RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

I wrote this devotional while preparing to travel to Cairo, Egypt. One heart cry had consumed my mind. I longed to see God’s glory in Egypt. I’ve prayed for it. I’ve cried unto the Lord to allow us to see His glory. I’ve prayed that we might see more than just a great harvest of souls; more than revival among His people; and more than just large crowds hearing the message of the gospel.
A study of the prayer life of Jesus shows us how He longed for His glory to be known among men. John gives us the deepest insight into the prayer life of Christ in the 17th chapter of His epistle. He prayed in verse one, “Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify you.” From the very outset of His prayer, it was for God’s glory. As He continued to pray, He sought the glory of God to be manifested. In verses four and five He says, “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.”
But Jesus makes it clear that there’s a direct connection between the believers’ unity and the manifestation of God’s glory. Perhaps the greatest insight into the importance of the correlation of unity and God’s glory is found in verses 22 and 23. Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and You in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me” (NIV).
God poured out His Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and it resulted in the birth of the church, thousands born into the kingdom of God, and the dawn of a new day in the life of the followers of Christ. But it’s interesting to note that the disciples of Jesus were in “one accord in prayer” immediately before the outpouring of God’s Spirit. Not long afterwards, the glory of God fell among them.
We find that this spirit of unity continued through the fourth chapter of Acts, and they continued to see the manifestation of God’s glory. Unity of spirit is the breeding grounds for the manifestation of the glory of God. We must pray for God’s glory, but we must also remember that there’s great power in praying in one mind, one accord, and one spirit.
Church conflict has often robbed the church of the manifestation of God’s glory. Staff quarreling has presented a roadblock to an outpouring of His Spirit. Racial prejudices have kept God’s people from experiencing the glory of God. We placed denominational barriers ahead of unity in prayer, and it’s left us wanting.
God wants to show us His glory. If that weren’t the case, then Jesus wouldn’t have prayed for it. But He did. And God does desire to reveal His glory to us. But there’s a price tag that comes with such a privilege – we must lay down our selfish desires, thoughts, and pursuits. We must be willing to give a little. We must come together in unity and seek His face. We must cry out to God for His glory. When His glory comes, nothing else will matter. Oh, that we might see the glory of God in Cairo. Please stand in one accord and pray with us for the glory of God.
Addendum: God moved mightily in Cairo. We saw thousands of people become followers of Jesus. When we cry to Him, He will answer.