Saturday
Ex — EXCLAIM HIS NAME WITH AWE AND JOY
Exclaiming the Glory We Have Seen
How this day connects
Contemplative Stream · S – Ex · Glory → Joy → Proclamation
The woman leaves her water jar beside Jacob’s well. A few moments earlier she had arrived alone; now she moves towards the city with words pressing out of her. She has encountered Jesus, been known without being discarded, and glimpsed a possibility too large to keep private. Come, see a Man… (John 4:29). Her witness is immediate, almost breathless. Encounter has become exclamation.
Begin with John 4:28–30, 39–42. Read with this question: How does one person’s encounter invite others towards Jesus? The other passages deepen today’s theme and remain available as you return to the page.
READ — Psalm 96; John 4:28–30, 39–42; Acts 4:23–31; Philippians 2:5–11; 1 Peter 2:9–10; Revelation 5:9–14; 12:10–11 (NKJV)
Read slowly, returning to the starting passage as you follow today’s theme. The passages belong together: they help us hear the meditation and pray in response to what God has revealed. You can return to the additional readings throughout the day or week.
Psalm 96 — NKJV
1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
4 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
9 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously."
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD.
13 For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.
John 4:28–30 — NKJV
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
29 "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"
30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
John 4:39–42 — NKJV
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."
40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.
41 And many more believed because of His own word.
42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
Acts 4:23–31 — NKJV
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.'
27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Philippians 2:5–11 — NKJV
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1 Peter 2:9–10 — NKJV
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Revelation 5:9–14 — NKJV
9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
Revelation 12:10–11 — NKJV
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
The woman at the well gives us a clear beginning. Jesus has met her with truth and mercy, and she invites her neighbours to come and hear Him. We too can begin with what we have discovered about Him, speaking honestly of the hope His goodness gives.
The worth of Christ draws our attention, awakens love and gives us something to share. Tuesday explores that attention to His glory; Wednesday follows its movement into faithful allegiance. Today we give the goodness we have received a voice in praise, thanksgiving and witness.
Fear of rejection can make us hesitate, and competing desires can divide our allegiance. We bring those pressures before the Father as we ask Him to guard us in temptation and deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). His help strengthens us to remain faithful to Christ and speak of Him with courage and love.
Awe and joy give voice to the worth we have begun to see. As Christ becomes precious to us, gratitude rises in prayer and His goodness enters our conversations. We speak because the Lord has drawn near, and because others need the hope He gives.
Peter joins our calling as a royal priesthood to the proclamation of God’s praises (1 Peter 2:9). The same truth can be spoken to God in adoration and to our neighbour as good news: He is faithful, He is merciful, and in Jesus Christ He has brought us into His light. Praise and proclamation share their centre in His character and saving acts.
The Psalms help us find words for both. Psalm 96 moves from singing to the Lord towards announcing His salvation and declaring His glory among the nations. We can learn to thank God for what Scripture reveals, then speak that truth with care to someone before us. Exclaim names awe and joy finding expression; proclamation carries the good news where others can hear and respond.
What we delight in presses towards expression. We call someone to a window when the sky is burning with colour. We tell a friend when we have tasted something good. Wonder seeks a witness. So it is with Christ: what is beheld and loved begins to seek words.
Temptation works by disordered love. A lesser good presents itself as though it deserved greater weight. Well-ordered loves resist because the heart has seen something better. The Lamb is worthy. His Name is precious. His Kingdom is treasure.
Suppose a conversation gives us an opportunity to speak of Jesus, and embarrassment makes us hesitate. We remember His mercy, ask the Spirit for courage and offer a truthful word with gentleness. Christ’s death and resurrection give us confidence in the Lord we confess. Our resistance to fear takes the shape of faithful speech, offered with love for the person before us.
So we resist temptation by naming the greater good we have seen. We answer accusation with the Gospel. We answer fear by remembering the risen Christ. We resist hostile allegiance by worshipping the One who alone is worthy. We meet despair with thanksgiving and silence with testimony.
The Name of Jesus is first the Name under which we live. We worship, confess and bear His Name. To say Jesus is Lord is an allegiance reaching through money, relationships, sexuality, speech, ambition, politics, forgiveness, power and public witness.
This also returns us to the Father’s royal priesthood. Peter says we are called from darkness into His marvellous light so that we may proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9). The mouths of a formed people become priestly places of thanksgiving, testimony and blessing.
And this exclamation is part of the ministry of reconciliation. Paul says God has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19). The reconciled household becomes a speaking household. Individually and together, we give public voice to the mercy that has met us and invite others: Be reconciled to God.
Exclamation sounds in gathered worship and follows us through the week: around tables, in prayer, through testimony and song, in ordinary conversation, in acts of mercy explained by the hope of Christ, and in clear Gospel proclamation.
