The Prayer Life
The Prayer Life
Tabernacle Prayer
6/26/2004 and 6/27/2004
Introduction
We have been talking about prayer and how important it is to pray, even for the church family and what God is doing among us.
In the context of that I want to show you and lead you through my favorite method of prayer. If you are like me you can get distracted while you are praying. On the other hand it is easy to do what Jesus said not to do and pray vain repetitions.
The tabernacle is called the “tabernacle of the testimony” by Stephen. It was a picture of God camping and dwelling among them.
Acts 7
44 “Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.
TABERNACLE SLIDE #1
Exodus 25-40 covers the story of the tabernacle.
Hebrews 9 in the New Testament clarifies the symbolism.
Romans 15
4 /For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. [1] /
This is an entire teaching for putting on Christ and living out the testimony but we are focusing on how to use it as a tool to pray.
· The gate
-There is only one way in. that reminds us there is one way to God; through Jesus Christ.
-The families would stand at the front and as their sacrifices were made their names were called out. They saw their sins go up in smoke for one more year.
-Once a year on what is known as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the High priest would offer a sacrifice in the Holiest of Holies before the Ark of the Covenant.
-There are six pieces of furniture that stand for different things. Each serves to be a marker that reminds us of an area to pray about.
-The key is that a progression is taking place.
-We continually forget who we are so we are preparing to pray. The last place, the Ark of the Covenant is where intercession is made.
-Up to that point we are preparing ourselves to pray.
Psalm 100
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
/give thanks to him and praise his name. [2]/
· The Brass Altar
BRASS ALTAR SLIDE #2
-This stands for the cross.
-This is where you identify with the cross and what Jesus did for you.
· Salvation
· Healing
· Redemption from the curse of the law
· Born of the Holy Spirit
· Provision
-This is the place of grace where you remind yourself of the gift of salvation.
-You humble yourself and remind yourself that God did all the work.
-Jesus died for you.
-Because of the cross you are brought near to God through the blood of Christ.
-You remind yourself and the devil that you are a follower of God.
DO IT
EXAMPLE
· The Laver
The Laver Slide #3
-This stands for sanctification.
-This stands for holiness.
Hebrews 10
14 /because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. [3] /
-We are given the gift of righteousness at the cross but we are to live holy.
-This is where you confess sin.
-This was really a mirror.
-When you looked inside you saw yourself.
John 13
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.[4]
· Offer you body to God a living sacrifice
· Offer your mind to God
· Pray for the fruit of the Spirit to develop
· Repent and turn from any known sin
Philippians 3
16 /Only let us live up to what we have already attained. [5]/
DO IT
· The Golden Lampstand (Menorah)
Golden Lampstand Slide #4
-You are now in an enclosed tent room where there is no outside light.
-The lampstand stands for the Holy Spirit in your life.
Isaiah 11
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
/the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—[6]/
-This is where we ask for the infilling of the Holy Spirit and earnestly desire and covet the Gifts of the Spirit.
-This is where you switch from your strength to God’s strength.
DO IT
· Table of Show bread
Table of Showbread slide #5
4286 πρόθεσις, πρόσθεσις [prothesis /proth·es·is/] n f. From 4388; TDNT 8:164; TDNTA 1176; GK 4606 and 4671; 12 occurrences; AV translates as “purpose” eight times, and “shewbread + 740” four times. 1 a setting forth of a thing, placing of it in view, the shewbread. [7]
-This had twelve loaves of bread that were changed every week.
-There were 12 tribes of Israel.
-This is where I check my heart for grudges.
-This is where I get my relationships right.
-This is the place of forgiveness.
-Sometimes I pray for provision here.
Matthew 6
11 Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 4
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word[TLR1] / that comes from the mouth of God.’ a” [8]/
-In other words, this is where you ask God to speak to you.
-This is a great place to stop and read your Bible.
DO IT
· The Altar of Incense
Altar of Incense Slide #6
-This is where you pray and worship in the Spirit.
Exodus 20
41 /I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. [9] /
Revelation 5
8 /And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [10] /
Revelation 8
3 /Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.[11] /
4 /The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. [12]/
-This is fellowshipping with God and listening.
1 Corinthians 14
13 /For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. [13] /
DO IT
· The Ark of the Covenant/Mercy Seat
Ark of the Covenant Slide # 7
-This is the smaller room where the only light is the Shekinah Presence of God.
-This is where you present your requests to God.
-At this point I like to pray my fountain or bulls eye priorities.
-You are ready to be in His presence.
Hebrews 4
14 /Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, a Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. [14] /
DO IT
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[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ro 15:4). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ps 100:4). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Heb 10:14). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Jn 13:8). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[5]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Php 3:16). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[6]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Is 11:2). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
n n: noun or neuter
f f: feminine
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
TDNTA Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume
GK Goodrick-Kohlenberger
AV Authorized Version
[7]Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the test of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G4286). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
a Deut. 8:3
[8]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Mt 4:4). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[9]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Eze 20:41). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[10]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Re 5:7). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[11]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Re 8:3). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[12]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Re 8:4). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[13]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (1 Co 14:13). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
a Or gone into heaven
[14]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Heb 4:14). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[TLR1]4487 ῥῆμα [rhema /hray·mah/] n n. From 4483; TDNT 4:69; TDNTA 505; GK 4839; 70 occurrences; AV translates as “word” 56 times, “saying” nine times, “thing” three times, “no thing + 3756” once, and not translated once. 1 that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word. [1]