Prayer-Its Beauty and Duty
He took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. (Luke 9:28)
Luke 9:28-42 and 24:27; John 1:14 and 17:5; II Peter 1:14-18
What Is God Saying?
The mountain to which Jesus took Peter, John, and James for a very special prayer meeting is called the Mount of Transfigurati0n. It was a deeply moving experience for them all and Peter especially remembered it even on the eve of his crucif1xi0n (II Peter 2:14-18). Strange and wonderful things happened, ‘ ... his garments became glistening, intensely white.’ Deity shone through. To confirm the reality of Jesus as the promised Messiah, Moses (the Great Lawgiver) and Elijah (the Great Prophet) were present to bear witness that Jesus is the One in whom all the law and prophets are fulfilled.
The disciples had a mountain-top experience and Peter, always the first to speak, wanted to prolong it by building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Instead, the voice of God, coming out of a cloud, said, ‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.’ A great need was waiting for them at the foot of the mountain. There an epileptic son and a hurting father needed Jesus' healing touch. Meeting God on the mountain leads to serving God in the valley.
How Does This Apply To Us?
We would be startled to find Moses and Elijah there when we go to prayer, but we may be assured of Jesus' presence. Enjoying the one-on-one relationship we have with Him, we hear the voice of God, if we but listen. It may seem to come out of a cloud of worry or discouragement or fear, but it speaks to our need. It always points in the direction of doing God's will on earth, in the hustle and bustle of daily living.
Pray With Me
Take me with you, Lord. Take me up on the mountain with You to pray. It is wonderful just to be with You. I am thankful that You are with me in the valley. Knowing that You will be with me when I pass through the Valley of the Shadow is the greatest of all possible blessings. It is good to know since You have promised to be with me always, that You will be with me in busy times and in places where many people come and go. I want a greater awareness of Your presence in those very moments when the things of the world are most clamoring for attention.
In the pressure of responsibilities, give me more of Your calm. In the ebb and flow of conversation, guide me. Let me be aware that You are nearby and that Your calmness and strength are available, when I am not alone and when I am not on the mountaintop.
Lord, beyond all this, I want to know the joy and wonder of being taken by You up the mountain alone to pray. It is not a long climb. As long as it takes to think I am there, so long it takes to get there. Thank you for being willing to take me with You up on the mountain to pray.
In the name of God's beloved Son and in the joy of seeing His transfiguring glory. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
When we go to prayer, God says, ‘Listen to Him’ (Jesus, His Son). Think of prayer as a time of listening to Jesus. Prayer is for rest and trusting in His majesty and power, but it is also a time for waking up, for getting on with God's work in the demands of daily life. We listen to Him in prayer but we go with Him in service. We go to prayer because we are in need. We go from prayer to being where we are needed.
