As a follow up to the entry, Appointed Times of Prayer, I thought I would write a little more about prayer and share a thought that struck me this Shabbat. There have been quite a few hits to my blog by people looking for prayer related information so I thought that this might be a timely entry.
Our family keeps to the Triennial Torah Reading Cycle as outlined here. This means that we take 3 whole years to cover the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. These are the foundational books of all of Scripture, everything written since Moses must be built on this foundation. If it is not, then the message could not be from the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac and the G-d of Jacob. He does not contradict Himself, He is forever the same. The books of Moses have not been done away with because we read where Yeshua says that if we do not “believe Moses” then we will not believe Messiah. In taking 3 years to cover these five books, we are able to spend a week at a time meditating on shorter passages. This is a thrill for our family, one we recommend to anyone who will listen.
The past few weeks we’ve been at the beginning of Leviticus, which is the most important and foundational section of the whole of Scripture to understand! Many believers are taught that Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled all of the sacrifices and that is why we do not need to participate in them anymore. This couldn’t be more incorrect. What many fail to realize is that this is how G-d our Father wants to be worshiped, it is what He instructed. Sacrifices and offerings at the Tabernacle/Temple is the method HE chose. And, according to the prophets we will be participating in sacrifices and offerings once again when our Master comes to rule from Jerusalem (to see what the future Temple will be like and how it will operate, see Ezekiel 40 to 48). Remember, both Yeshua and the Apostles were in Jerusalem participating at the Temple in their worship of G-d the Father: Luke 19:45 – 21, Luke 24:52-53, Acts 3:1 & 11, and Acts 22:17 to list just a few passages. If we are to be followers of Yeshua and imitators of His first disciples/students, then would we not do the same things they did? We would, if we could, find ourselves with other believers at the Temple worshiping The Father. But that is not possible today. The Temple has been destroyed and has not yet been rebuilt. May it be soon, and in our day!
So what are we to do? What is left that we can participate in? Prayer.
This sounds so simple and so trite. But think with me for a minute. As we read this Shabbat, there are prescribed sacrifices for unintentional sin. Note well that there are no sacrifices prescribed for intentional sin. Would HaShem have outlined sacrifices for intentional sin that would be along the lines of Him telling us that to sin is perfectly okay and that the sacrifice for sin was a payment for sin. This is not the case. The sacrifices are not a payment for sin but a way to purify us from the stain that is left behind by our sin, they are the avenue to restore the covenant relationship after we have unintentionally broken it. But if sacrifice is the avenue for restoration of relationship and purification, how much more for intentional sin?
At any rate, in these early chapters of Leviticus we read of how our Father, the Creator of the Universe, has said He wants to be worshiped. We are currently unable to do this because there is no Temple. All that we are left with, at the moment, is prayer. That sounds rather trite, like one of those nice little cliches. It doesn’t seem like enough, there must be more. But what if we have it backwards? I believe we have relegated prayer to some un-holy status. I believe we have made prayer more common, more regular and less holy than it truly is. You see, we often say “Pray for…” or we have our short five minutes of prayer time in the morning or evening. We have made this holy privilege something common and easily overlooked.
We have been given an amazing opportunity to come before The Most High G-d, to praise Him and to speak of His promises. What is more, we are allowed to present Him with our requests: our needs, our desires, our desire for His action. And what does He do? Does He laugh at us or mock us or cast us away because our petty little concerns are too menial for His greatness? We are but a breath, after all. NO! He hears our prayers and He answers our prayers! Does that not take your breath away? It does mine.
We can participate in the daily prayers – the Ma’ariv, Shacharit and Minchah (evening, morning and at noon). We can participate with others who do their best to keep these daily appointed times of worship and in between we can bring our offerings and sacrifices of praise and repentance, just as we did when there was a Temple and we brought our various sacrifices and offerings between the morning and afternoon daily sacrifices. We are still able to participate in a portion of the Temple rituals, as HaShem has commanded, through prayer.
So, does prayer still sound trite and like a cute little cliche? I have had to readjust my mindset about prayer. I have had to relearn exactly what prayer is. It is not something to be taken for granted, something to be regarded as common. It is a high privilege, an extreme honor. And more than that, it is all we currently have left of the system that G-d outlined for how we are to worship Him at the Temple. This is how He desires for us to relate to Him. This is what He wants. He wants prayer from pure hearts just as he wanted sacrifices from pure hearts.
