April 15, 2023

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to [Zacharias], standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Luke 1:11

The story of Zacharias being divinely informed that he would become the father of one over whom many will rejoice at his birth highlights a sweet and welcome communication between heaven and earth. Communication is an essential element in our relationship with the Lord. Indeed, our prayers may be seen as a fragrant offering to Him. Would it not stand to reason, then, given that our mortal enemy wants to wreck our relationship with the Lord, that he would execute an “inside job” to interrupt communications? Yesterday we saw that he does not want us to feed on the Word, the bread of life. How easy it has been for him to slip in unbiblical traditions and so condition us to them we are blinded to Biblical truths!

We are told that God collects our prayers, many of which are accompanied by tears (Psalm 56:8, Revelation 5:8, 8:3,4). This precious encouragement to pray must be accompanied by total trust in His timing. This writer knows for sure that many prayers of her grandmother have been answered after her death. I believe that more of her prayers are to be answered soon – in the perfect timing of Yahweh.

As our heavenly High Priest serves on our behalf, we are taught to lift our prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession directly to Him. Even when we do not know what to say, His Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

…the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26

In providing endless worldly attractions, the enemy has successfully intercepted the prayer life of countless professed Christians. Add to that his attack upon the sanctuary: he has cast down Christ’s mediation for us and put in its place confession to an earthly priest. The confessional booth is a two-compartment structure divided by a curtain, quite the counterfeit of the tabernacle proper. The accompanying false doctrine teaches that instead of approaching God’s throne of grace daily (see Daniel 8:11) for forgiveness and cleansing, you are to go to confession “at least once a year” and confess to a priest who ostensibly possesses authority to forgive sins; a man sitting in the place of God hearing the confessions of other men’s sins. Pompous indeed! (see Daniel 7:8,11) The implied message to the people is that God won’t listen to you. He’ll listen to the priest but not to you. How does this portray God in the eyes of the laity?

Prayer is essential in our daily walk with the Lord. Beloved, keep an ongoing dialog with your Savior. Listen to Him. Speak to Him. Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17