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Moses -- the man of prayer. The passing of those long years of discipline, correction and chastisement had the desired effect. The Lord had been able to draw Moses into an even deeper and more personal relationship with Himself. Moses had grown spiritually ... more and more so that it is so right to speak of him as "the man of prayer".

It is true, in his earlier life he did not qualify to be described in such terms. The evidence that he was effective in prayer was obviously lacking. It was only after long years of discipline and training in the deserts of Midian that he reached a higher level of personal and spiritual maturity.

His training in the school of prayer had initially begun when he was a young child in the home of his parents: Amram and Jocabed. They so decisively demonstrated their deep, quiet, yet strong faith. True prayer and its great power, was real in their home.

Years in the Egyptian palace as the son of Pharaoh's daughter had diverted his attention from the prayers and faith of his parents. He was fully preoccupied with the wisdom and the ways of the world. Yet, so much which he had learned as a child stayed with him. Even if temporarily, it was compromised by the self-confidence and self-sufficiency which he was taught in the palace.

He felt deep within him the strong desire to identify with his people, the Hebrews. Along with this desire was the compulsion, the conviction that God would use him to set "his brethren" free from their degrading bondage in Egypt.

Moses had acted impetuously, supposing that "his brethren" would have understood his mission and motivation. They did not. He failed so miserably. In fear he fled from the vengeance of Pharaoh out into the deserts of Midian.

Moses may have fled in fear, yet God so graciously led him to the home of Reuel ... the friend of God ... the one whom God would use as His chosen servant to continue to work in the heart and life of Moses.

God intended to use the fellowship and example of this man's home ... as well as the solitude of the deserts. Thus Moses was enabled to learn the great lessons of what it means to experience a living relationship with the Lord ... the vital aspects of both genuine prayer and personal faith.

At the time chosen by the Lord, He drew Moses to ... the Mount of the Lord! There He revealed Himself and His will to His servant. Moses saw the burning bush. He turned aside to examine this amazing sight. That was ... God's moment!

"And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I!" (v.4)

It is of the greatest importance that we do notice ... this was God's initiative. There was no way for Moses to be able to imagine that any part of this startling development was the result of his own initiative.

It is in this crucial fact where we see revealed the cause of one of the most common problems which Christians face today. The servant of the Lord can only be of true value to the Lord when God is able to actually take the initiative, and express His will and purpose.

Once there had been the time when Moses had insisted on taking the initiative ... with the most tragic results! His initiative inevitably resulted in his total failure!

The intervening forty years in the desert had given Moses a completely different perspective. His personal relationship with the Lord developed. His prayer life deepened with the result that he came to the point where God knew that Moses was ready to allow the Him to intervene and take the initiative.

The Lord knew that the process of discipline and chastening had humbled His servant. Moses was far more ready and willing to listen, so He could call him personally by name, "Moses! Moses!"

It is in these developments that we see some of the most crucial aspects of the developing, deepening, fellowship of true prayer -- a deepening of the personal fellowship of prayer!

In an incident which is recorded in John four, a noblemen from Capernaum went to Cana to plead with the Lord Jesus to go with him down to Capernaum to heal his son who was so very ill.

The Lord Jesus responded to this man in a most startling way. In effect He told the man, "The way in which you are making your request identifies your attitude as being the same as this superficial crowd. If you will, in both attitude and faith, stand apart from the crowd, allowing Me to draw you into a vital personal relationship with Myself, you will then see far more of My power and glory!"

Prayer must reach that level of faith in His Word to personally experience both the power and the glory of all that the Lord is seeking to do in our lives. If we attempt to hold back from that most personal relationship in prayer, we will inevitably stifle and limit its vital effectiveness.

Samuel also came to personally understand this same principle when he realized that it was the Lord who was calling him by name: "Samuel! Samuel!" (see 1 Samuel 3: 10)

It is this personal relationship, in all of its potential fullness and depth, which the Lord desires to develop with each of His people ... even with us today, so that He is able to approach us on this personal level ... calling us by name! ... knowing that we will immediately recognize that it is the Lord!

Moses heard, and immediately responded, "Here am I!" Instantly, he heeded the call of God to him. He expressed in faith the acknowledgment both, that he was in the presence of the Lord, and he was available to the Lord.