May you be blessed as you draw near to worship The Most High G-d. May you be a blessing to Him and may He smile at you in delight.
* Edited to add links for further study:
Understanding the Sacrifices
The Holy of Holies
The Offerings
Qorbanot (Korbanot [Sacrifices]): Sacrifices and Offerings
I have to agree about prayer, it’s more for our benefit than God’s benefit. I have great probelms with worry, anxiety and doubt… if not careful I can literally worry myself insane (no joke). It’s happens much less now, but here lately, speaking out about Torah and standing for it as being for today…I’ve come under a lot of attack, not just on my blog but in “real life” as well. I find doubts plaguing me because I was raised to believe the EXACT opposite of this…that the law HAD been done away with! My daily (or should I say hourly?) prayer has been “Father, reveal to me your Truth, your Whole Truth and create in me a heart that is willing and able to accept it. If there be any errors, any incosistencies in my ways, please reveal them to me and give me the strength to do what I need to do to purge them from myself. I long only to serve you, in any way you ask” Everytime I pray this, I feel peace and my doubts just melt away
I, too, can find myself struggling with anxiety, worry and doubt. When these things gain a foothold in my life, I tend to get very depressed and want to give up on everything. It’s so draining.
I appreciate your prayer.
I grew up being taught that the old had been done away with and the Jews along with them, that we were the “New Israel” and all that old stuff was just for the past, just for the Jews. As I started to read the Bible on my own and question what I had been taught (How could it be this and not that? Who said? Where?), I came to a point where I wanted nothing to do with Christianity. Of course, this was in my turbulent teen years. *sigh* But after my first child was born I began to be drawn back to the ways I had been taught and I began to study for myself. NOW things make sense! Now I have security in what I have placed my faith in, the gaps are filling in and it is all becoming so clear!
Be strong and courageous, Stephanie. He is with you.
Shalom, My question is this: How was the Shabbat done in ancient times, and what was done, (example, a service, giving, etc. did they go to the nearest place to worship? Or did they worship with the family at home?) They were not allowed to carry money, even though this was not what they gave, but were they allowed to carry even spices to give on that day? Did they not give it another day? And also, Torah must have been read on other days also. todah and blessings, Karen
Hello Keren/Karen,
I’m no expert but from what I have learned, Paul makes reference to the Believers bringing their offerings after Shabbat had ended, it would be the “first day” of the week anytime after sunset on Shabbat. So to have your money with you might be acceptable and if giving it on Shabbat was frowned on, then giving it after sunset while the believers were together studying and sharing seems to be what took place. The services in the synogague are the distant relative to even today’s modern church service. They would have worship and reading/teaching.
I am sure that the Torah was studied on other days too but I don’t think that average families had copies of their own to study at home. I know that the little boys started school at about age 5 and it was a Torah based school – this is what they learned to read and write from. Our culture is so far removed from theirs that it is hard for us to wrap our brains around a culture that is based so much in oral tradition. For Mamma to teach her children from Scripture while working in the house without actually having the Torah to read from doesn’t “fit” in our minds today.
I also think that they went to the nearest synogague. I understand that this was most common even up to recent times, but it was also common among Christians. In some communities there would be only one church or one synogague so you went where you “belonged” and if your own theology differed a little you dealt with that at home.
There is a book, Our Father Abraham, that I wrote a review about. It would have better answers to this type of question.
It’s a good place to start.
Blessings ~
Lisa
Shalom Lisa,
Is it okay to make a comment on an older blog? I hope so – I’m such an inexperienced blogger-person! But I can’t help wanting to comment about these prayer times. Your words and heart for Adonai are just what I needed to read tonight. It is really a blessing!! I was especially blessed and encouraged by these articles on prayer/appointed times of prayer. Sometimes I feel lonely for another woman to “talk” to who understands these things. But I’m not despairing because my Father knows my needs and He always provides in His timing!! Just like your blogs tonight:)
About a year and a half ago I drove down to NC to hear Boaz Michael speak on Set Time Prayers. I had to go by myself because, at the time, my husband wasn’t ready for all this “jewish” stuff (grin, grin) and none of my girlfriends understood either. Anyway, after meeting him and his family (they were in their RV traveling around speaking) and hearing all that he had to share, I drove on back home. (I live in Virginia.) (I’m rambling, sorry…) My point is that on the drive back home, as I was processing everything, I began to see with new eyes how vital prayer really is.
