Today is October 25 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.   
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”   
  
Today’s reading is from the book of Isaiah, chapter 7.  
 
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.  
      
This is a well known prophecy from the book of Isaiah. God promises a sign through the prophet Isaiah. The messiah Jesus would be born to a virgin. But it didn’t come quickly. It came 700 years after this prophecy was given. As you come to prayer today, how does it feel to hear the words: “the Lord himself will give you a sign”? Consider God’s people through history – who experienced both waiting and fulfillment…. longing and hope…. Where are you feeling on that continuum today? Are you in a season of waiting? Are you holding on to a sign that points to hope?  
  
Think about hope, for a moment. When was the last time you felt a visceral experience of hope? What did that feel like? Can you walk yourself through a remembrance of that moment before we hear the scripture again? 

The sign that is promised in this text seems impossible. It’s otherworldly. It’s upside down. It’s hidden in the ordinariness of life. As we end our time of prayer today, can you ask God for eyes to see, and a heart to remember, the hope he’s spoken and the fulfillment you’ve received?  
 
Music: "Cherry Blossoms" -Vineyard Worship 
CHERRY BLOSSOMS (LIVE in Studio) | Official Video | Vineyard Worship