As Christians, many of us are very acquainted with the idea of praying. Many of us know the duty of prayer. The Scriptures tell us to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But have you ever thought about how we need to approach God when we come before Him to pray or to have our needs met by Him? Does it matter?
In the book of Genesis chapter 34, the slaughter of Hamor and Shechem and their city is recorded. This horrendous act was done by Simeon and Levi, the sons of Jacob, because of the defilement of their sister Dinah. When Jacob found out about it, he was troubled, because he said that his sons “make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me: and I shall be destroyed, I and my house” (Genesis 34:30).
God told Jacob to arise and go up to Bethel to dwell after that incident. He told Jacob to make an altar to God. Altars were erected for worship and prayer. They were special places to meet God. Often God would meet His people at those altars. Jacob met God at Bethel, the same place where God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother (Genesis 35:7). Do you have an altar? A special place erected in your home where you meet God daily? Have you ever thought about how you should appear before God when you do?
Before Jacob built the altar, He understood something that his household didn’t. He told them to do three things: “Put away the strange gods that are among you,” “be clean”, and “change your garments.” (Genesis 35:2)
We have another similar example of God’s people being told specifically how to appear before God in worship and prayer. In Exodus 33:1-5, the children of Israel were to resume their journey to the land of promise. The Lord spoke to Moses and told him that He was going to come into the midst of them, but they must first “put off thy ornaments”, and “strip themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.”
Again, we see in the book of Joshua, before the Lord was to part the waters of the Jordan for the priests and Israelites to walk through on dry ground, Joshua told the people to “sanctify yourselves” for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
One might ask, are these just Old Testament requirements? Is God that particular today? Are there things for us to consider before we come to God in prayer and expect miracles from Him?
These things gave me pause during a Bible study on this topic. This was what I learned:
Put away strange gods: God has said to have “No other gods before me” in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:3). We are to put God first in all things. “Strange gods” in Genesis 35:4 referred to idols in their hands, but I believe it also referred to the ornaments the people were wearing. It seems that the people were not allowed to approach God with certain possessions or deportment while expecting God’s power to be seen on their behalf. This is noted again in Exodus 33:4-6. The people were to strip themselves of all ornaments. In the realm of spiritual warfare, we cannot fight Satan in his own uniform! If we do, he can claim legal authority and won’t leave easily. Doesn’t this limit what God can do for us? Are we approaching His holy presence reverently and appropriately for the miraculous power we’re asking Him to show on our behalf? Does God have a problem with jewelry? That is often a topic of debate, but what God is reminding us of is our need to be His distinct people. He doesn’t want us to look like or practice what the world does on any level. God loves beauty. The true Christian should aim for godly beauty and God’s glory. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a royal nation, a peculiar, or called out people who are distinctly His own. Could it be that the Lord is more pleased with an adornment, not of gold or fancy hair and clothing, but the hidden pure heart, even the adornment of a meek and quiet spirit? 1 Peter 3:3,4
Be clean (Exodus 35:2)/Purify yourselves (Joshua 3:5): Spiritual warfare cannot be won without a consistent life of purity, both inward and outward. How are we made clean? How are we purified? “God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of Scriptures.”1 See also 1 John 9 and James 4:8.
Change your garments (Genesis 35:2) – There is a dual application here. Every profession has a uniform. You don’t have to wonder who is a policeman, UPS driver, medical professional, and the list goes on. When we are converted in heart and honest with ourselves, we know what a Christian should look like. God will bring that conviction to every sincere heart, and it won’t need to be defined by anyone else. Modesty is the principle. But there is a spiritual application here also. “When Satan points to your filthy garments, repeat the promise of Jesus, ‘Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out’ (John 6:37). Tell the enemy that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Make the prayer of David your own, ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow’ Psalm 51:7”.2 Jesus Christ takes our filthy garments and clothes us with His righteousness if we desire that of Him. If we ask Him to do so, He will!
Call to Action
With these concepts in mind, let us go even deeper in our prayer life with God, seeking not only to get something from Him, but to come to Him with an attitude and a deportment in which He can be well pleased. Let us examine ourselves for any idols that are standing between God and us, asking Jesus to cleanse our hearts and make us pure. Ask Jesus to cover you with His beautiful robe of righteousness as you bring your requests to Him. We may then see even more miracles performed on our behalf.
All Scripture taken from the King James Version.
- Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Battle Creek, Michigan: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900), 60.
- Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Battle Creek, Michigan: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900), 205.