The main thing that impressed me was that to be dedicated in our prayer life means setting a time (like an appointment) and keeping it. Stopping what you are doing because it is time to go and pray. What a life changing concept! I’ve certainly stopped what I was doing in the past to watch a particular TV show – but to stop what I’m doing to pray at a specific time everyday? WOW!! So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do – 9 a.m. is the only one I’ve been able to keep fairly consistently.
I realize the impact and drawing effect that afternoon and evening prayers will have. I really want to be faithful in this – with my whole family. My totally awesome husband is beginning to really grow since we started home churching (even to the point of wearing tzitzits on the weekends – hey, its a start!!). So, I’m hopeful that he will be ready soon to embrace set time prayers as a way of life for our family. Do you have anything to share that would help us?
The morning prayer time is great for the kids and me and it really sets the tone for the day. We have been especially blessed with the new prayer book which contains the liturgical prayers. They are so beautiful!! And to attend a messianic synagogue and learn to sing them ….. it melts my soul!!
Okay, I better stop now – sorry if I went on too long.
Thanks again for your faithfulness to HaShem!! May he bless you with deeper peace and joy….
Love in Messiah,
Lillian
Shalom Lillian ~
Your comment brings tears to my eyes! I remember when Boaz and his family were traveling around in the RV and I, too, went to the prayer conference.
We have implemented the morning prayers, though I have to admit that we’re not as faithful with them as I’d like to be. Your revelation is so right!!
No, you didn’t “go on too long” or anything of the sort! I’m thrilled to hear that your family is growing closer, as if ours.
My DH started wearing tzit-tzit about a year ago.
I completely understand the desire to have another woman to talk to, one who “gets it”. Sometimes it feels rather lonely. But it’s such a thrill to find a new friend. I’m so glad that you decided to leave a comment.
Blessings to you ~
Lisa
p.s. I almost forgot – I noticed that Rick Spurlock has a new audio teaching on the prayers. I downloaded the introduction to the series the other day but haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet. I’m excited about that series!
Hi Lisa,
You’ve gone and done it again!! I shall call you Ms. Blessings.
Thanks so much for the Rick Spurlock info. It took me some searching but I think you are referring to Bereans Online. I’ve haven’t taken the time to review the site but it sure looks good so far. I’m going to download it after supper and ask hubby if we can all listen to it.
I praise HaShem because he has allowed me to get the stinkin’ TV out of the living room and since then we have been listening almost everynight to messianic teachings online! It’s WONDERFUL!!! (And the best part is that my husband is leading us and learning so much. Can you see me jumping for joy all the way over there in Washington?)
Blessings back to you,
Lillian
Shalom Lillian ~
I went to respond to you earlier but got interrupted. I hope you had a restful and refreshing Shabbat. We sure did!
I’m glad you found his site and the info I was referring to. I suppose I should have been more specific in regards to how to find the material I was talking about. But I’m glad you found it.
Now, did you have a chance to listen to it? What did you think?
We spent the day yesterday listening to three different audio files on our weekly readings. I really like having them available online. What a blessing!
Blessings to you ~
Lisa
Please send me the web address for Rick Spurlock’s audio teaching. I would like to listen to them.
Thanks
Lynne Valle
Hello Lynne ~
I will e-mail you with this link as well, but I’m going to post it here as well. I’m sorry for the delay – we’re lambing and it’s been a rather busy few days here.
Mr Spurlock’s website is called Berean’s Online:
http://www.bereansonline.org/default.htm
From the home page you will find in the upper right corner a section on Prayer. There is a link there to take you to the prayer resources they have listed. Also, there is a section that right now has the Matthew audio files listed. At the bottom of that section is the link for all of their available podcasts and another link for their streaming audio.
I hope this is helpful.
Blessings ~
Lisa