Prayer | Grandma's Ramblings

We have looked at the Golden Table of Shewbread and the Golden Lampstand. Today I will share about the third piece of furniture in the Holy Place – The altar of incense.

The altar was made of acacia wood covered with gold. It was about 18 inches square and three feet tall. It stood in the Holy Place just in front of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

A vessel with live coals was placed on the altar and the priest would enter the Most Holy Place and sprinkle incense on the coals every morning and every evening. (Exodus 30:7-8)

This incense was to be a special blend of fragrances and was to be used only on the altar. Anyone who made this fragrance for personal use was to be cut off from the community. (Exodus 34:34-38) The fire used to burn the incense was to be taken from the altar of burnt offerings that was outside the Holy Place.

Much of scripture associates incense to prayer. David wrote in Psalm 141, “May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The raising of my hands as the evening offering.”

When John wrote about his vision of heaven, he described a scene where he saw “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 God’s people.”

“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 God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.”

Zechariah was offering the incense on the altar when the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him he and his wife Elizabeth were going to have a son. The Gospel of Luke tells us that while Zechariah was offering the incense, the people were outside praying – again an association with the incense offering and prayer. “Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside,”

I find it interesting as we look at the Tabernacle we first come to the burnt altar, where sacrifice for sin took place. Then, we pass the golden laver where the priests washed their hands before entering the Holy Place.

This points, I believe, that as we approach God, we first stop at the cross and receive forgiveness of our sins by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we still live in an imperfect world. As I shared in the post on the golden laver, we need to continue to take time to examine our hearts and minds and allow God’s Spirit to convict and then cleanse us again.

“In Biblical times, the priests would have washed at home. But walking through the dirty, dusty streets their feet could easily become dirty again. Perhaps this is a reminder to us that although we are saved by faith in Jesus and are clean, we are surrounded by a world that is far from God. Perhaps a reminder that while we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, it can be easy for us to pick up pollution from the world around. Things we see, words we hear, actions we encounter with others. How do you embrace the holy and live in a polluted world? You must keep stopping the laver.”

As we continue our approach into the presence of God we enter the Holy Place. Here we see the golden lampstand and the golden table of shewbread, and we are reminded that Jesus is the light and the bread of life. Coming face to face with the veil separating us from the Most Holy Place we find the altar of incense – the place of prayer.

Some believe this represents Jesus interceding for us before the throne of God. “Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” Hebrews 7:25

Others think this points to our need to make prayer a daily, constant part of our lives. “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Luke 18:1

Either view to me is encouraging. That Jesus is actively interceding for me, that He is aware of me and my strengths and failures. It is a comfort to know that He did not just die on the cross, arise again and return to heaven waiting until He returns someday. But He is actively involved in my walk with God.

It also comforts me to know that the prayers of God’s people are shown in John’s vision of heaven to ascend before God’s throne. He hears my prayers. It is a sweet-smelling fragrance to him.

As we communicate with God at the golden altar of incense, we are getting close to actually entering the Most Holy Place – the very presence of God.

How do we do that? What does the veil separating the priest from the Most Holy Place tell us about our relationship with God today?

I’ll be addressing that next Sunday. Hope you join me then.

In the meantime, know that God loves you and wants to hear from you. Spend time in prayer with Him this week.

In the Holy Place there were three pieces of furniture. Last week I looked at the golden lampstand.

/https://barblaneblog.com/2024/09/08/let-your-light-shine/

Today let’s take a look at the golden table of shewbread. Made of acacia wood and covered with gold, it was 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. There was a gold molding around the edges and four gold rings to hold poles that were used to carry the table when the Israelites moved from place to place.

The Table of Shewbread is called in Hebrew “lechem panim” or Bread of Face or Bread of Presence. The bread was set in the Tabernacle before the face or presence of God. The table was to hold twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The bread was to be replaced every Sabbath and only the priests could eat the bread.

As the priests ate the bread, I think of our own homes as we gather around the table to share a meal. We do not just sit and eat, but we share with one another how our day has been, the latest political or sports news, our plans for the week, things that are of interest to us. Eating a meal together is part of most of our gathering with others – weddings, funerals, holidays all include a time of sharing food together.

With the table of shewbread and the priests sharing this bread every Sabbath, I think we can see it pointing to how God desires a time of fellowship with us also.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9

The bread was to be made of the finest flour. In order to make flour the grain had to be ground, crushed and sifted. This also points to the life of Jesus here on earth as he faced temptation by Satan, betrayal by his own disciples and finally a cruel death on a Roman cross.