This is true prayer! Moses responded to the Lord's gracious initiative by declaring his willing and devoted commitment to share with the Lord, and to be available for whatever purpose the Lord had in drawing him into this time of fellowship.

These are essential elements of effective prayer even today. Recognizing the voice of the Lord when He calls. Immediately responding to His Word. Being committed to follow Him wherever He may lead in this fellowship of prayer.

Moses said, "I will turn aside to see!" God said, "Wait! Are you really sure that you are properly prepared to actually enter My personal presence? Before you take another step, think through all that true prayer involves and requires!"

"Put off thy shoes from off thy feet!" Come into the place of prayer in the attitude of deep humility! In the spirit of genuine awe and reverence. Make sure that there in nothing in you, or in your attitude, which God would find unacceptable or offensive.

You are standing on holy ground! Moses was learning more about the vital realities of prayer. To personally enter the presence of the Holy God, coming in prayer involved coming into the Holy of Holies. The vital significance of this fact has been lost to far too many Christians today. They reveal no real sense or awareness of the awesome holiness of God. This fact is made so very evident by the attitudes which they express. Far too often we see a careless flippancy as though they believed that God was just one of their "buddies!" It should not surprise us that so much so-called prayer is nothing but empty words which achieves no result whatsoever.

Moses, remember the Holy! To forget the Holy inevitably means losing all awareness of the exceeding sinfulness of sin ... with the most tragic consequences!

Isaiah entered the temple. There he saw "the LORD, high and lifted up!" There he heard the Seraphim proclaiming: "Holy! Holy! Holy is the LORD of hosts!" The immediate effect on Isaiah was: his personal awareness of his own great sinfulness! "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King! The LORD of hosts!" (Isaiah 6: 5)

This is the most clear and authentic example of a genuine experience of personally entering the presence of the Lord. Yet how alien it is to the way most people think today. The absence of a genuine, deep sense of the holiness of God permits, even encourages, far too many to compromise with sin. Such proceed to "pray,” even though such sin and compromise contaminates them in the sight of God.

God's witness is clear. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66: 18). "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3: 17).

Holy ground! We must take the Word of God seriously if we would pray effectively. To come to God we must search our own hearts and lives. Making sure that there is nothing which God would find offensive to His holiness!

True prayer always takes the pray-er into the most holy place. We must continually remind ourselves that this is a most incredible privilege which God, in His grace, grants to us. Even as we must remember that there is only one reason God grants this privilege to us.

We can only make our approach to God in prayer on the basis of: the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. His blood which was poured out for us and for our salvation as He died bearing our sins in His body on the tree!

We can only enter the most holy place into the presence of God as we come through the "rent veil!" That is, through the broken body of the Savior. There is no other way for us to come.

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh!" (Hebrews 10: 19, 20).

"Moreover He said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." (v. 6)

The saintly parents of Moses, Amram and Jocabed, would have carefully instructed Moses in the vital significance of the covenant. He would have been so greatly inspired by the relationship into which God called Abraham. "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. ... In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12: 2, 3) Abraham had responded to the call of God in devoted faith and obedience, to be known as: "The friend of God!" Now God is revealing to Moses: "I AM" - the Covenant God! "I AM" - totally committed to the covenant into which I called Abraham those long years ago.

"The God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob!" None of all of the changes and developments had in any way diminished God's total commitment to His Word of covenant. "I AM!" Even as Moses stood there at the backside of the desert on Mt. Horeb it was: I AM!" Even as the descendants of Abraham were being compelled to endure the most cruel bondage in Egypt it was still: "I AM!" This is the eternal reality. Whenever and wherever we seek to enter the presence of the Lord in prayer, we find that He is here and He is affirming: "I AM!" … "I AM!" - the God of the eternal covenant which has been sealed with the most precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Claim this reality! There is no development, no variation or fluctuation, no trouble or turmoil, no heart-ache or loss, nothing, which can ever change this reality: "I AM!" Every time we enter the place of true prayer we discover this fact. The great, infinite, eternal: "I AM!" so strongly affirms His unwavering commitment to us in the New Covenant!

