What a glorious opportunity to pray to our Eternal Creator! With an open heart, we have the privilege to talk to Him – to commune with Him. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Is. 55:9), so He beckons us to come up higher.
And consider this – God has graciously given us a special gift. When we receive Jesus as Savior, we receive His divine nature. Imagine that! Ephesians 4:23-24 (NLT) reveals this: “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” Within us, we have the very nature of God! And this new nature takes us higher, far beyond our natural existence.
So, let’s look more closely at this divine nature that allows us to fellowship with God and experience Him in righteousness and holiness.
The Divine Nature
As believers, we are saved by grace through faith in Christ. Still, we have a choice. We can choose to live by our flesh or be led by God’s Spirit. Only those led by God’s Spirit display His divine nature and find life and peace. Romans 8:5-6 (NLT) explains it this way: “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” So yes, God desires that His people experience life and peace through His Spirit and His divine nature within us.
So, from where we are, let’s keep growing and learning! 2 Peter 1:2 challenges us to grow in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. Consider this powerful truth: “God’s divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). As we walk with God, we do not lack anything that pertains to life and godliness. The Lord is our Shepherd; we shall not want (Ps. 23:1).
Reflect upon another guiding truth: God’s Word contains promises that believers obtain through faith and patient endurance (Heb. 6:12). Yes, over time, we grow in our belief in the Word. We strive to rest our lives upon it. We learn to wait. What a process! And through these promises, we participate in God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The Word opens our minds to grasp the eternal transformation that has taken place within us. Praise God!
Looking More Like Jesus
We begin to look more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, through our divine nature! What does “looking more like Jesus” mean to us? Well, Jesus drew upon His divine nature through prayer. He fulfilled God’s plan by taking several loaves and fish, praying over them, and feeding thousands. His divine nature was also in operation when Jesus prayed and afterward selected twelve disciples.
These disciples laid the foundation for the early church and then chose others. Acts 17:6 says these disciples “turned the world upside down.” Rooted in Christ’s divine nature, prayer changed the world. And at Gethsemane, Jesus prayed and received the strength to endure crucifixion. He secured our salvation and redemption.
And yes, God calls you to participate in His divine nature, which resides within you. Through prayer and the Word, you are equipped to labor together with God (1 Cor. 3:9) and fulfill His good plans for your life.
Prayer Recharges Us
We marvel as we look at the lives of Jesus Christ and believers in the early church. Prayer continually recharged them and gave them the resolve to stay on the battlefield. We have a divine nature that renews us in the same way through prayer. One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 138:3: “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.” Yes, our Shepherd strengthens us through prayer; He restores our souls (Psalm 23:3).
Believers are sons of God led by God’s Spirit (Rom. 8:14). Our perfect example of a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life is Jesus Christ. He spoke the Word, lived it, and prayed to the Father continually. Throughout His time on earth, He displayed His divine nature through word and deed, and now, we participate in this same nature.
God extends a loving invitation for us to come up higher. And in His great love, He provides us the means to do so – through our divine nature!
Ever onward, ever forward …
Dr. Iris Barrett
