The Anointed Altar
Enhancing the Believers Walk with God!
In Exodus 40:10, 29:36-37, and Numbers 7:88, we find references to the “anointed altar,” a sacred place where believers can encounter Gods presence. This anointed altar in a believers life can add significant value to their walk with God, leading to spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with Him.
The anointed altar signifies a consecrated space dedicated to seeking God, offering prayers, sacrifices, and worship. In biblical times, altars played a significant role in the religious practices of Israel. These were places where individuals and the community could approach God, seeking forgiveness, atonement, and communion. The anointed altar was set apart from ordinary objects or spaces and was specifically designated for worship and connection with the divine.
The anointed altar holds symbolic meaning as a place of surrender, intimacy, and divine encounters. Firstly, it represents surrender as individuals brought their sacrifices to the altar, symbolizing their willingness to submit to Gods will and surrender their desires and sins. It signified the acknowledgment that everything belongs to God and that humans come before Him humbly.
Secondly, the anointed altar represents intimacy with God. It was a physical space where people could approach God, seek His guidance, and experience His presence. The act of offering sacrifices, or prayers, at the altar symbolized the desire for a deeper connection and relationship with the divine.
Lastly, the anointed altar signifies divine encounters. Throughout the Bible, various scenes depict the altar as a place where God met with His people. Examples can be seen in Genesis when Abraham built an altar to worship God, or when Moses met with God at the burning bush. The anointed altar was seen as a gateway to experiencing Gods presence and receiving His revelations.
In summary, the anointed altar signifies a consecrated space dedicated to seeking God, offering prayers, sacrifices, and worship. It holds symbolic meaning as a place of surrender, intimacy, and divine encounters; representing humanitys willingness to submit to God, seek a deeper relationship, and experience His presence. Enhance your walk with God by spiritually endeavoring to experience the anointed altar!
Dr. Margaret Banks-Butler
WNOP International Harvest Prayer Coordinator
Information from: Prayer Connect Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - floshaw@wnop-upci.ccsend.com
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The principle of sowing and reaping
SEEDS TO TREES
Scripture teaches us about the principle of sowing and reaping. From seed, comes plant, a tree, or a field big enough to harvest. What you sow grows. The seed of a tree becomes buried where you cannot see it. Little by little, it is nourished in the ground and sprouts into view, growing into a large tree with deep root systems and wide-reaching branches.
The principle of sowing and reaping doesnt change. If a seed can live, it will grow. In scripture, seeds were often an analogy for the Word of God. As we read His Word it grows in our life bringing forth faith and works of His Spirit. But a seed can also represent things like bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, and vengeance. These are all big issues in someones life, but they all started as a seed.
Its not easy to cut down a tree when its grown. Instead, if we get rid of the seed when its small then we dont have to wrestle with it when it becomes a forest. Its your choice to leave a seed buried.
Pray:
that God would reveal to you any seeds in your life that lay buried and need to be removed. These may be things like bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, revenge, hate, envy, gossip, jealousy, discontent, or doubt.
for forgiveness, for allowing any seed to grow, contrary to His Word.
that God would help you to remove those that have grown up into large obstacles to your faith, and your walk with God and others.
that God would help you find someone to be accountable to during your recovery.
that God would make you aware when you are burying a seed in the future.
that you would replace every sinful seed with a seed from His Word.
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled (Hebrews 12:15).
Colleen Clabaugh - Guest Writer
Info from: Prayer Connect Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - floshaw@wnop-upci.ccsend.com
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Its About Time
Time is precious. Let’s pray that God will bless the time He gives us in our day.
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12). Lord, forgive us today and cleanse our hearts from indulging in ease and pleasure for it is time to seek You. Let all corrupt affections and lusts depart from us and let us have a broken and contrite spirit which breaks the fallow ground of complacency. Lord, help us to abound in works that are right towards You and others. For we will seek You this day, and we will sow in righteousness and reap Your mercy.
“My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me” (Psalm 31:15). Lord, I dedicate my day and time to You for it is in Your hands. Lead and guide me into Your divine will and purpose today. Help me to avoid the enemies of my time. Give me wisdom Lord, to steer clear of fruitless activities, time robbers or issues that don’t concern me. Deliver me from those who wish to cause me harm or hinder my progress and cause me to waste time.
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (Colossians 4:5). Lord, I pray that I may walk in wisdom toward those who have no wisdom. Help me to not get caught up in fruitless situations but help me to make the most of the opportunities that You give me today for Your Kingdom’s sake.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” (Psalm 37:23). Let my steps be directed by You, Lord. Let them be firmly established in walking in Your will today. Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me (Psalm 119:133). I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3). Lord, we praise You for that when we are afraid we can trust You and through Your Word, to speak to our hearts.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Help me, Oh Lord, to remember that time is short and the day is burning, so that my work must count for You. Help me to use wisdom in my endeavors and not to waste time on things that don’t really matter.
“It is time for you, LORD, to work: for they have made void your law” (Psalm 119:126). Lord, I know that the timing is right for You to work in my life and the lives of my loved ones. Lord, continue to do this work that they might see it’s You who are doing these things.
“For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come” (Jeremiah 51:33). Lord, do what You see fit to bring about a mighty revival in my home, church, family and in my community. We thank You for the mighty deeds You’ve already done and what You’re going to do though me today. In Jesus name, Amen.
