The Glory of God

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (NIV)

Can you imagine this scene? Think of us during a worship service on Sunday. Our pastor finishes praying, and the Lord sends a fire down from heaven and His glory fills our church (or the park). God’s presence is so great that we all fall with our faces to the ground, worshipping and giving thanks.

Wow!

When we pray, we can expect that kind of dramatic impact on our lives. Jesus meets us where we are – whatever our situation.

We pray for healing because He is the Great Physician (Yahweh Rapha).

We pray for peace in our families, our nation and the world because He is the Peacemaker (Yahweh Shalom).

We pray to Him in our desperation because He is the God who sees us (El Roi).

We pray for comfort because He is our Protector (El Shaddai).

We pray to Jesus (Yeshua) because He walked on earth in the flesh – felt what we felt; hurt like we hurt; was tempted just as we are and bled the same as we do. He understands and hears our petitions. He loves us and is always available when we turn our eyes on Him and call on His Name in prayer.

Gives you chills, doesn’t it? The Creator of all living things listens to our prayers and helps us when we need His guidance and miracles.

There is much to pray about in our community, nation and world. And, of course, in our families. So, let’s all dedicate an extra five minutes a day in our daily prayer life to ask our Father to heal our land and allow His influence to increase in us.