LUKE 9:28-33a – Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”.

THEME OF THE DAY. THE BLESSINGS OF PRAYER FELLOWSHIP. Picture this. We have been following Jesus around for days. We were privileged to hear Him preach to the crowds. We watched Him heal the sick. We marveled over His gracious handling of the poor, children, and hurting people who came to Him. Then, He pulls away from the crowd, looks at us, and says, “Let’s go up the mountain for alone time and prayer.” Wow. The Son of God invites us to a prayer retreat. How would we feel? What would be the condition of our hearts? I wonder how Peter, John, and James felt when the Lord gave that exact invitation. Well, in today’s scriptures, we get a good glimpse into their response through Peter. He looks at Jesus and says, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter wanted to be there, and he did not want the short retreat to end. He is all about pitching some tents and making this an extended time. That is the fruit of true fellowship with the Lord and His people, and especially in the sacred practice of prayer; it is good.

Do we know anything about this blessed fellowship? Are we enjoying real and sweet fellowship with the Lord and His people in prayer? Friends, if we are not regularly entering the spiritual experiences of seeking the Lord in prayer with other believers, we need to ask ourselves this serious question and be honest in answering it – “If we are not praying with other believers to know the Lord and encourage one another, why not?”

There are many reasons we may offer for this lack of Biblical obedience, and none of them are valid. We may say, “I don’t have the time.” That excuse is dismissed by today’s scripture. No one was busier than Jesus, yet He made, took time, to have fellowship in prayer with His disciples. Another faulty reason is the times in which we live and the challenges of isolation. That will not work because of modern technology. I personally have enjoyed sweet prayer fellowship with the Lord and His people through zoom prayer meetings. And a person does not even have to leave his or her living room to join in! Whatever our reasons for not entering the blessings of prayer fellowship with God’s people, all of them fade. But if we really want to get to the core issues of why we don’t regularly pray with other believers, the honest answer is we lack the desire and discipline to do so. Can we imagine the heart of Jesus if Peter, John, and James would have said, “Thanks, Jesus, but we don’t really want to spend time with You and each other in prayer. We have other things that are more important to us.”

Friends, prayer is a matter of desire turned discipline. It is also a matter of obedience. We are commanded to pray – alone and with other believers. Don’t let the devil, our flesh, and the pleasures of the world keep us from the bountiful blessings of prayer fellowship. If we are not enjoying this fellowship, start. This week. We won’t be sorry and if anything, once we are faithfully practicing it with other believers, we will say, “Why didn’t I do this earlier in my life?”

PRAYER: “Father, thank You for the reality of fellowship with You, Your Son, and Your Spirit.”

QUOTE: “Make seeking fellowship with God and His people life’s priority if you want to know His joy.”