Prayer – The Place Of Meeting

Tuesday, September 29

Exodus 30:1 (NKJV)

“You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.”

Devoción

God gave Moses specific instructions to build the Tabernacle, where His Presence would dwell. These instructions included the Altar of Incense. This altar was special to Him. It was made of the finest wood and covered with gold. It was to be placed in front of the veil, before the mercy seat over the Ark of the Testimony, where His Presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies—“where I will meet with you,” God said (Exodus 30:6).

Our faith in the Heavenly Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, is very relational.

This pattern of relationship started with the creation of man, as God walked in the cool of the day, fellowshipping with Adam and Eve. He frequently visited with His friend, Abraham, and centuries later, communed regularly with Moses at the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness. This desire for fellowship has not stopped. When Jesus, the Word, took on flesh and dwelt among us, here it is again: God engaged with His people. He met them at their lowest point and at their highest heights. His love for them drew them to Himself. And today, He is still the same.

In this present day, prayer is a certain way to commune with God—not as a last resort or a favorite “go-to.” God is a Person, and He entreats us to grow in relationship with Him:

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you …” Jeremiah 29:12–14

Prayer is holy to the Heavenly Father. In Revelation 8:4, prayer and holy incense went together: “And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.”

Exodus 30:35 describes God’s intent with the incense: “You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.” Verse 34 lists the specific spices that were to be used:

• Pure frankincense (representing holiness and purity)
• Stacte (meaning “to drip,” representing humility and sincerity)
• Onycha, which is crushed into powder (representing divine intimacy, a broken and contrite heart)
• Galbanum (representing repentance and the bitterness of sin. A repentant heart is a surrendered one. It does not resist Him. It lets Him in.)
• Salt (representing covenantal faithfulness, loyalty, and preservation)

Prayer attracts the Presence of God, as the holy incense prepares our hearts to meet with Him. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you.

Oración de hoy

Querido Padre Celestial,

Here I am. I seek You with all my heart. Teach me Your ways that I may know You, O Lord, and show me Your paths that I may grow in relationship with You. I desire to worship You in spirit and in truth. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Aplíquelo hoy mismo

Prayer is not just coming to God when we are in trouble. The next time you go to pray, remember that you are communing with a holy God, the One who loves you with an everlasting love and desires your fellowship. It will change the way you approach prayer.

Recursos

• His presence changes everything. Discover what it means to carry His presence wherever you go. Watch, “How to Carry His Presence” and be encouraged today!
• Need prayer? We’d love to stand with you! Submit your Prayer Request, and our prayer team will join you in believing God and lifting your needs before Him.