Today’s sermon title is “The First Step to Be Radiant.” “Being radiant means a Christian's ability to overcome the power of darkness.” The book of Isaiah gives us an idea of the biblical meaning of being radiant. In Isaiah 60:1-2, being radiant is all about shining or reflecting the light that comes from God. In verse 19, it's beautifully expressed: “The glory of the Lord will be your everlasting light, shining upon you.” Radiant means to shine the glory of God to the World.
Biblical Examples of Radiant
I will share with you a couple of examples of 'radiant' in the Bible. In Exodus 43:35, the Israelites noticed the radiance on Moses' face when he came out from the Tabernacle. Moses’ face was radiant because he stayed in the Tabernacle, the place of the presence of God. The radiance that Moses had was not something that Moses produced himself; instead, he was reflecting God’s divine light and his glory to people. People came to Moses to see it.
In Matthew 5:14-15, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” People put the lamp in a higher place if it's on.
In 1 John 1:7, it says that the practical way to reflect the light of God is to walk in the light and have fellowship with God.
Being radiant means being the kind of person who stays in the presence of God, having fellowship with Him and knowing how to communicate with God. When we do this, we reflect God's glory through our lives and become a person who helps others to experience the glory of God in their lives.
The First Step to Be Radiant
The first step for a Christian to become radiant is through our prayer because prayer is the first and foremost spiritual practice for Christians to have our spiritual fellowship with God.
Today's passages talk about Hezekiah's prayer. He was very ill, on the verge of death when he was a young man, just 39 years old. He prayed to God for healing, and God sent the prophet Isaiah to deliver a message. Isaiah said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die.” It was shocking news that Hezekiah never expected. When he saw Isaiah coming to him, he anticipated good news.
When Hezekiah heard what Isaiah said to him, immediately, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord with tears. Turning to the wall signified his determination to seek help only from God, without relying on any other assistance. When he prayed, God sent a message to Isaiah again, instructing him to go back and tell Hezekiah, “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.” God gave fifteen years more life to him.
The Meaning of Prayer
Prayer is to ask God for things that are beyond our power and ability. For example, if you feel thirsty and there is water in the next room, you don't have to pray for it; just go and drink it. However, if you realized that the thing is beyond your control, it is a time to pray to God who is the Creator of all things. If you have health issues, it is a time to pray to God. If a member of your family is struggling with emotional and health issues, it is a time to pray to God. God is our great physician. Prayer is asking God to do something for us when we don't know what to do.
In 2016, Baylor University researched how many American pray for healing. The study found that, nine out of 10 Americans have tried healing prayer at some point of their lives. In the New Testament, over 20% of the stories are about healing of Jesus Christ for people when they ask for it? It's pretty remarkable.
Prayer is a Christian privilege to do and it is totally biblical. Why don’t we pray to God for strength, improvement, and promotion in our lives to be better in every day. There are many stories of miracles that many people experience through their prayers even now.
Three steps of Hezekiah’s prayer
I will share with you about three important lessons we can learn from Hezekiah's prayer.
The first lesson is the value of immediate prayer. When Hezekiah heard “you are going to die”, he didn't delay in seeking God's help through prayer. He realized the situation was urgent, so he quickly turned to God for guidance, protection, and deliverance. This story teaches us that in challenging times, we should turn to prayer without hesitation, seeking divine guidance to navigate through difficulties.
The second lesson is the power of appealing based on one's past devotion and righteous living. Hezekiah made sure to remind God how he was faithfully following God and committed himself to keep God's commandments.
He said: ““Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” In his prayer, he emphasizes his commitment to God and the righteous actions he has taken during his life. God immediately answered Hezekiah's prayer because He saw how Hezekiah was earnestly trying to live his life in the Word of God. The secret to answered prayers isn't just about what we say but it's also about how our daily lives truly align with God's will.
God changed natural law to push the Sun backward to answer Hezekiah’s prayer. I have a similar story for God change the law for me. I took a college entrance qualification examination but failed because of math. The passing score was 60 points out of 100, but I scored only 5 points. So, I tried again two years later. You know what? I got 5 points in math again. It was the same score that I had received before. I was in big trouble. I said, “O Lord! Math seemed like an alien language to me. I didn’t know what to do with it.” You know what is a miracle for me? I passed the exams with 5 points of math. Two years ago, I failed with it but two years later, I passed with the same point because the law of examination was changed right before I took the exam. They changed the qualification exam law so that I didn't have to keep a score 60 for an individual subject and instead, if the average score of 9 subjects exceeded 60 points, it was considered passing. God changed the Law, so I passed it.
The last lesson is praying with genuine humility and honesty. Hezekiah wept bitterly when he prayed to God. He didn't boast about his own strength, position or resources but humbly poured his heart to God. It is a sincere prayer with a genuine heart, recognizing our limitations, and being honest in our requests to God.
Conclusion
By observing and reflecting on Hezekiah's prayer, we can incorporate these lessons into our own prayers, seeking immediate communication with God, recalling our past devotion and righteousness, and praying with genuine humility and honesty in all circumstances.
The first step for a Christian to be radiant is to receive the glory of God through prayer. It is a time to pray to God with our hearts and lives, reflecting the light of God.
@ 09.24.23. Pastor Cloud Poy
@ Photo on: Unsplash의Timothy Eberly