Tradition says the bread was to be unleavened. Since all the other grain offerings in the Mosaic law were to be without leaven, it seems likely this bread would also be the same. Leaven in the Bible has many different meanings. One meaning, however, points to how a small amount of leaven in a pan of dough causes the whole dough to raise, so allowing a “little” sin in our lives can soon destroy our relationship with God.

“Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:15

Finally, I think it certainly points to Jesus who said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

We can celebrate this gift of life from Jesus and the fellowship with Him in many different ways. But one main way we do this is though communion. Depending on what church you attend, you may believe that the bread actually becomes the flesh of Jesus. Or, you may believe it is a symbol of his body, but not actually his flesh.

Regardless of how you view it, through partaking of the bread in communion we acknowledge the importance of receiving the forgiveness from Jesus made through his sacrifice on the cross.

I posted this a few years ago, but as today memories come back, thought I would share it again. Today I choose to remember the gift my Dad gave me – an important gift. “Thank you Dad.”

This was a question asked at a recent Bible study I attended. Sitting at a table with eight other women, we went around our table, each woman sharing how prayer did or did not play a role in her family as a child.

As I shared my story of the very important part prayer played, I realized how blessed I was. Prayer was a very significant part of my home life. We prayed before each meal. Those prayers were not memorized or short “Thank you for our food” kind of prayers. Each family member took their turn in praying for a meal and the prayers were spontaneous – from the heart prayers. At bedtime we all gathered in our living room, knelt down by the couch or a chair and our Dad would lead us in a prayer. Any time I was not feeling well or had a problem at school, Dad’s solution was prayer. We did go to see a doctor when sick, but prayer always came first.

Being the youngest in the family, my first prayer at mealtime was a memorized prayer.

God is good, God is great!

And we thank Him for our food! Amen

At mealtime I would pray my simple prayer first, then another member of my family would say an “adult” prayer. Shortly after I turned five, my Dad decided I no longer needed to pray that childish prayer, but could just take my turn with the rest of the family praying at mealtime. However, he did not explain that to me. We sat down to eat and Dad called on my oldest sister to say the prayer. She prayed and everyone began eating. After a few minutes Mom noticed I was not eating and wanted to know what was wrong. “I didn’t get to pray” was my response. How could I eat my meal without thanking God for it? After Dad explained that I did not have to personally pray for the meal before I could eat and that going forward I could take my turn and pray a “real” prayer rather than the memorized one, I was content.

As a child, he was my hero! I thought he could walk on water and I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. He not only taught me the importance of prayer, but he gave me a love for God’s Word. My earliest memories are of Dad, after a hard day’s work, sitting at the kitchen table reading the Bible. Along with prayer, reading and studying the Bible was a high priority with him. He taught me how to use a Bible dictionary, a concordance and commentaries.

When I turned 14 my father made a 180 degree turn in his life. He deserted my mother, my sister and me and turned his back on all he had taught me. Refusing to pay any child support and showing no affection for me, he broke my heart. My hero died. As I entered the world of teenagers and then a young adult, one of my greatest desires was to regain a close relationship with my Dad. But sadly, it never happened. He remained very critical of me and everything I did. Every visit I had with him seemed to end up with me either crying or running out of his house in anger. How I longed for him to say he loved me or to give me a word of praise. But sadly, it never happened.

A few years ago my father died. I had long ago forgiven him for deserting me, had long ago forgiven him for his unkind treatment to me. So when he died, I thought all would be okay. Surprisingly, I found myself filled with the greatest anger I had every known. I felt hatred for him.

I struggled with this and prayed for deliverance from this pain. How could I feel more anger when he was dead than when he was alive? How could I feel hatred for him when I never felt that emotion when he was alive? After many months of soul-searching and prayer, I realized that as long as he was alive, I had hope that we would somehow become close again. That one day I would visit him and hear him say that he loved me or that he was proud of me. But now, that would never happen.

After months of prayer, I’m grateful that the anger and hatred subsided in my heart. But all that was left was a sense of great loss and sadness that the memories of my father were not pleasant ones.

But then, I attended the Bible study on prayer and listened to myself tell how my father taught me the importance of prayer. What a great gift he gave me! Although my memories of my dad when I was a teenager and later, an adult, were not pleasant ones, and I never received the love and approval from him that I so desired, I do owe him a great debt. He taught me one of the most important lessons a person can know – that God loves me and He hears me when I pray.

So – I have a great inheritance for which I am thankful. It’s my choice to cling to those memories and be grateful!

I posted this back in 2018. Still true today.

