Did that title grab you? Well, what if I told you a man slaughtered so many animals that the number was too great to count?? Unbelievable? Read on...
This morning, in reading from the Bible, and something hit me. It says in I Kings 8:
I thought, wow, thousands? Well, I'd have to guess no, since at the dedication of the temple, scripture later says:
So in order to make the trek from where the ark was housed to the temple Solomon built, they probably didn't take more than a step or two at a time without sacrificing an animal.
And this is where I had my epiphany: That's just like our lives. We shouldn't move ahead once we have His guidance more than a couple of paces without covering what we're doing in prayer and offering our lives, our works, our hearts as a sacrifice to Him. Solomon kept the blood sacrifice over his actions and movements. We should do the same.
A few years ago, my family went through what our pastor called a Desert--much like the Israelites. I confess that during that time, I was broken in more ways than one. Though I am grieved to admit it, I no longer believed prayer worked--I was lost in hopelessness. Then, about a year ago, I read the book Committed But Flawed by Cecil Murphey This book revolutionized my thoughts about prayer. I took what, for me, was a huge step of faith and started praying again. Amazingly, God responded almost immediately. This gave me the courage to keep praying. I believe God said to me recently that what He wanted to accomplish in my life and that of my family's would only be done through prayer. Well, hello! I guess that means more commitment to prayer. :-D
So, there it is. Not really that profound, but it was a kewl to me.
I'm so glad to hear that you found prayer again. It's amazing that sometimes we have to go through the desert times but then that makes us walk much deeper with Him.
Another interesting thing about the Ark is that is sat outside of Moses's temple and in David's Temple for forty years where there was no animal sacrifice, but only twenty-four hours a day praise and worship. God was pleased with this.
Still, there were those who went through the religious ceremonies of the law at Moses Temple, and hey, God wasn't even there!!
This is the model of the IHOP (Internaional House of Prayer) in Kansas City.
Ronie,
I think that's waaay profound. I think that's the spot I am in at the moment. What the Lord is trying to get through to me. The other day I felt like a wild horse confined in a round corral. I was running and running around the pen looking for a way out and seriously thinking - I can jump this thing. Then I stopped. I realized I needed to hear from the Lord. So now I am in the middle of the pen and waiting and praying. The direction and freedom are coming.
Thanks for sharing your revelation. It's confirmation of what I am to do. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY and listen listen listen!!!
Love ya
Thanks for sharing this, girlie. My prayers have been so rushed lately, like my life. Time to slow down...
I think I need to take a look at those scriptures and that book. There are so many different pictures of prayer, sometimes it gets confusing. I'm fluent in the "talk to the Lord" all day long type of prayer, but not the "get down on your face before Him." Great visual and message. Just one question. What does "prayer" mean to you in this instance?
That's one of the things I love about studying the Old Testament. There is so much there that is relevant to our lives today. The symbolism in the temple and the tabernacle is amazing. I've always been amazed at how many animals were sacrificed, but I've never thought about how that would look practically. Yeah, I'm sure they couldn't take a step without sacrificing and being covered in blood. What a great image!