When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
In Luke's Gospel, Jesus prayed after His baptism and the heavens opened. In ancient times, people believed that the sky was like an inverted bowl over the earth, which kept out the chaos of the cosmos, but also restricted one's access to the heavens. In this passage, while Jesus prayed, the sky cracked to let in the powerful presence of God.
Yet every heartfelt prayer can crack the sky. God is not closed off from us, but always hears our cries of anguish, our shouts of praise, and our quiet meditations. Our fears and our questions all find their way to God's ear. Psalm 34:15 reads, "The Lord's eyes watch the righteous, His ears listen to their cries for help."
Through prayer we allow the powerful presence of God into our own lives. We think of prayer as talking to God, but true prayer is also focused listening. It is how we open the door to God's transformational power to teach us and to guide us.
It's impossible to have a relationship without communication. When we don't pray, we are restricting our own access to God's blessings, power and grace. When we "crack the sky," we offer God His greatest desire: our devotion, our obedience and our love. Such an offering will be answered with blessing, "In you I am well pleased."
Prayer: Lord, may my prayers "crack the sky" and bathe me in Your presence. Help me to realize what an awesome privilege it is to be able to come into Your presence anytime, anywhere, simply through prayer. In Your precious name Lord Jesus, Amen.
** Devotion comes from The Sanctuary for Lent 2016 by Sue Mink
No comments:
Post a Comment