Seven Reasons to Ban the Lord’s Prayer

I have had some storms in my life. Parent’s divorce, father deserting me as a teenager, accidental death of my first husband, death of a grandson, cancer and the list could go on.

But I have found in those moments of distress, praising God has given me strength to go on.

I’m not saying I praised God for the problelms. I’m not saying I did not have many moments of pain and worry. But I’m saying when I praised God for His help, when I looked for the good things in the midst of the difficulty, peace always came. Strength to go on always came.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

One verse in the Bible I found that has helped me understand the importance of praise is Psalm 22:3

The King James Version (which is the version I grew up with) says “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel”

More modern versions tell us that “Still, You are holy; You make Your home on the praises of Israel.” (The Voice)

Whatever you face today, I encourage you to take time to enter into praise to God and communicate with Him. Yes, you can tell Him how sad, how hurt, how angry you are. He can handle your negative emotions. But, allow Him to minister peace to you as you reflect upon his love shown on the cross.

“For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” Philippians 2:9-10

“let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

My pastor spoke today on the importance of prayer. Prayer that is not a duty, something we need to do to be a good Christian. But rather prayer that is real communication between us and God. She is calling our church family to prayer.

This reminded me of a post I made some time ago on the importance of prayer. While I quoted several on this subject, I found a quote this week to add to the list.

“You can have revival without singing. You can have revival without preaching. But you can never have revival without prayer.” Dr. Wesley Duewel.

Let us never forget that the greatest thing we can do for God or for man is to pray.
“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that – it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” – Charles Spurgeon
Prayer is partnership with God’s activities on earth…Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The greatest need is prayer. Without increasing the number of Christian workers or their financial support, we could see multiplied results if we would only multiply prayer…Wesley Duwell
One way of laying down our lives is by praying for somebody. In prayer I am saying “my life for yours.” My time, my energy, my thought, my concern, my faith—here they are, for you…Elizabeth Elliott
Praying takes personal time, energy and determination. No other personal commitment has been so hard to carry out.
Prayer is asking God to align you with His will rather than asking Him to be aligned with yours.
Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed…E.M. Bounds
“True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice.” – Billy Graham
I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day….Abraham Lincoln

Our nation needs a real revival. Not a series of meetings where we sing and hear preaching and then go back to life as normal. But a stirring of the hearts of people that causes us to change and become more like Jesus. A stirring that leads us to truly love our enemies. A revival in our hearts like Isaiah spoke of.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Will you join me in this prayer for our nation?

In this morning’s devotion one verse stood out to me.

Psalm 5:3

In the morning….before I begin my day….before I open Facebook or email….before I rush off to the grocery store….before I watch the news.

I must confess there are days when I hurry into my morning plans without taking that time to speak to the Lord and hear His voice. When I do that, it is not long until my soul begins to feel empty. It’s like putting your foot on the gas pedal and discovering the car will not go forward because it is out of gas. Very quickly I am reminded how much I need the Holy Spirit to guide, comfort, encourage me throughout the day.

The verse also says that God will hear my voice. What a privilege it is to know that when I pray, God hears me. What a humbling thought. The Creator of all we see and do not see….the Savior who gave His life for us….the God who rose from the grave….He actually hears me.

What happens after I pray? I wait expectantly.

Other versions say:

I eagerly watch
wait for you to speak to my heart
I look up
wait for your reply

Waiting. That is the hard part. In our day of fast food, next day delivery by Amazon, instant coffee, we have forgotten how to be patient and wait. We sometimes treat God like a bellhop or an indulgent grandfather. We must remember His wisdom is far beyond ours. We must trust and expect Him to answer.

Lord, help me to always start my day with you. Help me to know and believe that you hear me when I pray. Help me to expect an answer, but help me also to wait on your timing and your answer because I trust you and know you are all wise and all loving.

There is a song that has been going through my mind all this week. When I wake up in the middle of the night, it is there. When I put down the book I am reading to get a drink, it is there. When I take a shower, it is there.

The song is by Big Daddy Weave and is called “I am Redeemed.”

This song has me thinking about those words. What does it mean to a Christian to say I am redeemed? Why do we refer to Jesus as our Redeemer?

In the Old Testament we see a role for the next of kin to step in and help when a man could not perform a duty for his family. This nearest living blood relative became know as the “redeemer” or the “avenger” of blood.

One of the duties of the redeemer was to buy back land that his next of kin might have lost due to selling his land to pay his debts.

“‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.” Leviticus 25:25

The Law of Moses established the principle that God was the owner of the land and Israel was his tenant. Therefore, the land was to stay with the original tribe or family that owned it. The redeemer would be someone in the family that stepped in and restored the land back to the one who had lost it by selling it to pay a debt.

“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.” Leviticus 2:23

The kinsman-redeemer would also be responsible to help preserve the family line by stepping in and marrying his brother’s widow when there were no children to inherit the brother’s possessions.

“If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.” Deuteronomy 25:5-6

This duty of the kinsman-redeemer is beautifully told in the story of Boaz and Ruth.

A third responsibility of the kinsman-redeemer was to see that justice was served if a member of his family was killed. He was to bring the charges of murder before the elders in a city of refuge. (The cities of refuge were places set apart where someone who had killed someone could flee to until a trial determined if the death was accidental manslaughter or murder.) If the elders of a city refuge decided the person was guilty of murder the kinsman-redeemer would execute judgment on the man. This is explained fully in Deuteronomy 19.

So Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer.

He meets the requirement of being a close relative.

“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11

“Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:34-35

He took on Himself our sins and paid the debt we could not pay

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14.

He has granted us the right to an inheritance with Him. Through Him the inheritance we lost when Adam and Eve sinned and death came into the world, has been restored to us.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…”

Finally, He sees that justice is done. First, by taking on Himself the penalty of sin and declaring us righteous. We do not have to find a city of refuge to hid in but can walk freely knowing we are made worthy by Him.

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6

Finally, we know some day total and complete justice will prevail.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:31

I love music! My best times of devotion are when I listen first to a praise song and sit and meditate on God’s presence before I pick up my Bible or my devotional book. In times of great joy or great sorrow in my life I have often gone to my piano and played a song expressing that joy, that sorrow.

One of my favorite musical groups is Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. This morning listening to one of their songs, “So You Would Know,” once again my mind roamed back to all the times God has been there for me in times of great sorrow or tragedy.

I have shared in other blogs many of those times God helped!

The Day That Changed My Life

Coincidence or An Act of God?

I’m thankful for those times when God’s presence and help were so needed – and He was there. Those times when I was weak and He carried me. Those nights when he wiped my tears away. Those times when pain racked my body and He sent healing down to me.

When you walked on this problemDidn’t I step right in on timeWhen you got weak along life’s journey

My angel carried you

When the pains were racking your body
Didn’t I send a healing down to you

How many days must I be a fence all around youHow many nights must I wipe your tears awayHow many storms must I bring you safely through

For you to know just how much I love you

However, while I thank God for help in difficult times, sometimes I forget to thank Him for day-to-day blessings, the many things I take for granted.

Didn’t I wake you up this morningWere you clothed in your right mindDidn’t I put food on your able

Show UP! when your bills were due

So today I thank God

that I woke up this morning still in my “right mind.” (And at my age, that is a blessing!)
that I was able to walk all by myself
that I was able to see the first flowers peeking out of the ground (spring is coming)
that I was able to hear as my church family sang praises to God
that I had plenty of food to choose from for breakfast: bagels, cereal, bacon and eggs
that I had a hot cup of coffee waiting for me fixed by my loving husband (and at our age, to still have my husband alive and well is a blessing!)
that I have a beautiful home and a closet full of clothes
that while I am not rich by any means, all my bills are paid
that I have clean, running water (and hot water too)

And the list could go on and on. Things I just take for granted. Things that a majority of the world does not have.

I want to encourage anyone who reads this to take a few minutes to think about all the things God has blessed you with. And recognize how many times we complain about our very blessings.

We complain about our “busy” schedules instead of thanking God for the children we have or the friends we have that take up so much of our time.
We complain about shopping for groceries instead of thanking God we have a grocery store with plenty of food to choose from and money to buy food for our family.
We complain about the weather instead of thanking God for the air conditioning and heating that makes life so comfortable on those hot or freezing cold days.
We complain about our jobs instead of thanking God that we have employment (if we are still young enough to work). Or thank God for the jobs we had that have led to our retirement now.
We complain about our aches and pains and loss of energy as we age in retirement instead of thanking God that we have lived long enough to be retired.

But the greatest blessing in my life is not that He delivered me from cancer, He strengthened me when my husband died or all the material blessings He has given me. The greatest blessing is that as a young child He helped me to see my need of Him and to understand how much He loves me.

When you were lost in sin and sorrowI died to set you free

So you would know just how much I love you

Join with me in praising God today for His blessings – both the BIG ones in times of GREAT need but also the EVERY DAY blessings we take for granted. And as you count your blessings, let it be a reminder of HOW MUCH GOD LOVES YOU!!!