DAY 04 | God with Us

So Adonai himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanu El (God With Us).
Isaiah 7:14

photography by Tracey Hocking / calligraphy by Rita Ip

MUSIC

PRAYER

Immanu El, I exalt You, for You are with us forever. I marvel at the way You stooped down from heaven to dwell among Your people.

Thank You for removing the barrier between God and man and for the enormous comfort Your name "Immanu El" has brought me. Your passionate desire and relentless pursuit of me exceed my comprehension and redefine my worth.

Forgive me when there are times that I do not value Your presence; I may even try to keep You at a distance.

Search my heart, break the power of all the shame, the fear, the pride, and the lies, that keep me away from You. I earnestly ask You to help me experience Your presence more deeply and intimately.

Because You are Immanu El, I declare I am never really alone. Your indwelling presence brings me the fullness of joy.

A few facts…

Immanu El is a masculine personal name in Hebrew meaning "God with us," or "God is with us."
Immanuel or Emmanuel? Immanuel is a transliteration of the original Hebrew word “Immanu El”, while Emmanuel is a transliteration of the Greek "Emmanouel".
Immanu El appears three times in the Bible: Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 8:8 (cited also in Matthew 1:23), Isaiah 8:10.
Isaiah’s Immanu El prophecy finds its fulfillment in the birth of Jesus.

Exercise 1:

TWO-WAY JOURNALING

Find a quiet place to be with Him alone. Get rid of anything that may distract you. Sit in a relaxed and comfortable position.

Smile and breathe. Smile, He is right here with you and will never leave you. Gently inhale through the nose, and breathe in His warm and loving presence. Feel your stomach expand and hold your breath for a few seconds, His presence is deeply satisfying and you just want to stay in it. Slowly exhale through your mouth, and release any feelings of loneliness, abandonment, or rejection.

I can spend time binge-watching sermon videos, studying His word or busy serving Him as Martha in the Bible did, but nothing can replace a heart-to-heart conversation with Him.

Today, we are writing to Immanu El (God with Us). Take time to listen to His response and record it. Just a reminder, you can be creative and artsy with your journaling. Writing is just one of the many ways of expressing ourselves.

[Part 1]
Dear Immanu El, …
[Part 2]
Dear child / (your name), …

If you’ve drawn a blank, here are a few prompts for you:

• Describe to Him what “God with Us” means to you. Ask Him what being with you means to Him.

• How does His presence make a difference in your life?

• Recall a time when you really needed but didn’t feel His presence. Write your heart out and ask Him where He was and what He was thinking of your situation. Allow Him to reframe your situation with you.
Check out Appendix 2 for more.

Exercise 2:

DECLARATION

Writing a declaration is being intentional about your beliefs. How does Immanu El (God with Us) relate to the way you live today? In your journal, write down your declaration of the day:

Because You are Immanu El, You are with me, I declare I can / I will / I am…

Read your declaration out loud, repeat it over and over. Let your heart catch up with your words. By doing this, you are making a conscious effort to eliminate negative self-talk and emotions. You are co-creating new realities with God.

tips: If you find it helpful, read the declaration in the morning, throughout the day, before you sleep, post it somewhere prominent as a reminder.

This completes Day 4 of HE. Today, I pray that He will reveal to you the significance of “Immanu El”, and enable you to live a lifestyle that reflects the essence of this name.