Praying Like Christ
Jesus' transfiguration shows the power of prayer and the illumination that comes from communing with God.
William M. Clow delves into the transfiguration of Jesus, emphasizing how prayer can lead to a transformation of one's inner being, illuminating their face with the radiance of God's presence. He contrasts our imperfect prayers with Jesus' perfect trust and unclouded assurance in God, highlighting the potential for believers to experience a similar transfiguration through deep communion with God. Just as Moses and Stephen's faces shone with heavenly light due to their encounters with God, Christ's transfiguration reveals the inner ecstasy of His spirit as He fully consecrated Himself to God's will during prayer.
Text
"And he was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun..."
(Matt. 17:2).
He was transfigured while He prayed. This element of the experience we can understand. No one of us ever prayed as Jesus prayed. We are all poor, fearful, darkened, sinful beings in the presence of God. We never have had Christ's perfect trust, His unclouded assurance, His undimmed vision of God. Yet we understand how a man may be transfigured as he prays. His whole inner being will become illuminated, and the sheen of it will be seen in his face. "They looked unto Him and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed." As Jesus prayed, and as He yielded Himself up, in this hour of communion with God, to an entire consecration to God's will, the inner ecstasy of His spirit shone out, not only in the radiance of His face, but also in the lustre of the tabernacle of His flesh. The face of Moses shone with so heavenly a light that he was compelled to veil it when he came down from his mount. The face of Stephen was like the face of an angel as he stood in his holy place. All faces shine when they lose themselves in the rapture of prayer. It is no marvel that Christ's face was transfigured and His raiment shone on this night of high communion with God.
Sermon Outline
- The Transfiguration of Jesus
- The Power of Prayer
- Examples of Transfiguration
- The Rapture of Prayer
- Faces shine when lost in prayer
- Christ's face was transfigured in prayer
Key Quotes
“They looked unto Him and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed.” — William M. Clow
“All faces shine when they lose themselves in the rapture of prayer.” — William M. Clow
Application Points
- Prayer has the power to illuminate our inner being and shine through our faces.
- We can experience the transfiguration in our own lives by losing ourselves in the rapture of prayer.
- Yielding ourselves up to God's will is essential for a deep and meaningful prayer life.