Praying in the Glory
(week 30/06)
Olubi Johnson
The glory of God is the physical manifestation of His presence and power that men can see: like the cloud of glory that filled the temple (2 Chr. 5.14), the turning of water to wine (Jn. 2.11) and the raising of Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11.4, 40-44).
The church is about to see this manifestation of God’s glory on a consistent, spectacular basis like it was in the ministry of Jesus (Jn.14.12), rather than on an occasional, sporadic basis like we have experienced in the last 100 years since the restoration of Pentecost around 1900.
This manifestation of the glory will begin by a sudden spectacular coming of the Lord to His Church: His temple, through groups of Christians made up of vessels of gold and silver: that have and are perfecting the love of God in their lives.
Malachi 3:1-3 NIV: “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.
The way of the Lord that has been prepared is the way of love:
Isaiah 40:3-5 NIV: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Now the way of the Lord is the way of love since God is love (1 Jn. 4.8). It is through this way of love that the glory will be manifested for it is the most excellent way of manifesting the gifts of the Holy Spirit that Paul spoke of in
1 Corinthians 12:31-14:1 NIV: And now I will show you the most excellent way. 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
This sudden coming of the Lord, through the way of love, will mark the beginning of a consistent manifestation of the glory of God in the church that will bring in the harvest and the wealth of the nations:
Isaiah 60:1-5 NIV: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.
It is vital to realize that this glory will come only through groups of Christians who are perfecting the love of God in them by the blood, the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit released through praying in tongues and all types of prayer in the spirit (See our book A practical guide to prayer for details).
It is the diligent, united praying of these groups of Christians that will bring in the glory.
This daily, diligent prayer of the love of God by the blood, the Word and the Spirit is the practical fulfillment of:
1 Peter 4:7-8 NKJV: But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
This is because we are forgiving one another’s sins (Jn. 20.23), asking life for one another (1 Jn.5.16) and building up one another as we pray in tongues for ourselves (Jude. 1.20) so washing one another’s feet during this daily prayer of love.
This is just like it was during the united praying of the 120 disciples in the upper room that brought about the manifestation of the glory of God on the day of Pentecost.
Acts 1:12-14 NIV: And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 2:1-4 NIV: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
So, right now the Holy Spirit is asking us join others in this united prayer in this upper room of the revelation of the love of God to pray in the manifestation of the glory of God in this hour!
