🕊️ PRAY HERE DEVOTION 🕊️ Not to Condemn, but to SAVE

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1 (NLV)

“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet. Tell My people their wrongdoing, and the family of Jacob their sins.”

Devotion: “Cry aloud! Spare not!”

Have you seen or heard this passage of Scripture before? Growing up in church, I heard it often. It was usually quoted to justify calling out people’s sins. Over the years, I’ve witnessed this done the right way and the wrong way.

Let’s use a simple example. Imagine going to the doctor. They run tests, ask questions, and discover what’s wrong. Now imagine how that truth is delivered.

A healthy delivery sounds like this:

“Mr. or Mrs. So-and-so, we’ve found the problem. You have high blood pressure, and that’s what’s causing your headaches. If you take this medication and avoid certain foods, we can reduce your risk and improve your health.”

That kind of truth brings relief. It motivates change. It creates gratitude.

Now imagine the wrong delivery:

“Your headaches are your fault. Your terrible eating habits are going to kill you. If you don’t stop eating fried foods and salt, you’re going to die from a stroke. Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Same truth. Completely different impact.

God wants us to save our brothers and sisters from sin; not condemn them.

So what is condemnation?

It’s making someone feel as guilty, hopeless, and worthless as possible. It’s speaking death instead of redemption. It’s sentencing people to destruction instead of pointing them to salvation.

Isaiah 58:1 is often taken out of context. God was not instructing His people to tear others down or speak death over them. He was saying, “Get their attention. Speak the truth clearly.” But the goal was correction, not humiliation. Restoration, not rejection.

God wants His truth delivered with love. With a tone that says, “I want you to live. I want you to be free. God loves you, and He can save you.” Sin leads to death, yes; but God desires eternal life for all of us.

When truth is delivered with compassion, more souls are won. If the truth you’re delivering is not leading people to Christ, it’s not because people don’t want to be saved; it’s because the message is being delivered the wrong way.

In today’s Scripture, God told Isaiah to cry aloud so the people could see where they were wrong and fix it. He wanted them to turn around; not be crushed.

As believers, let us cry aloud and spare not, so that we may save, not condemn. Pray and let the Lord guide your delivery. Truth is most powerful and effective when it is wrapped in love.

Prayer: Father God, help me to speak Your truth with love, wisdom, and compassion. Remove any spirit of condemnation from my heart and replace it with Your heart for salvation. Teach me how to warn, correct, and guide others in a way that leads them closer to You. Use my words to bring life, not harm.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.