What does God’s holiness mean for our prayer life?
Recently, I got a chance to participate in a conference by leading a breakout session on the intersection of our views of God as our Heavenly Father and our practice of prayer. This was an exciting study for me to share because the things we think about God (either good or bad, biblical or unbiblical, consistent or inconsistent) have a huge impact on how we approach Him in prayer. This blog post will kickoff a miniseries of blog posts on Silhouettes of the Heavenly Father.
One of the most illuminating stories about the character of God on the Old Testament is Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-9. Moses had a mixed-up family tree. He was raised by a Jewish family and then adopted at an early age by the princess of Egypt. He grew up in the palace but eventually rebelled left home. When he found a wife on the backside of the dessert he also found a and a job taking care of his father-in-law’s flock.
While Moses was working he encountered a burning bush near Mt Horeb. It wasn’t unusual to see a bush on fire in the desert, but it was unusual that it wasn’t consumed. When Moses approached the fire to investigate, the Lord called out to him and told him to take off his sandals. Removing one’s shoes was a sign of reverence and humility in the presence of a holy God.
The fatherhood of God is assumed throughout the Old Testament. He always cared for and protected His people as His promises were passed down from generation to generation. That’s why it’s not surprising that the Lord introduces Himself in verse 6 as, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.”
God was about to call Moses to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt, but first Moses had to learn that God is holy. Because God is holy He must be revered. Reverence is an attitude of fear, awe, and respect for someone in a position of authority.
Jesus Christ makes the connection between the fatherhood of God, God’s holiness, and prayer in His model prayer in Matthew. 6:9-14. After addressing His prayer to “Our Father who is in heaven,” He prays, “Hallowed (or holy) is your name.”
Here are three tips for expressing your reverence for God in prayer
1. Adjust your posture accordingly. The posture that we use as we pray is a reflection of our inner attitude towards God. You may need to stand, knee, or even lay prostrate to express your reverence toward Him.
2. Focus on God’s awesomeness before your need. Our innate selfishness pushes to focus on ourselves first before anyone else. Try listing out some of God’s praiseworthy attributes in addition to His holiness before you list out what you a looking for in prayer. This will help you put your wants and desires in perceptive as you approach the God of the universe.
3. Make every request contingent on God’s will. We often pray for the will of God to be done, but do we really mean it? Praying according to God’s will means He may have a better way of dealing with your request than you could have ever thought of. It takes humility and reverence to see that on a consistent basis.
God is holy and therefore He must be revered in our prayers. Join me again tomorrow as I trace out another silhouette of the Heavenly Father. Feel free to add one of your own tips for expressing reverence in prayer in the comment section below.
Yesterday I preached a sermon on the glorious future of the Church from 2 Timothy 3:1-9. In my experience, this passage has been used to inspire negativity and defensiveness in the church. I’ve heard people say things like, “We are in the last days and things will go ‘from bad to worse,” or, “We just need to keep our distance and pray for the rapture.” But when I read this passage, I don’t see reasons for despair, I see reasons to have great confidence in the future of the church. Sure, it says “difficult times will come,” but I’d rather know that ahead of time than be surprised by it. And the fact that it’s predicted ahead of time proves that comes from a God who has everything under control.