Tag Archive | prayer

Chaplain’s Corner – Prayer of the Tabernacle, pt 3

Aug27

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from guilty consciences and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

As indicated by the title, this is the third of a four-part series on prayer, based on the OT tabernacle system. I really don’t have trouble praying throughout the day whenever a need comes to mind or even when I want to thank God for something. But I do struggle at times to have a dedicated time of prayer, to spend time with God. My mind wanders and, well, I end up making a grocery list or dare I admit it, playing Wordle on my phone. If you are like me, you can benefit from some structure in your prayer time.

To help with structure, we are developing a model of prayer based on walking through the tabernacle–or later on–the temple. Imagine walking through the temple gates and immediately sensing the awe, wonder, and glory of God and His majesty. Then, seeing the fixtures that recall the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins, and remind us to ask God to cleanse us from sin so that we can prepare our hearts to follow him. (Here’s a link to last week’s devotional, parts 1 and 2, in case you missed it).

As we continue through the tabernacle grounds, we come to a huge candlestick with seven-branches. The fire coming from each candle represents the Holy Spirit and also how we are called to be light in the world’s darkness. When Jesus ascended to heaven, he sent the gift of the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate and Counselor, to enable us to do His will. We cannot do what He has called us to do without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. So, during this time of prayer, pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the fruits that result: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Also pray that you will use the spiritual gifting God has given you through the Holy Spirit to minister to those around you.

Next, we come to a table with twelve loaves of bread. This bread represents the Word of God. You may recall what Jesus told Satan during his 40 days in the Wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus, who had been fasting for 40 days, to use his power to turn the rocks into bread to satisfy his hunger. Jesus replied: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). Let us not only dabble but truly feast on God’s word. It will nourish us for the work God has called us to do.

In summary, as you pray, remembering what Christ has done for you, also remember and call upon the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to strengthen you and prepare you to live and serve in God’s Kingdom.

Reminder: this is just a model for a dedicated time of prayer. Imagining walking through the tabernacle area with its stations and symbols can help us to have a rich and meaningful prayer time with God. However you choose to pray, along with your prayers throughout your day, also devote intentional time to spend with God in worship and thanksgiving.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18a).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Prayer of the Tabernacle, pt 2

Aug20

“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

Chaplain’s Corner – Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Aug13

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7).

Praying is a constant throughout the Bible. It’s how we communicate with God. And let’s just stop right here and give a shout out to God that He desires that we communicate with him!

So why can it be so hard to do it, and especially to be consistent? We read in the New Testament that John the Baptist taught his disciples to fast and to pray, and then we read in Luke 11:1 that “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

That gives me comfort knowing that even the disciples, after being with Jesus, needed some coaching on prayer. Jesus then gave them the model Lord’s Prayer, a beautiful pattern or guide for how to pray. There are other models as well. For example, long ago I learned the ACTS model: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.

I’m going to use the next few Chaplain’s Corners to explore the elements of prayer with the hope that it will help us all to draw near to God and abide more fully in His presence. The model I will use draws on the imagery of the Old Testament tabernacle. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness (an eleven-day journey that turned into forty years because of their unfaithfulness), God in His mercy provided them with a portable temple or dwelling place for Himself so that he could travel with them and they could be near to Him. We read about the components of the tabernacle in Exodus, and in fact, God tells them it will serve as a pattern, or model: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” (Exodus 25:8-9).

At the heart of the tabernacle was the Ark of the Covenant which was situated behind a curtain, and it was surrounded by a tent, open at the top, which created a court or space between the walls of the tent and the curtain. That helps us to understand the significance of Psalm 100:

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

If you are desiring to strengthen your prayer life, the best place to start is here and the best time to start is now. And if you don’t quite know how to start, then just start by praising God and thanking God, as did David the psalmist above. Sometimes, once I spend time praising God and thanking God for what He has done in my life, I am content to leave it at that; it is enough. But there are other elements of prayer, and we will continue to explore them in the weeks to come. Just remember, while we have models to help us, there are no real rules or right or wrong ways to pray. The main thing is to stay in communication with God, and take time to listen as well as to talk. What are you thankful for today? What attribute of God are you praising Him for today?

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18a).

In Christ,

Judy