What Happens When We Pray

In January 2010, I traveled to Federal University of Technology, Owerri for my registration as newly admitted. Fortunately, I met a set of vibrant Christian students who helped me in many ways. They were all members of the GYMI campus fellowship, a very lovely set of people I must say. They invited me to their Sunday service. The first time I worshiped with them, I came in while the service was already in progress, but something remarkable but unknown to me happened while I walked in. I was so surprised at the end of the service, when the President of the fellowship, Brother Smart, called me to tell me what he saw while I walked into the venue.

In his words, 'While you were entering the fellowship venue, my eyes were open and I saw that a host of white-looking people escorted you into the venue. I don't really know who they represent, at first I thought they were your angels, but I am not sure exactly what it connotes. I don't know if it speaks about your present or your future, angels or humans, but one thing I must tell you, there is something very special about you'. Oh, boy! Imagine hearing words like this the first day you attended a campus fellowship. But I never thought much about it after the conversation. However, recently the Lord reminded me of this while explaining to me the significance of prayer, and our fellowship with his Spirit.

The Spirit reminded me of the depth of my prayers and fellowship then. He explained to me how much glory one reflects when one prays as instructed by the Word. That vision may have other significance, but it does show that I walked into the fellowship with such extraordinary glory. The Bible said, '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 Corinthian 3:18). Did you see that! As we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into the same glory and it keeps increasing from one glorious level to another.

To help us understand what happens when we pray or interact with God's Spirit, the bible tells us the stories of people whose faces were literally shining in glory after they had great periods of prayer or communion with the Lord. The first person is Moses. 'When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.' (Exodus 34:29-30)
Did you see it? He was clothed with such glory because he had spoken with the Lord.

Jesus had a similar experience. In Luke's writing, it was clearly stated that it was the aftermath of Jesus' prayer. 'Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.' (Luke 9:28-29) As he prayed, the appearance of his face was altered. I believe that the eyes of the apostles were opened to see that glory for their blessing and our blessing. This transformation is Jesus' usual experience when he prays. And in reality, it is an expected experience when we pray.

You know God operates in the realm of faith, and he wants us to relate with him in that realm. As significant as the physical observation of the glory these men radiated, God wants us to know that fellowship with him alters our being and causes us to exude so much glory, and this does not have to be seen by the optical eye. As Paul said, when we commune with the Lord, we are transformed into his image from one level of glory to another. Your life can be filled with so much glory. So much so that when people contact you, they just know that there is something remarkable and glorious about you. The spiritual force field around you will be such a radiant glory. Jesus and other men of God whose ministry carried so much glory were known to be people of intense prayer.

Finally, the glory we are clothed with when we pray depends on the biblical alignment of our prayers and the depth of it. Depth in this context is the measure of the quality and quantity of our prayers. The quality of prayers speaks about how much of us is involved in the prayer, our spirit, mind, and emotions. To experience the full benefits of prayers, we are to pray with our whole being. God wants your emotions and the totality of your being to be involved when you commune with him. Similarly, the quantity of prayers (i.e the length of our prayers) is equally very important. Jesus wondered why his disciples couldn't pray for an hour letting us know that the length of our prayers is extremely important. And this prayer period has to involve praying extensively in the Holy Ghost, meditation, worship, and paying attention to God's Spirit. And as you behold as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, you will be transformed in the same image, from glory to glory.