Is it any wonder that Moses hid his face? He was so deeply humbled! So completely convinced of his utter unworthiness. "Afraid to look upon God!" He was filled with an overwhelming awareness of indescribable awe and reverence. He was actually, personally, standing in the personal presence of this infinitely great and glorious: "I AM!"

When the reality of our true situation breaks through into our understanding, we will also experience that same incredible awareness of deep awe and wonder. That this God should allow someone like me to enter His most holy presence!

No one could be more unworthy! Yet, He has opened the way. He invites me to come boldly! Boldly, yet humbly, through this new and living way which He has opened for us. He has opened this way for us at the most incredible cost- to Himself

"And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." (v.7)

Moses had been drawn by the Lord into the place of prayer. There he began to encounter new dimensions of prayer. Prayer became the experience in which God revealed more of the focus and concern of His heart to His servant.

This is prayer as God intends it to be. Being in the presence of the Lord. Hearing God speak to us as He seeks to reveal His heart and mind to us. As He seeks to draw us into a closer identification with His deep concerns.

As Moses heard these words of the Lord, his thoughts would go back to that day when "he went unto his brethren!" He had chosen to identify them as "his brethren." Now, he hears God identifying them as, "My people!" If it meant so much to Moses to identify them as, "My brethren," how much more did it mean to him to hear God identify them as, "My people!" He had not forsaken His people! His concern for them was far greater than anything Moses may have felt. In this experience of true prayer Moses was beginning to see this situation in a totally new light!

"I have surely seen the affliction of My people!" Moses remembered the day when: "He spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew!" It was still as clear in his mind as if it had happened that very day. He could say, "I have seen." Now he heard God saying: "I have seen!" "I have seen the affliction of My people!"

Moses had seen one man cruelly abused. God had seen every such incident which had taken place during all of the long years of the bondage of the Israelites! Nothing had escaped God's attention. Moses began to realize the significance of all that God was revealing to him. God had seen it all. His great concern for His people was incredibly deeper than Moses could even begin to imagine.

It is in such true prayer that we are enabled to grasp more and more of all that God sees. It is in the most holy place that we come to a much fuller understanding of His deep concern for all the desperate needs of those whom He calls: "My people!"

It is so important for us to remember this humbling fact. We know so very little, compared to all the Lord sees and knows. How we need to allow Him to draw us into a fuller understanding of the depth and breadth of His great concern.

"I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters." Moses had heard just one of his brethren cry out by reason of his task-master. The Lord revealed: He had heard ALL! Every cry! Every single expression of anguish. Not one had ever escaped His attention. Not even the cries which were soundless to human ears.

He still hears every cry! Many Christians have developed the knack of "tuning out" the anguished cries which are heard all over the world. We have developed the ability to insulate ourselves. God has never done that! His great love is such that even the weakest cry is heard. Every cry we do hear, He has already heard! Those expressions of anguish which motivate our response of concern have already inspired His deep compassion.

"I know their sorrows!" Moses, you have only experienced, and that from a distance, a small fraction of the sorrows of your brethren. I know the total depth and breadth of their continuing agony.

He still does! It is only in the place of prayer, where we can begin to feel His heart beat, we will begin to comprehend this revelation. As we humbly share with the Lord and permit Him to open our understanding. There, we begin to see something of the great depth of both His knowledge and His compassion.

The more Moses heard the Lord speaking to him in the place of prayer, the more he remembered! "He supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them!" (Acts 7: 25).

Earlier he had interpreted his call from the Lord: I have to intervene so that I can deliver them! Now, humbled in prayer he hears the Lord's assurance: "I am come down to deliver them!" Moses had impetuously taken the lead and acted as though he must do it all alone! Now the Lord was saying, Let Me be in control. This is My work. I will do it: My way!

When we today personally share with the Lord in the place of prayer, it is this same message which we will hear. The Lord may well have to reprove us - It is My work which you are attempting to do. Never forget that this is My concern which is motivating you to action.

We never have to attempt to do God's work alone! It is foolish to act as though we have no choice but to rely on our own resources, wisdom and strength. We are never alone in the true work of the Lord.

This work is His work! The Lord Jesus claims the Church as: His! "I will build My church!" "He loved the Church and gave Himself for the Church!" It is His definite intention to present the Church to Himself: a glorified Church.

