2 Chronicles 7:1 (NKJV): When Solomon had 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 glory of the Lord was so 'thick' that the priests couldn't even enter the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 7:2), and when all the children of Israel saw how fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever." (2 Chronicles 7:3)
And you know what? It all started when Solomon had finished praying! Such is the importance of praying in this end-time, and as the Body of Christ (the Bride) prepares for the glorious coming of the Bridegroom!
Prayer precedes glory! Prayer leads to glory! In other words, prayer is the key to the glory of the Lord that comes! According to the Oxford Dictionary, 'to precede' means 'to come or go before (something) in time, in order, in rank, etc'.
In cross-reference, and in New Testament, Acts 1:14 says, 'These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers'. Notice the word 'prayer' here? And only then did the glory (the outpouring of the Holy Spirit) come! Acts 2:1-2 says, 'When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting'. This glory in turn led to about three thousand souls being saved on that day (Acts 2:41), and it also marked the beginning of the church age (Acts 2:46-47).
By the way, the word 'prayer' here in Greek is 'proseuche', from the word 'pros' meaning 'to incline towards (that direction)', and 'euche' (pronounced 'yoo-khay') meaning 'to come near, to visit, to approach, to consent to, to hold the mind towards, to pay attention to, to attend to, to take heed unto'. In other words, 'to pray' is 'to incline ourselves towards (God) in order to take heed unto (Him)'.
Recently, I heard these words from the Lord:
"This is a time to pray! There's a call for such right now. Not that you don't pray at other times, but this is a key time to pray! Incline your ears and hear Me for the coming glory! A new wind is blowing, a wind of change, and there'll be new assignments for many of My people."
As I received these prophetic words from the Lord, the word 'proseuche' became all the more clearer, that this is a crucial time for God's people 'to incline themselves towards (Him), and to take heed unto (Him)'!
How do you pray then? In 1 Corinthians 14:13-15, the apostle Paul wrote that you can pray with the spirit (in tongues) and also pray with the understanding (in the language you know). Do both. Also, 'prayer' is talking with God and communing with Him (i.e. communicating and in union with Him). You talk to Him, and He talks to you. Two-way. Not one way. In other words, 'prayer' is to have friendship with God. It takes two to have a friendship. And it is based on mutual trust and affection. In Exodus 33:9, the Lord talked with Moses. And in Exodus 33:11, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
What then is a true friend?
- one whom you can trust, and therefore you take heed unto.
- one whom you know will never lead you into trouble.
- one whom you know will always wish the best for you.
- one who has deep, genuine love and affection for you.
- one who has personal attachment to you (one who feels for you).
In John 15:13-15, Jesus Himself said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."
I used to have questions why Jesus said, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." It sounded a bit 'dictatorial' to me. But I understand now. God is not 'dictatorial', but just that He sees farther than you and me. He knows your future long before you know it, and He also knows the dangers that lie ahead! It therefore pays to take heed what He says! To take heed unto (Him) is also to act on what He says to do!
Abraham was an example of 'one who takes heed and acts on what God has spoken to do'. James 2:20-24 says, 'But do you want to know... that faith without works (i.e. acting on what God says to do) is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works (i.e. acting on what God says to do), faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God'.
People of God, like Moses and Abraham, as you abide (i.e. stay, dwell, continue, being present, remain) in Him (John 15:4-5), may you also be counted as His friend, whom He will share all things with you, even the things that 'eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9). Amen!
