“We can’t just confront society with issues of righteousness we MUST present them with the glorious person of Christ and His saving grace…” – Stuart Greaves
I saw this on Twitter from Stuart Greaves, who is an intercessory missionary at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City and I instantly knew that I had to write about it.
The revelation of the glory of Jesus has been at the center of my prayer life for the past several months. In particular, in the past few weeks, the following passage in Ezekiel 1:26-28
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
I cannot begin to express how important this is to our prayer lives. What Stuart Greaves is saying is that it is not enough for the Church to only stand up and call for righteousness in society. The reason is that when we do so, it comes across as simply being negative; the Church is well known for what it stands against but not as much known for what it stands for. Sadly this is what has happened over the past decades and it has turned off many people in our western society.
As Christians we must present what is infinitely better and more desirable than anything else, namely the glorious son of man, Christ Jesus. Further, there is no desire for righteousness apart from the person of Jesus Christ, so to call for righteousness in society without a clarion call to the magnificence of Jesus sounds hollow and undesirable.
The issue here is that we cannot get a revelation of the glory and splendor and beauty of Jesus Christ apart from the place of prayer. In prayer we are in the place (or activity) where we can behold his glory. If the Church is to rise up and have a prophetic voice in our western culture that calls people to the knowledge of God and the revelation of God in the person of Christ, it MUST begin in the prayer rooms. This kind of prophetic voice is not cultivated in classrooms and Sunday worship services. It is only developed through hours and hours spent in the Presence of the glorious One whom we have fixed our eyes toward knowing and loving.
Ezekiel was a man to whom God revealed his glory to and then was called to be a voice to his generation, calling them to return to the Lord, calling them to return to the glorious One.
In our times of prayer we need to rediscover a passion for the glory of God being revealed to the people of our generation. I challenge you to begin to begin to include regular, lengthy times of worship and intercession on this critical theme. Start reading Ezekiel 1:22-28 and Revelation 1:12-18. Read them over and over and let them lead you in your prayer times. Pray for a greater revelation of God’s glory to your spirit!
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Jim