Jesus says that the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart (Luke 6:45). As the Spirit orders our loves around Christ, exclamation becomes their ripened expression: what we have beheld, treasured and contended for finds voice. Temptation may press towards silence or divided allegiance; awe bows, joy rises, and the worth of Jesus is carried into the world.
The glory we have seen becomes the glory we exclaim. And the glory we exclaim invites others to behold Him too.
Today We Enter
Today we bring fear, temptation, accusation and divided allegiance beneath the lordship of Jesus Christ. We remember what we have seen and received. We allow awe to give weight to our words and joy to give them life. Then we praise, testify, pray, resist and proclaim.
Read the prayer slowly and make its words your own. Pause to name particular people and situations. We pray as members of Christ’s Church, including when we pray alone. The Scripture references show the passages behind the prayers and declarations; return to them whenever you want to consider a prayer more closely.
Each day follows the whole Lord’s Prayer, with today’s theme shaping the words we pray. Begin each movement with the Scripture line. Pray aloud where you can, allowing praise, thanksgiving, lament and declarations their own voice. Pause to name people and circumstances. We pray with and for the whole Church, including when we pray alone. The Prayer guide explains how the prayer connects with SHINE.
FULL PRAYER
Pray the day
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Today’s focus: Exclaim His Name with Awe and Joy
Prayer guide
Talking back means answering temptation with the truth of Scripture. Following Jesus’ example, we name the lie or sinful invitation, speak the fitting words of Scripture, and offer our allegiance to Him. We may address God, our own soul, or the tempter in Christ’s Name. Love for Christ gives this resistance its purpose. We bring grief, weakness and distress to God with compassion, and stand together in the help He gives. (Matthew 4:1–11; Psalm 42:5; James 4:7; Ephesians 6:10–18)
Our Father in heaven,
(Matthew 6:9) NKJV
Father, we thank You for sins forgiven, prayers heard and strength received. We remember before You the people who have helped us, the provision that has sustained us and the mercy that has brought us home. Thank You for healing, restored relationships and fresh beginnings. Receive our gratitude for the grace that carries us through days of waiting. Keep our memory attentive to Your kindness, and help us speak truthfully of what You have done. (Psalm 103:1–5; Psalm 105:1–5)
Hallowed be Your name.
(Matthew 6:9) NKJV
Lord Jesus Christ, we bow before Your holy Name with awe and joy. You humbled Yourself in love and gave Your life upon the cross. The Father has raised and exalted You, and we confess You as Lord. We praise the majesty of Your mercy and adore the holiness of Your love. Every honour rightly belongs to You. Our voices rise in glad allegiance, and our whole lives lie before Your gracious reign. With the Church in heaven and on earth we proclaim Your worth, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5–11; Revelation 5:9–14)
People of God, sing to the Lord and bless His Name; tell the nations of His saving goodness. Let the homes of His people resound with praise and the gathered Church rejoice in her King. Father, Your glory shines in the face of Jesus Christ, and we delight in the Son You have given. Holy Spirit, we honour Your presence and Your work among us. With all that is within us we praise the living God. His goodness is worthy of a clear voice, and His mercy will be our song. (Psalm 96:1–3; Psalm 103:1; 2 Corinthians 4:6)
Lord Jesus, some of our songs come through tears. We grieve the prayers still unanswered, the neighbour we have buried and the pain hidden beneath ordinary greetings. We mourn with those whose voices have grown quiet through suffering. How long must Your creation groan? We bring our sorrow into the worship of Your people and wait before You together. You received the cry of the afflicted and entered our grief. Hear us now. Our love reaches towards You, and we place our hope in Your risen life. (Psalm 42:3–5; John 11:33–36; Romans 8:22–25)
Lord, restore rejoicing among Your people. Deepen our gratitude through seasons of waiting and strengthen our praise when life is difficult. Help us celebrate another person’s blessing with generous hearts. Receive the song that comes through tears and the thanksgiving spoken with a trembling voice. Keep us praying together. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly among us, and let our worship strengthen those who have found it difficult to hope. (Colossians 3:15–17; Romans 12:12–15)
Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:10) NKJV
We renounce divided allegiance. We renounce the fear that tells us silence is always safer. We renounce accusation that would make us ashamed of grace already given. We renounce every temptation that magnifies a lesser good until it appears more weighty than Christ. (James 4:7–8; Romans 8:33–34)
Father, keep us watchful in temptation and deliver us from the evil one. Strengthen our trust in Your faithful care. Help us recognise the way of escape You provide and give us courage to take it. Guard us when we are tired, isolated or eager for approval. Bring Your Word to remembrance, and surround us with companions who help us remain faithful. Keep our hearts steady in the victory of Jesus. (Matthew 6:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13)
Lord Jesus, we confess You as our crucified and risen Saviour. Through Your blood You have redeemed a people from every nation. We belong to You and rejoice in Your mercy. Your Name is worthy of honour in every language; Your gospel carries the hope of forgiveness and the joy of life in Your kingdom. We own Your Name before the world and offer our voices to the witness of Your Church. You have called us out of darkness into Your marvellous light, and we proclaim the goodness of the Lord who has made us His people. (Revelation 5:9–14; 1 Peter 2:9–10)
The gospel we have received carries God’s saving power, and we stand within its promise with confidence. Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead. He lives and reigns, and the Spirit He has given strengthens the witness of His people. We believe His gospel, and we speak what we have received. Our words and conduct belong to His lordship, and we offer them in the service of His Name. We will speak truthfully of His mercy and practise the love we proclaim. The God who raised Jesus will raise His people with Him. We will carry this hope to others, so that thanksgiving spreads and the Father is glorified. (Romans 1:16–17; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Acts 1:8; Colossians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 4:13–15)
Give us this day our daily bread.