It is His work! It is this message which He continually seeks to impress on us as we share with Him in the place of prayer. He is still assuring His people: "I am come down!" Present! At work in dynamic and effective power!

Moses, once you tried to deliver these people. Tried, and failed! Now, Moses, the Lord is inviting you to join His team. Learn the Lord's plan. Apply the Lord's principles. To experience the Lord's victory!

God is still on the move today. This assurance continues to be expressed so graciously to His people who meet with Him in the place of prayer. It is there all His people hear His invitation to join His team to work with Him and effectively achieve His goals.

In the place of prayer the Lord was drawing His servant into a deeper understanding of His heart and His mind. Revealing His plan by which He would deliver His people. Explaining the vital spiritual principles which must be applied.

Moses: I will bring My people up out of Egypt. I will! I will bring them into the land of blessing in accordance with My promise. I will!

Moses, listen carefully as the Lord speaks to you in the place of prayer. "Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them." (v. 9) I am responding!

The Lord is on the move today. Yet far too many Christians are oblivious to the fact that He is on the move. They do not personally hear His Word. Nor see Him at work in glorious power. They have failed to take the time needed to share with Him in personal fellowship in the place of prayer.

"Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt." (v.10)

At an earlier stage in this period of prayer with the Lord Moses heard the Lord say, "I am come down to deliver them!" Moses was learning the lesson in the place of prayer: Wait, until you have heard the Lord say, I am on the move in power to act!

Previously, Moses had hurried ahead of the Lord to do His work in man's wisdom and power, and failed! It was so different now! He knew that the Lord was moving to do His work in power according to His Word. God was in action according to the eternal principles of His holiness and His glory.

This enabled the Lord to reveal the next step of His plan to His servant Moses. "As I move to deliver My people, I want to use you as My instrument by which I will accomplish this goal!" "I will send: thee!" "That thou mayest bring forth My people."

The Lord always accepts full responsibility for all aspects of His work. This is a fact which never varies. We create the problem when we attempt to take His responsibility into our own hands. Every time we attempt to do that, we immediately discover that our hands are totally inadequate to handle such an immense responsibility.

Moses, this is My work. I am moving to do it. Your responsibility is to place yourself fully in My hands and let Me use you as My instrument in accomplishing this task. Your responsibility is to hear my Word and obey! What an awesome challenge! What an incredible privilege!

It is the ones who have learned these lessons in the place of prayer who are able to share this privilege. They find themselves both humbled and inspired as the Lord reveals to them His glorious will. Excited as they realize that God really is on the move. Even as they are awed by the realization that the Lord will use them to make this victory a glorious reality!

"And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (v.11)

Moses had listened as the Lord spoke to him in the place of prayer. First, "I am come down!" Then, "I will send thee unto Pharaoh!" Moses was astonished! Surely the Lord had made a mistake. Or, could He be mocking Moses?

"Who am I?" Lord, I know who I am. I am a failure! I tried that once and demonstrated how utterly futile I am. Then, in the face of that failure, and in fear of Pharaoh, I fled! "Who am I?"

Once there had been a time when Moses was sure that he knew the answer to that question. I am special! So far above the average! I have been honored to receive the very best education and training which Egypt could provide. I know that I have great ability. I can do anything I put my hand to. I am special!

He had been so full of self-confidence. Self- sufficiency. Self-importance! Then, to see it all crumble as the result of his stark failure. To see himself exposed in his complete futility and defeat. "Who am I?" Nothing! None of the self-confidence survived. All of his self-sufficiency and self-importance had been left in the dust of his terrified flight from Pharaoh's wrath. Not me, Lord! I cannot go to Pharaoh. I cannot bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt. "Who am I!"

Notice: it was when he thought that he was something: God could not use him! God had to stand back and witness the utter futility of Moses' failure. Now, he knew without any doubt that he was nothing! Now, God was able to draw him into the secret place of prayer. God could reveal to His servant the secret of the way to true effectiveness. God can use him! Now - that he knows he is nothing!

