies in this dark world. We should be marked by His qualities. We should stand out in stark contrast to this dark world. We should be marked by the blissful happiness of heaven. Happiness isn’t a promise for the Christ-follower, but a deep abiding joy is. Lord let your light rise on us and your glory appear over us, Lord, so that others can know you too.
“See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isaiah 60:2-3 *(definitions for glory taken from Merriam Webster)