(Matthew 6:11) NKJV
Holy Spirit, fill us with fresh love for Jesus and boldness to speak His Word. Let awe deepen our worship and joy strengthen our witness. Bring Scripture to remembrance when words are needed. Give us courage to tell the truth about Your goodness with simplicity. Stretch out Your hand to heal, and let signs of Your mercy accompany the gospel. Draw people towards Jesus through the testimony and prayer of Your Church. (Acts 4:29–31)
Lord, bless the conversations before us today. Give us someone to encourage, someone to pray with and an opportunity to speak of Jesus. Help us notice the person who feels forgotten and listen to the one carrying a difficult question. Let our gratitude become generous blessing. Where fear has kept us silent, give us a gracious beginning. Where a door opens for the gospel, help us enter with courage, humility and love. (Colossians 4:2–6; 1 Peter 3:15)
Father, we bear witness to the mercy You have made known in Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection You have opened forgiveness and life to the world. We thank You for those whose words first carried this gospel to us. Our voices are available for that same service. We offer our neighbours honest testimony, patient listening and the welcome we have received. We will speak of the grace we know, acknowledge what we have yet to understand, and honour the person before us. Lord Jesus, our conversations belong to Your love and our witness to Your saving Name. (1 Corinthians 15:3–4; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20; Colossians 4:5–6; 1 Peter 3:15)
Father, strengthen Your people to praise You and speak of Jesus with confidence. Give children, young people and older believers words for Your goodness. Encourage those who are praying aloud or sharing their faith for the first time. Restore honest testimony to congregational life. Guard us from exaggeration and the desire to impress. Let the stories we tell honour Your mercy and help others place their trust in You. (Psalm 78:4–7; Psalm 96:1–3)
Lord, bless our households with the sound of thanksgiving and prayer. Help parents and children speak naturally of Your goodness at meals and through the day. Give us courage to pray for neighbours and welcome their questions. Strengthen those who live alone, and surround them with fellowship. Let our homes offer hospitality, truthful conversation and gracious witness. Through the ordinary life we share, make Your kindness known to those who enter. (Colossians 3:16–17; Hebrews 13:1–2)
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
(Matthew 6:12) NKJV
Father, we repent of allowing embarrassment to silence our witness to Christ. We confess our complaining, our neglect of thanksgiving and the careless words through which we have discouraged others. We repent of seeking attention for ourselves while leaving Your goodness unspoken. We turn from the speech that has diminished hope and offer our mouths again to Your praise. Forgive us, cleanse our words, and receive our renewed allegiance to the gospel we confess. We give honour to Jesus Christ, who has shown us mercy, and we commit ourselves to speak of His grace with gratitude and truth. (Ephesians 4:29–32; Psalm 51:15)
Forgive us, Father, for yielding to desires that draw us away from You. We confess the times we have chosen approval, pleasure or control over obedience to Christ. Bring those choices into Your light and cleanse our hearts. Strengthen our love for Jesus. When temptation returns, help us turn towards You quickly, receive Your help and take the way of faithfulness You open before us. (James 1:14–15; 1 Corinthians 10:13)
Father, help us honour the work of Your grace in ordinary life. Thank You for the apology that opens a conversation, the temptation resisted and the courage to seek help. Thank You for patient care, an enemy forgiven and a neighbour welcomed. Help us speak of these gifts with gratitude. Give those listening courage to turn towards You in their own need, and let our testimony strengthen their hope. (Psalm 105:1–5; Colossians 3:12–17)
Father, bring repentance and healing to churches whose witness has been damaged by wrongdoing. Expose what has been concealed and protect those who have suffered. Give leaders courage to acknowledge sin and put right what they can. Restore trust through truthful conduct and patient care. Let confession, restitution and service accompany our words. Give us humility as we speak of Jesus, and make our lives faithful to the mercy we proclaim. (Ephesians 4:25–32; Matthew 5:23–24)
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.
