The prophet has urged us to take no rest, and to give God no rest, until our prayers have brought revival (62:6-7). Then Isaiah follows his own advice, recording one of the great intercessory prayers in all of Scripture. This prayer began with an affirmation of God’s goodness and compassion, despite the troubles His people have known due to their rebellion against Him (63:7-19). But now in Isaiah 64, we learn how to pray with boldness and passion for a true spiritual awakening. “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.” This is a plea for God to make His presence known and felt in an unusual way, just as He has done in the past. Twice more he repeats the phrase, “at your presence,” as Isaiah expresses his deep longing for God to surprise His people once again with a fresh experience of His overwhelming, life-changing power (v 1-3). This is the only hope we have, for we can neither save ourselves, nor revive ourselves. God must actively intervene on our behalf. But He has promised to do so, if we will simply “wait for Him,” that is, put our whole trust in Him and not in our own schemes. One evidence of such trust is a life of godliness. To “remember” God’s “ways” is not merely to have an intellectual awareness of what He expects of us, but to live in accord with those ways (v 4-5a). Unfortunately, this is what we have all failed to do. Isaiah identifies with his sinful people by using some dramatic imagery. First, we are all like unclean lepers, contagious with our disease of sin, easily messing up the lives of any who get too close to us. Second, our righteous deeds are as disgusting as filthy rags. Even when we do what’s right, we’re not as good as we look. Our righteousness stinks, just like our sin! Third, because of our iniquities, we are as temporary and fading as fall leaves that get carried away by the wind. Yet most people don’t even care, or stop to ponder these realities. This too, is the judgment of God: “You have hidden Your face from us” (v 5b-7). Therefore, if we are to be delivered out of this condition, it can only be by God’s grace, for we have no claim on Him. He is like a potter, and we are His clay. He has all the power and all the skill, so we must trust His plan and depend on His touch to redesign us and reshape us into vessels useful for His purpose. After all, we belong to God. He is more than able to create newness out of whatever has been ruined by sin, whether the literal ruins of Jerusalem, or the broken life that has become desolate. Call upon Him. Humbly ask God to not hold back or be silent, but to have His way in you (v 8-12). For further meditation: