"O, let the place of secret prayer become to me the most beloved spot on earth" -Andrew Murray
The Tabernacle described in the book of Exodus shows us a great roadmap into prayer (i.e. God's presence). In addition to this, it also demonstrates the three stages or realms of prayer. The Tabernacle was divided into three main parts: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. Each of these sections were different both in size and purpose. Let's analyze the diagram below and use it as a visual aid to help us learn.
The outer court is represented by everything within the white linen veil before you get to the actual Tabernacle. The outer court held the altar of sacrifice and laver. Out of the three main sections of the Tabernacle, this was the largest in size. The purpose of the outer court was to hold animal sacrifices as atonement for sins. It was also the place where the priests and levites washed both hands and feet before serving. It made sense that the outer court was larger than any other compartment since it was the place where the priests, levites, and Israelites came and presented offerings of thanksgiving and sacrifice to the Lord. The animal sacrifices of an entire nation required a large enough space. The outer court was large enough to hold hundreds of people all at once. I believe that this is the first form of prayer. Prayer in the midst of a community of other believers. The outer court represents prayer and worship with a great multitude. Today we simply refer to this practice as "attending a church service".
For many years, I believed the lie that I did not need to live in community with other believers. I repeatedly told myself that all I needed in order to be a mature Christian was Jesus. My attitude was this: "it's just Jesus and me going through life together. I don't need anyone else." This is a false narrative! Throughout the Scriptures, God emphasizes the importance of living plugged into a community of believers. I highlight the word "plugged" because it is about more than just attending a Sunday service. Being plugged in means forming a bond with other believers; allowing them to speak into your life as you speak into theirs. Prayer allows this to happen.
Whenever I read the book of Acts, I am always amazed by the signs and wonders that God worked through the early church. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, healings, and great miracles became common occurrences in their lives. Yet amongst all this, what is most impressive to me is the unity that the apostles and early church experienced. This unity is summed up in the following passage:
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." -Acts 2:42-46
Psalm 133:1 says, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" God's desire is for His chosen people to live in unity. This is exactly what the early church experienced. They had such unity as to sell their belongings to meet the needs of the body. No one looked on their belongings as their own, but rather as a tool they could utilize to bless others. The result of such unity was that the believers experienced great joy! But how did they come to this unity? Verse 42 gives us four keys to this kind of unity: obeying doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. Praying with other believers forms a bond that connects us to them.
We need to pray and worship with other believers.
Community is important to God! In the beginning, God said "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Gen 2:18). Now I realize that this Scripture was written in the context of marriage, of God bringing Eve into Adam's life. But I believe that this verse applies to more than just marriage. It applies to each one of us as we endeavor to walk with the Lord. It is not good for us to be alone. We need to be involved in a community of believers. We specifically need to pray for one another and allow the Holy Spirit to unite us to each other.
The next section of the Tabernacle is called the Holy Place. In this place only priests were allowed to enter. The Holy Place housed three instruments of service, namely the table of shewbread, the candlestick, and the altar of incense. Everything in the Holy Place was covered with gold signifying divinity. Whereas in the outer court you could pray and worship with hundreds of people, the space in the Holy Place was much smaller in size and therefore number. The Holy Place also limited its audience not only in number but also in job description. The outer court was the place where anyone (that is anyone who was an Israelite) could come into. Both the common people as well as the Levites and priests could join together and worship God. I stated earlier that this is an example of a church setting where both the pastors, elders, and the regular Sunday church-goer can unite in prayer.
The Holy Place, however, was designed for a smaller audience and only priests were allowed to enter in. It was a much more sacred place than the outer court. Though I am convinced that you can pray with hundreds of other believers, I believe that the Holy Place represents that smaller group of chosen believers that we enter into deeper fellowship with. It is great for us to pray with the masses but we should also ask God to bring the right prayer partners into our lives and enter into service with them.
We need to be in close, intimate fellowship and prayer with a few chosen believers.
Moses shows us an example of this. Though he was the leader of an entire nation of about 2 to 5 million people, when he was compelled to pray for victory in the fight against Amalek he did not call upon hundreds of Israelites to come and pray with him. He simply called for two other like-minded men, that is Aaron and Hur, to come along side of him and help him in prayer. The two men held Moses's hands up when he grew tired (Exodus 17:12). We need to have these kind of individuals in our lives. Other Christians that will help and encourage us when we too grow weary in prayer. It is amazing to consider that as strong as Moses was spiritually, he still needed the help of Aaron and Hur in order to have victory over his enemies.
Two are better than one!
There is a wonderful passage in the book of Ecclesiastes that shows us the power of fellowship. It says,
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." -Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
The passage in Ecclesiastes demonstrates to us the importance of walking with other believers. Notice the benefits of being connected to others: helping another get up again, providing warmth for one another, and prevailing against an enemy. Those are some pretty great benefits to being in close fellowship with another Christian!
Moses was not the only one that needed help from other believers in prayer. Our own Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ needed the same also. "And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray" (Luke 9:28). Notice that Jesus had 12 disciples. These twelve men were personally handpicked by Him after spending all night in prayer (Luke 6:12-13) and yet He did not call the twelve to go with Him into a mountain to pray and watch Him as He was transfigured. He only called three of them to this task. He took His inner circle with Him for this life changing event.
Intimacy happens in small circles.
Though it is important with us to worship and pray amongst large groups of believers (i.e. church setting/Christian conferences), it is equally important to be intimately connected with a smaller group of individuals with which we can be more open and candid. Jesus knew this principle which is why we often see Him calling out Peter, James, and John from among the twelve. We need to ask the Lord to bring the right people (not that there are wrong or right people necessarily but rather the right people for us specifically) into our lives with whom we can share a special bond in prayer. Individuals that are more in tune with us and will be true friends when life becomes rough. People that will rejoice when we rejoice and mourn with us when we are mourning (Romans 12:15).
The final section of the Tabernacle is called the Holy of Holies. This place was quite different from the two preceding sections. The Most Holy Place had only one instrument of service: the ark of the covenant. It was much smaller in size than the holy place and was only big enough to hold one person: the high priest. The high priest was required to go into this place once a year on the Day of Atonement to make expiation the sins of the people as well as his own (Lev 16). The Holy of Holies was a place of complete separation from the constant noise of society and deep intimacy with the Father.
Real fellowship with God is found in the prayer closet.
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 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." -Matthew 6:5-6
It is important for us to pray in large gatherings as well as small and inner circles, but our primary form of prayer should be done in the secret place. The Bible says that there is great and mighty power that is released when we come into agreement in prayer with other believers (Matt 18:19). So it is good for us to pray with others. Yet we must never allow corporate prayer as a substitute for spending time alone with God. In the passage mentioned above Jesus told his disciples to enter into their closet, shut the door, and then pray to the Father. What is the Lord trying to teach us by saying this? He is simple saying: cut the distractions and seek out a place of solitude for this is the place where deep prayers are born (through the Holy Spirit). The kind of prayers that don't always change our circumstances but that change us.
"The reality is, my prayers don't change God. But, I am convinced prayer changes me." -Lysa TerKeurst
God wants to get us into a place where we are alone.
**Jacob was forced into this reality and it was not under pleasant circumstances (Genesis 32). After separating from Laban, Jacob saw Esau's army of four hundred militant men coming towards him. For over a decade, Esau had been stewing on the fact that Jacob cheated him out of his inheritance. This was no friendly reunion. Esau wanted blood. Jacob realized this and was therefore "greatly afraid and distressed". The harsh and bitter reality birthed one thing in Jacob: fervent prayer. The night before his meeting with Esau, however, Jacob found himself right where God wanted him...alone. Verse 24 says, "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." Now Jacob had been walking with God for many years now. God had blessed him mightily in spite of Laban's deceptive practices. Yet he continued to be Jacob; a supplanter. However after he made the choice to get alone with God, we see a change in his life. Jacob was no longer Jacob. "And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed" (verse 28). He was now Israel.
God uses the secret place of solitude to change us.
Jacob's name and by implication his identity was altered after he spent time alone with God. Is this not the purpose of prayer? To change us. Jacob had a different name, Moses's face shone, and Jesus was transfigured. What about us?
Reader, I want you to know that you are so important to God. He loves you just as you are. He does not love the future and polished you but the present (and maybe not so polished) you. The love of Jesus is like a deep well that has no end. Corrie Ten Boom once said, "There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still." That is as true today as it was when Jesus walked the Earth. The Lord loves you. Yes, you! If the Master is calling you into prayer, I hope that you will receive His invitation today. My prayer is that both you and I will take the necessary steps this week and spend some time alone with our friend Jesus. He loves you more than you can ever know!
**[Side Note: God will often call us into a deeper place of prayer but oftentimes we ignore His calling or misinterpret it. We can ignore His calling busying ourselves with daily life. This is dangerous territory. Many times what ends up happening is that unpleasant circumstances begin to happen in our lives and we find ourselves just like Jacob forced to pray. The same prayer that God was calling us into before we had to experience these harsh life events. It is always best to take a proactive stance when it comes to prayer.]
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