February 3, Leviticus 8:1 - 10:20, Tabernacle Plan Prayer Guide
"The fact that Aaron is permitted to become high priest despite his sin in making the golden calf (and later trying to avoid responsibility for it) is testimony to the forgiving nature of God. Following the week of ordination, although perhaps not immediately, Leviticus records that two of Aaron's sons make their own fire instead of using the fire which God sends for the sacrifices. There is a reason to speculate that their mistake may be caused by drunkenness because a special instruction is later imposed regarding use of wine during the temple service." Daily Bible Commentary
"23 Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord [the Shekinah cloud] appeared to all the people [as promised].
24 Then there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces." Leviticus 9:23, 24 AMP
This is not just for these people at this specific time in Bible history. We have the incredible opportunity to witness the Glory of the Lord for ourselves! All we have to do is earnestly seek God's face!
I found this tabernacle plan prayer guide online.
Bethel United Pentecostal Church
Praying Through the Pattern of the Tabernacle
Daily prayer and communion with God is the goal.
Each part of the Tabernacle is a “shadow of heavenly things”. (for example, the Altar of Sacrifice represents Repentance).
Scriptures and suggestions for how to pray are provided as a guide.
PRAYER GUIDELINES
The Gate – One way into the Tabernacle
John 10:9– “…I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.”
Psalm 100:4 – “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with
praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Praying at the Gate:
Thank God for the truth of His Word and for the path to eternal life.
Name your blessings one-by-one. God is worthy to be praised regardless
of how you feel. Even if you lose everything in this world, you will always have what is most important: Jesus and His love.
Praise differs from worship
Praise – Lifting up God on a pedestal, vocally adoring Him
Worship – Reverence and submission to God. Worship is an altar we place
ourselves on.
Prepare your heart for repentance
I Samuel 7:3 – “…prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only…”
Brazen Altar – Place of repentance
Jesus died so that you might live. The Lamb of God was the final blood
sacrifice and His blood was shed for all of mankind. Search your heart and repent daily to insure you are free from any and all sin.
I John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Colossian 3:2-3 – “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
I Corinthians 15:31 – “…I die daily.”
Prayer at the Brazen Altar
Personal repentance is necessary every time you seek to come into God’s
presence. Stay at the altar as long as necessary to insure you have repented fully.
Ask forgiveness and claim the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary to pay for your
sins.
Pray the Word (see Psalm 51)
Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me.”
Psalm 51:17 – “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Brazen Laver – Place of cleansing
After you have accepted Jesus’ sacrificial death on your behalf, you must continue to be cleansed from sin and strive for holiness.
The brazen laver is where you cleanse yourself from the works of the flesh
(Galatians 5:19-20) by the blood of Jesus.
The Bible tells believers to cleanse their hearts from guilt before approaching
God. (Hebrews 10:22)
James 4:8 – “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts…”
2 Corinthians 7:1 – “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
See also Romans 8:13, Ephesians 5:25-27, Hebrews 10:21-22, I John 1:7
Prayer at the Brazen Laver
Ask the Lord to cleanse you from all your sins and weaknesses through the
blood of Jesus and by His Word. Determine in your heart to live a life
that is holy and acceptable to God. Claim victory over the works of the
flesh (Galatians 5:19-20)
THE HOLY PLACE – The first room of the Tabernacle where the priests
ministered daily. It contained the Golden Lampstand (direction and guidance), The Table of Showbread (sustenance and strength) and the Altar of Incense (praise and intercession).
Golden Lampstand – The lampstand was the only source of light in the Holy Place.
Jesus is the light of the world and those who follow Him will never walk in
darkness (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46)
The Word of God is a light for believers. It guides them through life, and protects them from evil and darkness. (Psalm 119:105)
Believers are God’s light (witness) to the world. (Matthew 5:16)
John 8:12 – “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
II Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 119:105 – “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Prayer at the Golden Lampstand
Thank God for His guidance, light and protection.
Ask God to provide guidance, light and protection to our pastors and the
leadership of the church. Pray a similar prayer for our missionaries.
Pray for every CARE group and Home Bible Study.
Pray for each church ministry and staff.
Pray for our leaders. (I Tim 2:1-2)
Pray to be a light to this dark world.
Table of Showbread
Each Sabbath, twelve loaves of unleavened bread (showbread) covered with frankincense were placed on the golden table.
The showbread provided sustenance for the priests. It was renewed regularly
just as the Word of God should be renewed in our hearts.
Jesus is the bread of life and His Word is also the bread from heaven. Eternal life can be found through His Word.
John 6:35 – “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst.”
John 6:51 – “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any
man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is
my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Matthew 5:44 – “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
Prayer at the Table of Showbread
Pray for your family, friends; and pray for your enemies
Thank God for His Word and the strength it provides.
Ask the Lord to lead you to specific Scriptures relative to your needs and
the needs of those to whom you minister.
