52. The Prayer of the Unveiled
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To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Romans 16:27T
HISis one of many biblical prayer statements that give God glory.
Glorytends to be a nebulous term for me. Synonyms such as
magnificence, wonder,and brillianceall fall a little short of the enor-
mity that I envision as God’s glory. It’s more like a shimmering pres-
ence that backlights and highlights all of my life.
I remember a definition of gloryI wrote down at a Bible study
years ago. It said experiencing God’s glory was to be “tipped over by
his holy presence.” His presence shouldtip us over and overwhelm
us. The very fact that God has invited us into a relationship with him
should send shock waves through our human nature.
In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul gave an idea of what hanging out in
the holy aura of God’s glory would do to us: “And we, who with un-
veiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his
likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who
is the Spirit.”
Isn’t it true that we become like the people with whom we spend