God Hears the Prayers of His People PT-2

This covers the same verses as Part-1 covers:

Part B:  “A true fervency in prayer isn’t a religious emotion we work up ourselves; rather, it’s a blessing that God sends down as we yield ourselves to Him.”  This is a quote from Warren Wiersbe’s book on Exodus.  James writes in James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  James is saying that our prayers are not to be coldhearted for that is not effective prayer.

            In Exodus 30:34-48, which is written above, Moses gives the formula for making the incense that was to be burned each day before the Lord.  This was a specific formula and could not be altered for it was holy to the Lord.  In the same ways are prayers are to have some sort of order in them and when the disciples ask the Lord Jesus Christ how they should pray He told them what is commonly called the Lord’s prayer, which should be called the prayer for His children.  I say this because in this prayer, which is recorded in Matthew 6:5-15, there is a part in it that says were are to forgive those who sin against us and of course the Lord Jesus Christ never sinned.  I use a system in my prayer time, especially whenever I write it down called CAST, and this means confession, adoration, supplication, and thanksgiving.  Peter writes that we are to cast all our cares upon Him, God, for He cares for us and that is what prayer is, at least part of it.  CAST is my formula for prayer.  It took time to make the incense and when ever I use the formula CAST to pray it also takes time as I have to think of each portion of my prayer as it relates to the formula.  It is good to note that Nadad and Abihu did not worship the Lord in the way prescribed by Moses and offered strange fire to the Lord and He killed them because of it.  Now the Lord does not kill those who do not pray as they should, but it is good to note that we do have an example on how to pray and should keep it.

            The believers prayer life is somewhat different than that of the OT believer in that we have direct access to the Lord because of Christ’s work on the cross as the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 10:19-25:  “19 ¶  Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20  by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22  let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24  and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25  not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

            As the priest burned the incense each morning and evening, and this can picture have a prayer in the morning and also in the evening, there are other places in the Bible that speak of prayer going on, or at least the attitude of prayer going on throughout the day, as Paul wrote in 1 Thes. 5:17, “pray without ceasing.”

            In Exodus 30:9 Moses writes “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.”  This altar was only used for the special incense to be burned on and so it is with our prayer life as we are not to make bargains with the Lord and no amount of sacrifices can take the place of prayer. 

            In Exodus 30:35 Moses speaks of using salt in the mixture of the incense, and salt is a symbol of purity and of a covenant relationship (Lev. 2:13), “Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.”  We are to make sure that we have no sin in our lives before we pray to the Lord for Psalm 66:18 says “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”  1 John 1:9 says that “If I confess my sins He is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” 

            “Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the priest had to apply blood to the incense altar in order to make it ceremonially clean before God (Exodus 30:10).  Even in our praying we can sin.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have been reminded the seriousness of prayer and how I am not to half-hazardly pray to the Lord, especially during the prayer time that I am to set aside each day to pray to the Lord.  I know that I am to have an attitude of prayer all of the time, and believe me when I say that this is a hard thing to do.

            Sometimes you think that you are growing in the Lord and are doing well and then you read a lesson like this one.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Have a better attitude when it comes to praying to the Lord, to take it more seriously. 
2. Trust the Lord to guide my path.
3. Believe that the Lord will make a way of escape when things get too tough.

Memory verses for the week:                      Exodus 20:1-3

1. Then the Lord spoke all these words, saying,
2. I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3. You shall have no other gods before me.

7/18/2008 9:18 AM