Juli Jasinski District Prayer Coordinator Massachusetts/Rhode Island District
FROM: Prayer Connect Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - floshaw@wnop-upci.ccsend.com
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God has given us a space of time.
A Space of Time
Time cannot be purchased, and once gone, it is gone forever. In His grace God has given us a space of time for repentance, restitution, and restoration. We can see how merciful God has been and have faith that He still has a plan. In fact, it seems our world has become increasingly more wicked and the shedding of innocent blood continues at a horrific rate across our world.
There seems to be no fear of God, in spite of the obvious signs of the times that we are living in. I typically don’t write in the first person, but this is what God has put on my heart, so I will share these things that have inspired me to pray. Around the time of the 9/11 attack, I had a dream. I was walking barefoot on a train track. I remember looking down at the railroad ties, my feet didn’t hurt, but I was carrying some type of package that was heavy. The countryside was beautiful. It appeared to be farmland, and the horizon was speckled with cattle that could be seen far across the horizon. Suddenly, I saw a flash of light so bright that it turned everything white as snow. I heard a voice say, “My coming is soon.”
Having been fairly new to Church and prayer at that time, God speaking was foreign to me. After that dream, I was never the same. Around that same time, I attended a district ladies retreat. Bobbie Wendell was one of the speakers and I remember being deeply moved by her message, but what was ingrained in my memory is what I saw during the call to prayer afterwards. In prayer, I saw a huge black wave that seemed to come from a troubled sea. In the wave, there was a multitude of tormented faces; more than could be counted. I have also been haunted by another dream. In this dream, a man was calling to me from some far-away place, saying, “I don’t want to go to hell”. These visions have left me wondering, am I doing enough?
I am troubled by the thought of not seeking the Lord while He may be found; of getting caught up in the cares of this world, and the distractions that the enemy is clearly putting in the way of God’s people. Many are petty offenses that cause us to stumble. It is time to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. It is time to know, and live by His word. It is time to seek God daily in prayer, and time to wisely use the talent(s) God has given us. Let’s not be like the foolish servant, who lost everything.
It is high time to consider how much time is wasted, and how little time we may have. Do we have days, years, months, or decades? According to scripture, nobody knows, but we do have the signs of the times and the admonition to pay attention to them from Jesus Himself. This does not only apply to the second coming of Jesus, but the life we are living. The Bible teaches that life is a vapor. It is fragile, uncertain, and precious. Life must be regarded as precious to God’s people, even if it is devalued in the world we live in. This will be demonstrated by how we are using the space of time God has given us. How much are we taking for granted? Do we disregard the fact that eternity knocks at the door? Do we count precious the time we have to spend with loved ones, or time spent doing eternal things for God. Time spent in prayer and time devoted to His Kingdom are things that last. Sincere, heartfelt, fervent, effectual prayer is valuable to God and stored in heaven (see Revelation 5:8). How much time are we actually spending in prayer. Are we consistently seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness? Are we doing the things that prayer would lead us to do? Are we acting as a catalyst for what God would do as a result of prayer? Jesus said, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4 AMP).
Beth Marie Evans WNOP Prayer Requests Coordinator International Christian Fellowship Brookfield, Illinois
Info from: Prayer connect Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - floshaw@wnop-upci.ccsend.com
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Start with Prayer.
Start Your Day With Prayer by Dee Rogers.
“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” (Psalm 5:3 NKJV)
For many years I struggled with prayer. But God in His grace and mercy allowed me to find living for God was not hard. Just take the Bible for what it says, and live by it.
I found that I can talk to God just like I would talk to a friend or my family. The Bible says Abraham was “called the friend of God,” and the Lord spoke to Moses “as a man speaks to his friend.” The Book of Romans tells us we are adopted, and we become children of God. And that we can cry to him “Abba, Father.”
However, after having children, it seemed like I never had enough time to pray. Certainly not for longer periods of time. I began to feel guilty for not praying as much as I had been before marriage and children.
Finding time to pray seemed impossible some days. I heard “get up earlier,” but I found that hard to do. I finally realized that I was leaving prayer out of some days.
So I talked to God about it all. (Like He didn’t already know, but He is not going to fix everything for you, unless you ask Him! He wants to hear from us!) I became totally transparent with Him at that point. And He answered me – “Pray when you can, make time to talk to Me, and I will be there.” I began praying while still laying quietly in bed each day, to not wake anyone up. I was just making time for Him as it was available. I still love those quiet whispers of prayer in my morning and listening to Him.
Start your day talking to Him. Invite Him into your day and He will be with you in every hour of that day. Prayer becomes a conversation that continues throughout the day. We live in a very mobile society. Our days are busy, but, if we want Him to go with us, we need to talk to Him. He is a God who is available - He is everywhere. Talk to Him about everything in your life. Driving down the highway – your car becomes your prayer room. The more you communicate with Him the easier it becomes. He listens and speaks to you. Don’t’ forget to thank Him for the moments shared and life changes that follow.
“The Lord is good to those who… seek Him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
Info from: Ladies Prayer International Newsletter - UPCI Ladies Ministries - ladiesprayerinternational@aol.com
