Praying in the Radiance of God’s Glory

This morning, a number of Scriptures came together to help me appreciate all the more why Paul bowed his knees before our Father and prayed “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…”[1] It helped me to see this in illustration form, so I share this with you in the hope that it will encourage you in your devotion to prayer.

It began by considering afresh the significance of our standing “in Christ Jesus”.[2] For us to be in Christ, it also means that we have the Holy Spirit in us.[3] I know that this relationship with the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ is the starting place for prayer, as God encourages us to keep “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication”.[4] God’s children pray in the Spirit instead of in the flesh. It is part of our new identity and relationship in Jesus Christ.

To be “in Christ” and to pray “in the Spirit” calls us to consider who we are in when we pray. This reminded me of that glorious description of Jesus Christ, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature”.[5] When we pray in the Spirit, as those who are in Christ, we are in him who is “the radiance of the glory of God.”

Suddenly I realized the beautiful connection with Paul’s prayer, that we pray “according to the riches of his glory”.[6] Instead of thinking of the riches of God’s glory as something far away, something we must try to reach with our prayers, we are to pray in the Spirit, in Christ Jesus, who is the radiance of the glory of God.

Let me illustrate what this looked like for me.

First, we are to pray according to the riches of God’s glory.[7] Everything about God is glorious, and all his glory is rich beyond compare. When we pray, we do not pray according to the circumstances, or according to our past experiences, or according to the status quo. Paul’s example is that we pray according to the riches of God’s glory. We pray according to what God is able to do for us out of his glory. In other words, we pray God-sized prayers based on what God is like, not what we are like. His book gives us plenty of teaching and examples of what to pray according to the riches of his glory.

Second, Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory”. This is synonymous with Jesus being the Word of God,[8] the image of God,[9] the Son of God.[10] Jesus’ place in the Godhead is as the one who makes the Father known. This is his inherent nature, and was demonstrated most graciously when Jesus came into the world. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”[11]

Third, the church is “in Christ Jesus,” which means we are in the radiance of God’s glory. We are in the person who is the radiance of God’s glory. This is why Paul would write, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”[12] Why would the church see “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”? Because Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.

Fourth, this brings us to how we pray. Paul prayed “according to the riches of his glory”,[13] because the church is in Christ, in the radiance of God’s glory, and we do not honor God to pray based on anything to do with the world, the flesh, or the devil. We have seen the glory of God in the face of Christ, and can only pray according to the riches of that glory.

What God is doing in me is convincing me more and more, or deeper and deeper, that the only prayers that are worthy of God are the ones that are according to the riches of his glory. He has revealed that his glory is not far away, but is as up close and personal as Jesus Christ, the radiance of that glory.

This is why we must see ourselves “in Christ Jesus”, and pray “in the Spirit”. When we see ourselves only as the product of bad experiences, and pray the way our sarky flesh prays in pride, or in shame, guilt, and fear, we cannot possibly connect with what the grace of God would do from the riches of his glory. When we see ourselves in Christ, who is the radiance of God’s glory, praying according to the riches of God’s glory is the best thing we could ever do.

This illustrations are just that, illustrations. However, they have helped me see how immersed the church is in the radiance of God’s glory, our Lord Jesus Christ. We couldn’t possibly need more than this to be devoted to prayer that is according to the riches of God’s glory.

© 2016 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)

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[1] Ephesians 3:14-17 (Ephesians 3:14-21 as the context)

[2] Romans 8:1-2

[3] Romans 8:9

[4] Ephesians 6:18

[5] Hebrews 1:3

[6] Ephesians 3:16

[7] Although Paul did not tell us to pray these words, he does tell us to follow his example (Philippians 3:17; 4:9; II Thessalonians 3:9)

[8] John 1:1-3

[9] Colossians 1:15

[10] Mark 1:1

[11] John 1:14

[12] II Corinthians 4:6

[13] Ephesians 3:16