April 01, 2019
If you are not convinced of the value and need for unceasing prayer, look at Jesus. At every major juncture in His life, you will find the man, Jesus, praying. Jesus felt He could not live properly without unceasing communion with His Father. And neither can you.
And when He prayed, it was always followed by amazing, supernatural occurrences and ministry.
Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:28-31)
HIS CONSTANT PRAYER
Jesus was always going "up on the mountain" or "away into the wilderness" to pray. We complain that we have little time to pray. You will not find this excuse from Jesus. He was busier than any man in history, but He always had time to go “up on the mountain to pray.”
Prayer was intentional with the Son of Man. “He went up on the mountain to pray.” A choice was made to go to a private place to commune with the Father. He did not think of a thousand excuses not to pray. He got up, took some others with Him, and prayed.
HIS GLORIOUS TRANSFIGURATION
And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. (Luke 9:29)
While He was praying, He was changed. His very appearance was transformed. This is always the result of prayer. If you truly enter the Lord's presence in the heavenlies in prayer, you cannot go there and not experience some type of transformation in your mind, your emotions, your will, and even your very countenance. Prayer not only changes history, it changes you in the process.
HIS CONVERSATION
And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30-31)
"Prayer is a conversation between people who love each other," Rosalind Rinker said. The Father appeared in this moment (see vs. 34), as did two prophets from the "great cloud of witnesses. They were to talk with Jesus about His coming death, resurrection, and ascension. Imagine this conversation! Think of the conversations you miss when you do not pray! The warmth of His presence, the affirmations of His voice, the direction from the Throne, the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Everything you need is there. Without regular communion with the Father, you are clueless and lifeless, adrift with the world’s opinions and your misguided understandings.
THE AFFIRMATION
Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35)
The grand goal of prayer is to place God in the center of your focus and forget about everything else. In the atmosphere of prayer, at precisely the needed moment, the Father spoke to all who were there. He affirmed Jesus—not only to His Son but also to those around Him. The most blessed moments of prayer come as we hear from the Father through His Word and Spirit. Dozens of people can affirm us, but nothing compares to the Father reminding us, “You are My Son (or Daughter), and I have chosen You!”
HIS NEED AND OURS
Jesus needed everything that came from this encounter with heaven, or God would not have led him to these moments of intercession. He could not function properly as a man on this earth without unceasing prayer. It was not only joyful, but essential.
No one of us knows what we will face in the following days or seasons. But we can know this: we will not be prepared to face it rightly without first meeting with the Father in prayer and hearing the encouragement of His Word.
It was Christ's normal practice. It was how He made it and made it successfully. And it must become ours.
Lord, teach us to pray! Remind us that we must pray and show us how to live in the constant atmosphere of unceasing prayer. Bring prayer from the side room to the foundation of our lives. Let us pray intentionally and constantly for everything we need is there.
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