Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
– Ezekiel 1:28
Ezekiel 1 contains one of the most glorious and mind-boggling pictures of the glory of God anywhere in Scripture. And the way described it here in Ezekiel 1:28 is, “such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord”. So he gets this glimpse of the likeness of God’s glory. And what is his response? He falls on his face like he is prostrate, laid down before the likeness of the glory of God. And then he hears the voice of God speaking.
Ezekiel 1:28 invites us to acknowledge the glory of the God we worship.
And there’s a ton we could talk about here with this vision in Ezekiel 1, but I just want to remind you, even as I remind myself. That when we come before God in prayer, alone in the prayer closet, in the place where we spend time alone with God, or when we come before God together with others, think of a church setting, we need to pause and realize whose presence we’re in, who we’re speaking to, and who we’re listening to.
I just want to encourage you today, tomorrow, in your time alone with God, before you start speaking to him or before you start listening to his Word, just pause an extra moment and reflect on the glory of the one you’re speaking to. And maybe do what Ezekiel did here, fall on your knees, on your face before God.
I don’t know how regular of a posture that is for you before God, but it certainly seems from Scripture this should be a regular posture for us, that we should be physically kneeling and at times falling flat on our face before God alone and together in worship because of his glory. This is what we see all throughout the Bible. People who encounter the glory of God are brought to their knees and their faces in awe and wonder and worship in humility. And so even now, as I’m about to pray based on this verse, let’s consider just for a moment the wonder of the one I am, we are about to speak to.
Ezekiel 1:28 encourages us to have a reverent attitude when we come before God.
Oh God, we pray that you would guard us from being casual before you. Yes, God, we want to walk with you, continually pray, continually experience the communion you’ve made possible for us through Jesus as your friends. Oh God, we praise you for that reality.
And at the same time, we pray, help us to fear you. Teach us to worship you appropriately. To be as Ezekiel was here, just in awe, in wonder, overwhelmed by who you are in all of your glory. God, you are infinite in all of your glory, all of your wonder, all of your might, all of your majesty, all of your mercy, all of your justice, your wrath, your holiness, all of your attributes. Oh God, we pray that you would help us to grow in humility before you in light of your glory above us. And as we do God, to spread your glory, to spread the goodness, majesty, mercy, justice, love, grace that is found in you, to declare your glory to people around us today and to the nations.
Prayer for the Thathera People
God, we pray for the Thathera people of India today. This Hindu people group of almost half a million people in Northeastern India who worship all kinds of false gods. God, we pray that you would show your glory as the one true God. Jesus, show your glory as the one true God among the Thathera people and among all the peoples of the world.
We pray, oh God, that they might see your glory even as we praise you for the privilege we have through Jesus to see and know and encounter you in all your glory on a daily basis. Oh God, please help us to live with proper humility before you and all of your glory, and to express that in the way we worship and pray and hear your Word, down to our very posture in doing so. I pray all this according to your word in Ezekiel 1:28. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
