40 Days of Prayer – Youth Devotional day 4

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST MATTHEW 17:1–8  

Have you ever gone on a long hike with friends or family? There’s just something special  about being in nature away from our sometimes-hectic everyday lives. This passage starts off  with Jesus and a couple of the disciples doing just that—hiking up a mountain.  

This seemed to be a normal hike for Peter, James, and John, an opportunity to relax and spend  some quality time with Jesus. But within minutes of finally reaching the top of the mountain,  some crazy things happened. Jesus’ face shone like the sun, Moses and Elijah appeared, the  voice of God spoke to them from a cloud, and the disciples fell on their faces in fear.  

By the time it was all over, the disciples were left with a new understanding of Jesus. They  were able to see just a glimpse of His glory and were given a command: “This is my dearly  loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 

Much like the disciples, sometimes we need a reminder to listen to Jesus. It can be easy for  us to focus on what we want rather than what Jesus is saying. It can be easy for us to turn  our relationship with Jesus into a one-way street where we make requests but don’t listen to  what He has to say. Today, set aside intentional time during prayer to listen to what God has  for you. 

PRAYER POINTS: 

1. Think about a time when you have seen God move. Praise Him for  the ways He’s worked in your life in the past. 

2. Pray that God will give you a deeper understanding of His  glory today. 

3. Find a quiet place away from distractions. Put your phone on  airplane mode. Set a timer for eight minutes and put it facedown or  across the room from you. Pray that God will speak to you, and then  listen to Him until your timer goes off. Keep a notebook and pen  handy to write down what He says. 

»by Anders Ames