“Glorify Me” ~ the prayer

It began with a dream. A literal dream, observed as I slept. I am not prone to spiritual visions or prophetic dreams, so hopefully, it was nothing more than a figment of my imagination, but the impression stuck with me after I woke. I saw a man whom I recognized as a pillar of faith, ravaged by grief, so severely devastated that his hair was grown out and matted in filth, his face unshaven, his posture crumpled. He was unrecognizable by this appearance, yet I recognized him and I woke with a profound burden to pray for this man.

The emotions which accompanied this dream were dank and oppressive. As if in a sauna, I tried to navigate praying but my thoughts were lumbering and incoherent. This didn’t surprise me, for it felt like the frame of mind this man was experiencing. If I was to pray effectively on his behalf, I, his intercessor, needed to feel some semblance of his experience.

Although broken in this man’s stead, I embraced the task of praying and looked to the Lord for help constructing the right prayer. The needed prayer took shape,

“Glorify him, Lord. Glorify him. That is all I can say, just glorify him.”

It was a most pitiful prayer because the scenario seemed the most pitiful. Nothing more could be said or done. The circumstances had been finalized. The scene had been set. The only thing which could salvage complete and utter devastation was glory to God coming from it.

Ever since then, I have simmered over the statement, “Glorify Me,” which was spoken by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane after He asked for the cup of crucifixion to pass Him. He followed by saying, “Not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

At initial hearing, the words, “Glorify me” sound like a request for adulation, but no, this cry originated from a place of deep contrition. The sentiment doesn’t mean – bring attention to me – it means: “Bring attention to yourself at my expense. I volunteer to be utterly reduced to nothing so that you may reign triumphantly over me; therefore, any glory will be yours.”

Therefore, I, too, am compelled to pray:

“Glorify me, God.”

A friend of mine received the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. No forewarning. No possibility of having had it not yet spread. Once again, I am driven to pray:

“Glorify her, God. Just glorify her.”

The Lord assures me there is nothing more she needs from me than this prayer on repeat.

When I bring her with me into the presence of God as I pray, I don’t recall prior memories or past activities with her. I don’t envision her petite loveliness, perpetual bright eyes, or generous smile. Yet all of these fragments are there, since they are offshoots of her soul, the divine spark that comprises the “who” she actually is.

The prayer, “Glorify her, God,” isn’t a prayer for healing or even painlessness or fearlessness, it is a prayer for infinite tranquility and radiance which prevails in proving that her joy isn’t circumstantial but is rooted in the knowledge that God has tagged her as His darling and she knows it.

Deep down, she knows it. We all do.

In my prayers, I see her, composed of all the parts from which she is comprised, poised before the Lord. I see her protected by His flawless will, which manifests in my vision as an impenetrable, clear exterior shield. Like the clear topcoat painted over nail polish to make it glossy and enhance its color, I see her invisibly protected. Like the glass bio-domes people rent in Iceland to sleep in beneath the Northern Lights, I see her vibrancy encased in glass.

I am reluctant to state this visual aloud. Does it make sense? A prayer for her to be glorified is followed by seeing her encased in clear exterior coating. Is this what my prayer is accomplishing – the fortification of an invisible shield? Is this shielding somehow linked to her glorification?

I know I have been compelled to pray, “Glorify her” but I didn’t understand how the prayer was operating. I didn’t doubt it was accomplishing something, I just didn’t understand what was its service. Why did God want me praying this?

Eventually, He revealed why and the answer is the light bulb.

Beneath the clear, exterior shell of the light bulb resides the fragile wires that conduct light and energy. When that filament performs its role, an entire room becomes bright and all those within its cast are affected. When a room is bright, we acknowledge the power company, we don’t thank the light bulb. Conversely, when a room is dark, we know that the power is out, we don’t blame the bulb. No one gives any notice to the bulb.

This visual reveals to me what the request “Glorify Me” truly means. It means:

“Show yourself, God – through me – so brightly that they forget all about me.”

“Everyone! Pay no attention to me (the bulb) but notice – the POWER IS ON! The exterior glass preserves my longevity but it is clear so no one should notice me. Instead notice – the room is bright! There is a profound power source illuminating everything!”

This post was originally written on June 30, 2019 yet kept personal. A year has passed and my friend testifies even now that the goodness of God has been overwhelming during this season. Her journey has grown increasingly steep lately and my heart is heavy. This post is the overflow of my private prayers spilling out publicly in hope to rally more prayers and more encouragement for my precious friend.

“GLORIFY HER, GOD!  BRIGHTER, EVER BRIGHTER! Send more power through her tiny wires than ever. Cause everyone to notice! And all will know that the POWER IS ON! Thank you for the protective shield you have around her which preserves her ability to conduct the Holy Spirit so that all the world may experience the light she knows.”

Glorify, her, Lord. Glorify, her.

I love you, my sweet friend. <3

 

Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash