Prayer theme for August 2019: God’s glory

I have been thinking a lot recently about the glory of God, and found it to be another of those wonderful golden threads that runs through the Bible from beginning to end.

God’s glory, that is his presence, was there in the Garden of Eden when he walked with Adam and Eve. God later revealed his glory to Moses on Mount Sinai; the same glory of his presence filled the tabernacle and travelled with Israel through the wilderness, to show God’s desire to live with his people. Later God’s glory filled Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, but after the fall of Jerusalem and the exile, the glory didn’t return to the temple, as far as we know. Instead, in the fullness of time, God came to his people in the presence of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who was “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” – Emmanuel, God with us.

Jesus said

“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

And he said,

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

What a promise!

If we could only be constantly aware of the reality of the presence of God and of his Son, it would surely transform everything: all that we do, and say; all our worrying and difficult decision-making; our goings out and our comings in – all supported, encouraged and guided, in the knowledge that our loving Father and his Son are with us wherever we are, making their home with us and working through us, by God’s grace.

It’s so easy to lose sight of this in the busyness of everyday life, and to think that we have to manage everything ourselves.

During August, whether we are here or on holiday, at work or at home, let’s pray for a real awareness of the presence of God in our lives, day by day.
And as we do, we can look forward to the promised day to come, when God’s glory, his presence, will fill the restored and renewed earth, when the new Jerusalem will have no need of sun or moon because the glory of God will be the light, and he will dwell on earth with mankind once again, as he did in Eden.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! – 1 Chronicles 16: 10,11
In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. – Psalm 16:11

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. – Psalm 139:9-10

Prayer theme for August:

let us pray for a real awareness of the presence of God:

– in our worship
– in our daily lives
– in our decision making
– in our holiday travels, wherever we are
– and in all that we do

Jan Smith