Episode notes
Bright Morning Star
Lord Jesus, you are exalted to the highest place. Your name is above every other name – every ruler and principality and power, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
So today we pray in the name of Jesus—that every knee would bow and every tongue confess that you are Lord. Not because we have the strength to make it happen, but because you do. Not because our plans are sufficient, but because your power is limitless.
Read: Psalm 59:16–17
Pause and pray
Today I am reflecting on some words from the book of Revelation, the very last book of the Bible. Having painted a beautiful picture of what the world will be like after Jesus returns – where everything will be set right, where there will be no more death or pain or suffering – the passage calls me to live a hope-filled life in the messy reality of the here and now…
Read: Revelation 22:12–17
Amid the closing words of Scripture, Jesus takes on one final title, one loaded with the imagery of hope. “The bright Morning Star” is a reference to the planet Venus, which appears in the sky as the night comes to an end. It is a symbol of new beginnings, of light in the darkness, of a dawn that’s about to break. It’s also a beacon for navigation – a celestial signpost, leading people in the way they should go.
As I seek to follow God in a confused and confusing world, living between Jesus’ first and second coming, he offers himself as my guiding light, leading me through the troubles I face to the life-giving water of his presence.
Regardless of my current circumstances, the bright Morning Star instils in me a defiant hope that the new dawn of his kingdom is coming and that his ultimate victory is assured.
Lord Jesus, bright Morning Star, I look to you. In every situation I face today, let your light guide and reassure me. Instill in me your hope that you are in the process of “making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5).
Pause and pray
This passage says that those who follow the light of the bright Morning Star won’t keep the good news about him to themselves.
Lord Jesus, give me opportunities today to invite others to “come, taste the water of life”. Help me to share your hope so that you become their bright Morning Star too, lighting up their lives with hope, joy and clarity.
Pause and pray✨
As I return to the passage, I look out for a particular word or phrase that the Holy Spirit seems to be highlighting for me today…
Read again: Revelation 22:12–17
I take a moment to reflect on any word or phrase that the Holy Spirit is highlighting for me.
Pause and pray✨
There’s a saying we use in 24-7 Prayer: “the vision is Jesus – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus”.* By accepting Jesus as my Morning Star, I have chosen to make him the primary influence on my life, guiding the way I think and act to the exclusion of all other things.
The list of harmful behaviours in these verses isn’t exhaustive – they could encompass any and all things that distract or lead me away from God’s abundant life. And so I ask myself: is there any area of my life – any want, desire or behaviour – I need to yield to him again?
Lord Jesus, bright Morning Star, I choose again today to make you and you alone the vision for my life. When I am tempted to look to another way, captivate me again with the overflowing freedom and hope that comes from following you.
Amen.