“Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece and overlay the altar with bronze. Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans…. Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it” (Exodus 27:1-3; 30:18).

We are advised and encouraged to pray at all times about all things, but having a dedicated prayer time each day really helps to set the stage for these ongoing prayers. Last week we began working through a guide to pray based on the tabernacle/temple system from the Old Testament. (I recommend that you refer to last week’s Chaplain’s Corner if you didn’t get a chance to read it.) It is helpful to think about entering this dedicated time of prayer as entering into a physical meeting space, and we are using the OT tabernacle as our model. As we studied last week, we first enter the gates to the large tent/courtyard that is the tabernacle with praises and thanksgiving (Psalm 100). That’s how we begin our dedicated time of prayer.

The next object we see in the tabernacle is the bronze altar upon which the daily sacrifices were made. This should help us to remember that as we approach the throne of God, we must first ponder the significance of the cross. As believers on this side of the cross, we love to think about our risen Lord and Savior. And that is a good thing. But we must never forget the price He paid to redeem us. It was Jesus’ sacrifice of his own life that has allowed us the privilege of entering into the throne room of God. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-51). David writes of the benefits of the cross in Psalm 103:1-5: salvation, forgiveness, healing, redemption, satisfaction, and renewal. So, in your dedicated prayer time, ponder the cross.

The next object we see in the courtyard is a huge wash basin. This is a reminder of who we were before we received Jesus’ salvation, before we were washed in Jesus’ blood; and it is a reminder to exam ourselves regularly and continue to seek ongoing confession and sanctification. Psalm 139:23-24 have become regular verses for my personal meditation: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily and follow him (Luke 9:23). Paul writes in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” As we ponder the cross and Jesus’ command to follow him, we incline our hearts to Him, we seek to commit our desires, our eyes, our ears, our minds, and our tongues; our hands, feet and our paths to Him, in praise and a desire to be more like Him. This is similar to the part of the Lord’s prayer where we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I pray that this guide will help you in your prayer life. Practice these first three steps, as outlined last week and this week, and stay tuned for the next elements of this tabernacle guide to prayer.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:4-5).

In Christ,

Judy