Consumed by Holiness

There is a story told of a man who was imprisoned for his faith in Eastern Europe. Even when he was let out his life was in danger because of his ministry. He was questioned by an author who asked him some details of his life. He talked about prayer.

This man had a number of sons. They were top students in their schools, but he knew that his activities in ministry and his reputation would keep them from being admitted to university. In some countries of Eastern Europe people were held in check by the oppressive governments by refusing children of dissident’s entrance to higher education.

This man prayed for his family every day while he was in prison. When this man’s oldest son graduated from high school he went to work in a factory. The father prayed. One day a communist party official came and told the son, “You have potential. You would be of more benefit to our nation if you studied in the university. I am going to recommend that you be allowed to study there.” The son not only was university trained, but studied in one of the outstanding universities in the world. He became and is today a leading scholar in that nation and a committed Christian.

In The years that followed that father prayed every one of his sons through university. The father was asked how he could pray to change the decision of government leaders. With tears here is what he said, “Most people come into my country to make a big fire for God. I want to be consumed by God’s fire until I am ashes. When I am ashes, then I will see the glory of God.”

He told his interviewer, “When I am consumed totally by God’s fire, then I will see His glory. Do you understand?”

THE HOLINESS OF MY HEART IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO MY POWER IN PRAYER Which would we rather have: a holy heart of power in prayer? Can we have one without the other? How do we get either?

A holy heart is possible only by a personal encounter with a holy God. Power in prayer is impossible by human effort, but flows out of a life touched by a holy God .

Moses is a great example. We meet him first in the bulrushes and his life is miraculously preserved by God. Later he tries to help his people by killing an Egyptian oppressor but at 40 years of age his days of being a savior to his people seem to be over as he flees for his life. When we see him again he is 80 years of age and seemingly living the life of a failure tending sheep on the backside of the Midianite desert. He grew up in a palace, but now he works for his father in law.

Let’s read Exodus 3:1-6

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back side of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and beheld, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was consumed. 3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses, And he said, Here am I. 5And he said, Draw not high hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6. Moreover he said, I am the God of they father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob., And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God (KJV)

It seems as if Moses was not seeking God, but God was seeking Moses. God got his attention with the burning bush and told him to take his sandals off for the ground he was on was holy. So very often we concentrate on the burning bush and the holy ground. Both are important for we need to be reminded of the fact that God is a holy God.

Have you ever considered what significance there is in; the sandals? These thin pieces of leather were the only things that separated Moses from the holy ground. Sometimes it is the small things of life that separate us from God. Once these things are taken away we can plant our feet firmly in the holiness of God Are we willing to remove anything from our lives that will hinder our closeness to the presence of God.

Only when we are so consumed by God’s presence that we lose sight of all else are we really truly able to stand in the place where God wants us. Like the man who prayed in his cell. He had learned that as he became ashes, he was elevated to a new place in the presence of God.

Moses did not change himself! God changed him! Moses did not become sinlessly perfect! Moses still made mistakes and needed counsel. He still had plenty of questions but he knew one fact. When you stand on holy ground, you are also on praying ground.

Moses’ life was never the same again Exodus 44:11 calls him the “friend of God,” one to whom God spoke face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. After Moses” experience he took a rough , undisciplined, complaining group of slaves out of Egypt, through the wilderness where he was trained to a land that flowed with milk and honey. Prayer changes people before it changes things!

We need holy hearts; we need to be the type of people who have crucified the flesh and all the lusts and desires of this world. Listen to what a famous Christian, E.M. Bounds said, God wants consecrated men (and women) because He wants praying men (and women) Consecration and prayer meet in the same man(and woman) Prayer is the tool with which the consecrated man (and woman) work Consecrated men (and women) are the agents through whom prayer works, Prayer helps the consecrated man (and woman) in maintaining his (and her) attitude of consecration , keeps him(and her) alive to God, and aids him (and her) doing the work to which (he or she) is called and to which he (or she) has given him(or her) self. Consecration enables one to get the most out of his praying. (The Essentials of Prayer)

God bless
sister phyllis