All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
– Isaiah 53:6
There’s so much we could talk about and soak in just on this one verse. It’s just a small part of this whole chapter that’s talking about Jesus. The verses right before this talk about how he would carry our sorrows and be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.
Isaiah 53:6 explains the cost of our sin and the grace of our Savior.
But the reason I want to lead us to pray specifically according to verse six, is because of this imagery of us as sheep going astray from our Shepherd. I think about being in a North African desert with a Bedouin people group. So this pastoral, nomadic shepherding people with sheep all around. And it was just seeing all this imagery from Scripture coming to life as I talked with these shepherds who care for their sheep. And yet their sheep are prone to wander.
I just want you to get this picture in a fresh way today of God. The God of the universe, the sovereign, omnipotent Ruler of all. Who is infinitely good, and infinitely loving, and infinitely kind. In his Word, he says, “I am your Shepherd. I know you. I see you and I will lead you for your good”. And then see in a fresh way how you and I are prone to wander from our Shepherd, to go astray from him.
Just consider in your life right now. How are you prone to go astray to your own way instead of his? And then as you think about that. As you think about all the ways you have done that. I have done that in my life. You’ve done that in your life, and the ways we’re prone to do that now. And then realize, verse six, “the Lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all”.
Isaiah 53:6 calls us to repent and return to the Shepherd of our souls.
Jesus has paid the price for all of our sin against the Lord, our Shepherd. Oh, doesn’t this verse just lead us to pray then in so many different directions? Let’s just press in right now. God, in light of this word… One, we praise you as our Shepherd. We praise you for your love, for us, for your kindness toward us, for your care, for us, for your desire to nourish us and satisfy us, and lead us for our good.
And so we pray, help us to trust you as our Shepherd, to trust your way more than our way. God, we know we all like sheep have gone astray. We’ve turned every one of us to our own way in so many ways. And we’re prone to do that today. God forgive us. And God, as we pray that we praise you for sending your son Jesus to take the iniquity of all who trust in him upon himself.
Jesus, we praise you for taking our iniquity upon yourself, for dying on the cross, for all our sin. For all of our rebellion against you is our shepherd for all of our disobedience. For all the stains of guilt and shame through sin that mark our lives. Jesus, we praise you as our Savior.
And in all this, we pray that you would help us today to follow you as our Shepherd, to trust you as our Shepherd. To go wherever you lead us, to do whatever you call us to do, to walk right by your side. And just picture those sheep in that desert being close to the shepherd. Help us to stay close to you all day long today. We pray that that would be the story of our day today. Just us as sheep right next to you as our Shepherd. And we praise you for your desire to be next to us, for us to be next to you.
Prayer for the Bedouin People
And God, as we pray all this, we pray for those Bedouin shepherds in that North African desert who are still there. Who have little to no knowledge of the gospel. I praise you that that day those shepherds heard the gospel. But God, we pray for multitudes of them and their families who’ve never heard the good news of your love as Shepherd. God, we pray that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is made known among all the peoples of the Earth, including remote North African desert peoples who’ve never heard the good news of your love for them. God, please may it be so, we pray. all this according to your Word in Isaiah 53:6. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
