This resolution of Daily United Prayer is based on An Humble Attempt, originally put forward by Jonathan Edwards in 1748. Its design is to encourage God's people in the duty of united extraordinary prayer; setting aside some time every day to pray for the revival of His church and the advancement of Christ's kingdom in our homes, in our churches, in our nation, and in the world.
"And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering." (Luke 9:29)
Look at the picture up above. Some of our praying friends were able to meet one another—for the first time. The happiness in their faces brings a smile to my own face. This is the joy of meeting one another face to face and there's nothing like it. It changes our countenance. And this is part of why I like to encourage the group to turn on the cameras if at all possible for the prayer call. It is a joy to see the faces of our friends. But when we come face to face with one another in-person, it takes it to a whole 'nother level.
You'll notice from the verse above that our Lord Jesus also had His countenance changed when He met with His Heavenly Father face to face in prayer. We commonly refer to this event as the Mount of Transfiguration—where Jesus is transfigured before the disciples so that they see a glimpse of His heavenly glory. But what I want us to note is the occasion that brought it all about. It was prayer. In the preceding verse, we are told that Jesus "went up into a mountain to pray."
Friends, when we meet with God in prayer, there is a transfiguration of sorts that should be taking place in our own hearts, lives, and faces. People should know that we have been with Jesus. If nothing about us changes after prayer, can we really say that we met with God? When Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, the Bible says, "the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone" (Ex. 34:34). Why should that surprise us? If meeting other saints on a human level will cause our countenance to be changed, should it not be that much more when we meet with God Himself?
Let us endeavor to spend much time in that mount to pray. Spend much time in secret with your Heavenly Father and your countenance will be altered as well. I close with this verse, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor 3:18).
DAILY UNITED PRAYER unitedprayer.net
Mon-Fri @ 12pm EDT // Sat @ 10am EDT
We invite you to join our dedicated and earnest group of praying participants of all ages from around the world that meet every day over Zoom to pray. At the start of each prayer call, a different individual will bring a brief Scriptural meditation. Here's the most recent:
