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Matthew 6:6
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

So far in this series on prayer we have discussed the importance of having a daily relationship with God through prayer. Prayer should not be a chore but rather viewed as a privilege. A daily walk with God, must begin with a daily talk with God. We will continue in this session looking at the Old Testament Tabernacle as a reference to guide our “talk” with God through prayer.

We began by looking at the tabernacle and the fact that it was surrounded by a fence. This fence provided a sanctuary, which protected the worshipper from the outside world, keeping the wrong things out and the right things in. Such is prayer. A daily talk with God, will affect your walk with God, because prayer will create a sanctuary around your heart (or a fence), that will transform you.

We have discussed the Outer Court, where we enter the Gate with Praise and Thanksgiving, then offer a Sacrifice of Repentance at the Altar, allowing time for the Word to Wash us clean, then placing the Weight of our prayers on Jesus at the Five Pillars. Remember that the Outer Court has been designed as a place to provide atonement. Realizing that we need Jesus to save us from sin before we need Him to provide, or to heal, or to deliver us from trouble.

Now we are ready to go into the Inner Court. This is the place God has designed to be a place of communion.

The Golden Candlestick is the first piece of furniture we find as we step through the curtain. It catches the eye because it is the single source of light in the room. Much like the doors are a symbol of Jesus, such is the candlestick. For Jesus said,

John 8:12
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.

And even the Apostle John opened his book with

John 1:4
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

It is imperative that as we enter this Holy Place of prayer (the Inner Court) that we continue to keep our focus on Jesus. We know that for the candlestick to burn, there must be a source of fuel. The oil. The high priests were tasked to check the oil twice a day to ensure that the light did not go out. So, it is with us that we must continually check that our “oil” is refreshed day by day. What is this oil? It is the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost in our heart, and every day we should seek to have this oil renewed.

2 Corinthians 4:16
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

The priests were also tasked with the responsibility to clean and trim the wicks, every day. This was so that the flame would be pure and bright. Otherwise, the flame would be altered by soot and smoke would fill the room. The same is true with us, not tending to the flame within us will lead to an altered, smoky, dimmed vision of who He is, and what He will do. So, we must daily tend to our “candlestick” and keep the oil fresh and the flame burning pure and bright.

The Table of Shewbread sits directly across from the candlestick. This piece of furniture carries two points of prayer reference. The first is the “bread”, which represents the Word of God.

Deuteronomy 8:3
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

Again, our first focus is on Jesus for He declared,

John 6:35
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: […]

And John also proclaimed

John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The second is the “table” that the bread rests upon. The table represents those who carry the Word.

1 Corinthians 1:21
21 […] it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Here is where we focus on the Word going forth to save, first to ourselves, then our families, then our communities. We should also pray for an anointing to be upon those who carry the Gospel.

This is another opportunity to pray Scripture over your needs. Take this as your opportunity to pick up the “Bread of Life” and cover your needs in prayer with the Word.

The Altar of Incense is the last piece of furniture in the room. It is here that we can begin making our petitions known to God. Here we pray and intercede for ourselves and others, and where we offer personal praise and worship. It is here where prayers of breakthrough and divine intervention are prayed.

This altar differs from the first altar we encountered. The Brazen Altar was where the “sacrifice of slaughter” was given. This altar is dedicated to being the altar where incense was offered. The incense was specific, God gave the exact formula to use, and it was NOT to be used for any other purpose. It was to be sacred, it was to be set apart, it was to be used as a sweet aroma to God [Exodus 30:7-9]. This was an offering of intercession. Numbers 16:46-48 describes the power, or authority, that comes from this altar. Aaron took fire and incense from the altar and stood between the dead and the living, and the Bible declares that the “plague stayed”. We too have power and authority and it’s here, at the place, that we can “intercede” and our intercession can cause the plagues in your life to stay (to stop going forward).

After interceding, take time to worship, but this worship is different from before. Why? Because the fire on this altar is fueled from the fire of the Brazen Altar. This praise comes from a heart that’s been forgiven. We are not simply praising Him as we enter because of who He is, here we are praising Him for what He has done and will do.

Suggestions/Action Items

Get a prayer journal. Begin using a prayer journal to document a daily journey with the God who answers prayer.

Commit. Find a time that works for you and give yourself to prayer.

Simply begin with this: Have you identified your Red Sea? Pray about it but this time spend time in the Outer Court of God’s Tabernacle, then step into the Inner Court and get a place of intercession.

Footnote: Prayer Model Adapted from Heaven to Earth, Anthony Mangun