(Matthew 6:13) NKJV
Glory to You, Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, whose mercy has reached us and whose life we share. We rejoice in the salvation You have given and speak Your Name with reverence and love. You are worthy of the praise of every people, and our hearts find their joy in knowing You. We surrender the acclaim that would make us speak for our own glory and the fear that would keep us silent about Yours. Your goodness will be upon our lips. Before Your people and among our neighbours, we will recount Your mercy and invite others into the joy of knowing You. (1 Peter 1:8–9; 2:9–12; Revelation 5:9–13; Acts 4:18–20)
Lord Jesus, we remember Your mercy towards the woman who met You at the well. You spoke into her thirst and made Yourself known to her; she returned to her neighbours, and they came to hear You. Your living word drew them into faith. We bring our thirst to You, the risen Lord who gives the Spirit. From You we receive the life that has reached us through Your gospel. In Your presence we offer the truth of our own lives, rejoicing in the mercy with which You have received us. Your goodness has awakened our praise, and we bless Your holy Name. The mercy You have shown us will be upon our lips. We will invite others to come and hear of You, that they may know for themselves the Saviour of the world. (John 4:10–26, 28–30, 39–42; John 7:37–39)
Father, we remember how the crucified Jesus stood alive among His disciples and sent them to bear witness. You raised Him from the dead and made His victory known through their testimony. By the Spirit we receive their gospel and share the life of the Lord they proclaimed. He lives among His people, and His saving Name is upon our lips. In Him we take our place within the fellowship of Your household, giving You honour with those who carried the faith before us. We offer our memories, our conversations and the stories of our lives to truthful witness. Your mercy has reached us through the faithfulness of others; we will recount Your works to those who follow, until the risen Lord comes in glory and His servants behold His face. (Luke 24:36–49; Acts 1:8–11; 1 John 1:1–3; Psalm 78:4–7; Revelation 22:3–4)
Father, strengthen missionaries, evangelists, pastors, teachers, chaplains, parents and all who carry the gospel into daily relationships. Give them clear words and loving hearts. Protect persecuted Christians whose confession may cost their freedom or their lives. Uphold their families and keep their witness faithful to Jesus. Open hearts among those who hear, and bring people from every nation into the joy of knowing Your Son. (Ephesians 6:18–20; Hebrews 13:3)
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the victory of Your blood and the witness of those who remained faithful under accusation. Strengthen our allegiance when following You becomes costly. Deliver us from the fear that would make us deny Your Name. Uphold believers who face imprisonment, violence or death because they confess You. Protect them, provide for their families and let their testimony bear fruit. Keep them steadfast in love for You and for their neighbours. (Revelation 12:10–11; Hebrews 13:3)
In the strength of the Lord, we take up the whole armour of God. We fasten truth about us, receive the protection of righteousness, and set our feet in readiness to carry the gospel of peace. We lift the shield of faith against the accusations of the evil one and wear the salvation Christ has given. Against the promise of power or acclaim purchased through divided worship, we speak the words Jesus gave: You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve (Matthew 4:10, NKJV). Evil one, we resist you in the Name of Jesus Christ. We stand together in His victory and persevere in prayer for all His people. Father, give those who proclaim the gospel courage and clear speech. (Ephesians 6:10–20; James 4:7)
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
(Matthew 6:13) NKJV
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and remember His mercies. Let all that is within us honour His holy Name. We remember His forgiveness, His faithful care and the goodness that has sustained us through every season. Our voices belong in His praise, and we give Him thanks openly among His people. Lord, we honour You before our children and our friends. We recount Your works with gratitude and bear witness to the hope we have received. Through joy and through tears, we offer You the thanksgiving of a people held in Your love. (Psalm 103:1–5; Psalm 96:1–3; Psalm 78:4)
Lord Jesus, we consecrate our mouths to You. Guard our speech from contempt, gossip, exaggeration and empty religious language. Fill it instead with blessing, truth, prayer, thanksgiving, testimony and the Gospel. Let the Father’s royal priesthood become known by lips that honour God and invite others towards reconciliation. (Ephesians 4:29; 1 Peter 2:9; Colossians 3:17)
Father, send us with praise upon our lips and love for the people before us. Let us exclaim the Name of Jesus with awe and joy and proclaim His gospel with courage. Guard us in temptation, deliver us from evil and keep our testimony faithful. May the nations come to honour Your Name. Through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we give You thanksgiving and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13; Psalm 96:1–3; Acts 1:8)
Embodied Response
Choose one truth about Jesus from today’s reading and thank Him aloud for it. In a conversation, share why that truth gives you hope, or tell honestly of His help in your life. Listen to the other person’s response and welcome their questions. Ask the Spirit to help you continue the conversation with courage and love.