Thank God for the freedom we have to own and distribute Bibles—and to
teach others the truth of God’s Word.
Pray the Word: Psalm 19:7-10
Golden Altar of Incense
The altar where the priest offered the sweet smelling sacrifices; a type of drawing nigh unto God in prayer.
The incense was offered daily, just as we are to pray daily and without
ceasing.
The fire for the altar of incense had to come from the altar of sacrifice. We
must stop at the altar of repentance before attempting to approach God in
prayer and worship.
Psalm 141:2 – “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the
lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship* him in
spirit and in truth.”
*proskuneo (Greek): to kiss the hand; to fall upon the knees and
touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence.
Prayer at the Golden Altar of Incense
Worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Get lost in the Spirit.
Intercede with God on behalf of others first. Then pray for your own needs.
Ask God to prepare your heart for even deeper communion with Him.
THE HOLY OF HOLIES
Only one man (the High Priest) was permitted to enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
The room called the Holy of Holies represents the Holy Ghost experience.
It was the closest that man could get to God here on earth.
The Veil that separated the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies represented the
barrier between God and man that existed before the death of Jesus.
When Jesus died on the cross, the veil was miraculously torn in two. This
miracle made salvation available to “whosoever will.”
The torn veil symbolizes the ability of every believer to approach God through
the death of Jesus.
The High Priest wore a simple, white linen robe. We, too, must lose our
identity when we enter the Holy of Holies to worship and commune with
God.
Prayer in the Holy of Holies
Thank God for His death on the cross—and for “the new and living way He has
prepared for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.” (Hebrews 10:22)
Thank God that salvation is extended to all, and that anyone can enter into God’s presence and commune with Him.
Thank God for the “better way” in the New Covenant.
Thank God for His beautiful presence.
Inside the Holy of Holies was the Mercy Seat, which sat upon the Ark of the
Covenant.
The Mercy Seat
On the lid of the Ark of the Covenant were two solid gold angels facing each other. The presence of God dwelled between the two angels.
Isaiah 37:16 – “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the
cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.”
Hebrews 4:15-16 – “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need.”
Prayer at the Mercy Seat
Humble yourself as you bask in the “shekinah glory” of the Lord.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The Ark of the Covenant
A box of wood and gold representing the humanity and deity of Jesus. It contained the Stone Tablets, the Rod of Aaron, and a Pot of Manna.
Prayer at the Ark of the Covenant
Tables of Stone – God’s law and commandments written with the finger of
God
Pray the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17)
1-5: man’s obligation toward God
6-10: our obligation toward our fellow man (Matt. 5:21-22; 27-28)
Rod of Aaron – The rod represents authority.
Pray with authority for the needs in your life, your family, and the church
Pot of Manna – Heavenly food that was always fresh
A reminder that our relationship with God is fresh every day (great is thy
faithfulness)
Lamentation 3:21-24 – “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
I promise you, if you follow this guide, you will have no problem praying an hour or more a day (if you aren't already doing so). If you aren't ready to pray an hour, just simplify the guide. This is the perfect, Biblical way to enter the Holy of Holies and intimately commune with the Almighty God. He has specific instructions for you. Most of them are found in His word. Sometimes He will quicken your mind in prayer about specific action you can take for a specific situation in your life. Always, always, always seek counsel (your Pastor or a counselor whom your Pastor has endorsed) before taking action.
I have some trusted friends who fast, pray and study God's word regularly. Below is a list of only some of my trusted counselors (not always in this order):
1. my husband Scott
2. the pastors I work with: Pastor Grant, Pastor Roy, Pastor Thomas, Pastor Seidl)
3. my pastors' wives (Darlene Grant, Lois Grant, Peggy Thomas, Terry Seidl)
3. my friend Linda Brown (she is a licensed minister with the United Pentecostal Church)
4. my parents, John and Norma Russell
5. my sister in law and brother in law Anita and Bob Kurz
6. my friend Vickie Oliver
7. my friend Sylvia Novak
Sometimes I have a specific question about outreach for example. Then I approach Christina or Mark, our outreach directors.
There are more. Sometimes after praying I will unexpectedly run into someone not on this list whom I trust and respect. God may lead me to bounce my idea off of them.
There are young people I look up to as well and chat with when I have a question concerning one of my adult children (they may relate to the situation better than I can).
"Dear Jesus I want to know You better. I'm tired of being tossed to and fro like a ship without a sail. I want You to be my guide. Help me go deeper in You by praying more specific prayers. Help me to get up earlier and pray longer. Because I'm desperate! I realize in order to see the great change I want to see in my life, I must first change ME. You are worthy, You are mighty, You are true, You are faithful to the end, and best of all, You are FOR me!!! I pray these things in Jesus precious name, the Name above every name, AMEN."
Comments
Post a Comment