In our previous devotional we shared about the importance of pausing in prayer before making any decision. Today, we are going to look into how we even got the right to step into God’s presence anytime and pray, praise & worship Him. Is this something that people had access to at all times and can be taken for granted or was it any different?
Do we even have to be thankful that we can pray? Or are we thinking that we are doing God a favour?
In the old testament times, the priestly duties were vested only on a special group of people called the priests. They were the mediators between God and man.Only the priests had access into the tabernable and to carry out different services that happened inside the temple of God. There were many duties that the priests carried out like offering sacrifices and atonements, ceremonial cleansings and also praying to God, praising and worshipping Him on behalf of the people.
The ordinary people were not allowed into the inner places of the tabernacle. They stayed in the outer courts and depended on the priests to speak to God and hear from God. They themselves could not have any direct encounter with God’s presence. Even so among the priests, only the High priest had access into the most holy place of the tabernacle which symbolised the presence of God. He could only go there once in a year and that with a lot of preparation.
However, things changed when The Great High Priest, Jesus Christ came into the picture. Through His death on the cross, the veil that separated ordinary man from the most holy place was torn. By His perfect sacrifice, the barrier between God’s presence and man was removed. Now, to all who believe in Him and in His finished work on the cross, He has opened a way through which we can have direct access into the presence of God. He is Emmanuel God with us. The presence of God is not in a man made tabernacle anymore but within us through the Holy Spirit.
So, we can now boldly open our hearts and lips in prayer, praise & worship anytime, anywhere. Isn’t it wonderful how every one who believes in Jesus has been made a priest of God and can have the privileges of prayer, praise & worship?
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
Let’s pray
Dear Lord, today we choose to thank You for the priestly privileges of prayer, praise and worship that You have so graciously and freely given that many before us didn’t have. May we make use of it knowing that we have access into Your presence at anytime, anywhere and that we don’t have to depend on someone else to come before You. Help us to offer sacrifices of praise to You unendingly and with a heart full of gratitude. Thank You Jesus for making this possible by Your supreme sacrifice. Thank You Holy Spirit for now we are the temple of God because You live in us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Affirm Truth 