Stop Praying. Experience.

Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed so that His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, "Lord, it's wonderful for us to be here! If You want, I'll make three shelters as memorials—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Matthew 17:1-4 NLT)

I'm a talker.  There's no way to hide it.  I just like to talk.  I fill silence in a conversation by talking.  I explain, teach, and preach through talking.  I even process what I'm seeing by talking.  Something about me even learns better when I talk.

I'm guessing my namesake was the same.  Peter just had to say what was on his mind.  'I know how to build things,' he may have thought.  'Let's build a memorial for this moment.  That way we will never forget what happened and I can bring other people to the memorial and tell other people about it.'

But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy. Listen to Him." The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. Then Jesus came over and touched them. "Get up," He said. "Don't be afraid." And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus. As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." (Matthew 17:5-9 NLT)

That last line would have killed me.  Don't tell anyone?  Are you kidding?  Why did you bring me here in the first place?  Why indeed.

Talking with God is good.  Prayer is awesome.  Sometimes, though, it's much better just to look, listen, and drink in what He is trying to communicate to us.  We don't always have to talk.  We can just experience.

Peter, James, and John were there for a reason.  Jesus brought them along to have a shared experience with Him, Moses, Elijah, and The Father.  They would need to recall and share this experience...later.  But for now, they simply need to drink it in, allow God to communicate through the moment, and experience the presence of God.