It is in this fact we see the reason for so much of the futility, failure, and fruitless activity which marks the lives of so many Christians today. In their own eyes they are still: Something! How we need to be broken down until we really do see our: nothingness! Where all self-confidence and self-effort is dead. Then the Lord can draw us into the place of prayer, where He reveals to us His heart. Where He enables us to see our place in His gracious will and plan.

"And He said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain." (v.12)

Your nothingness, plus: the guarantee of My personal presence with you, bringing all I am and all I have! Add to your futility this fact: "I never fail!" Add to your defeat the reality: "I always move in victory!"

The total resources of God are available to those who sincerely confess that they are nothing. The unfailing effectiveness of God is fully and freely shared with those who humbly acknowledge their futility!

The absolute guarantee of sharing in the victory of the Lord is granted to the people who sincerely accept the responsibility for their failure and defeat.

The two become one in the place of prayer! They are dynamically united as the humble servant, in devoted submission, surrenders his all to the Sovereign Lord! Believe it! When you do, He will enable you to live it: victoriously!

The Lord added the Word of assurance. When you have become effectively allied with the Lord, He will bring you back to this mountain. Here, you will lead all of the people of Israel in devoted worship, praise and adoration of the Lord. In the thanksgiving which honors the Lord for all He has accomplished.

This is God's glorious way of leading His people in victory. These are the vital and unchanging spiritual principles which He so willingly reveals to the humbled soul. To the one who gladly stands with Him on holy ground sharing with Him in the place of prayer. Listening to His great Word of promise.

"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say unto me, What is His Name? What shall I say to them?" (v.13)

The knowledge of his earlier rejection was still so very real to Moses. It was as fresh in his mind as though it had happened the previous day, instead of forty years earlier. He believed he needed something more. Some revelation of God in all the glory which is His! Some thing which would convince them to believe him.

Moses may have desired something quite spectacular and sensational. The kind of declaration or demonstration which would move the emotions of the people. Something which would dramatically validate his call to this task.

We cannot hope to know all the thoughts which were racing through the mind of Moses in those incredible moments. We cannot hope to grasp a clear understanding of what he was actually seeking. It is clear, he did want something special.

In this request made by Moses we do see so clearly portrayed a very human desire. The desire for that something special on which we can base our commitment. There are times when God will grant such a request. More often He knows that it is in our best interests to deny such requests.

"What shall I say unto them?" In this vital place and time of prayer the servant was reaching out, hoping to receive a special answer from the Lord.

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: And He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (v.14)

This was a most gracious answer which spoke so clearly of the glorious reality. It was not a startlingly sensational response - according to human standards and ideas. Nor could it be described as being highly emotional, especially as man would define that today.

Moses, you can tell the children of Israel this. The One who has sent you is the infinite eternal ONE! The Lord God who inhabits eternity. The God who never changes.

The One, who, having spoken His Word of Covenant, will always prove true to His Word of Covenant! The One who, having called a people to Himself, to be His special, His peculiar people, never leaves nor forsakes His people!

All “I AM” was to Abraham, I AM to the children of Israel in Egypt. All He committed Himself in covenant to do for, in, and through Abraham, He is still committed in covenant to do for, in, and through His covenant people: the children of Israel!

It may not be emotionally sensational by the standards of those whose lives are controlled by their human senses. Yet it is incredibly sensational to all of the true people of God who live by faith.

It may not stir the emotions of those whose emotional response is at the superficial level which is so common today. But this great truth so deeply moves the emotions of the ones who have humbly pressed further into "the deep things of God!"

It is in that fact which His people experience the most glorious assurance. Giving them the confidence which enables them to fully and faithfully follow His leadership. Inspiring them to joyfully seek to do all He wills them to do, to be all He wills them to be.

Moses turned aside to see. He saw much more than he could ever have anticipated. He heard God speak to him, in glory and grace, revealing truth and responsibility which he never expected to hear.

As he drew aside, he experienced God drawing him into the most vital place of prayer. Into the holy of holies! There: the heart of the man met in an encounter with the great heart of God. There the mind of the man began to understand, as he never could before, the mind of God.

As the direct result of this dramatic encounter with the Lord in the place of prayer Moses would forever be changed. There he saw his utter nothingness. He also saw: With the great I AM committed to be personally with him, he could not, he would not fail.