"In Quietness and confidence shall be your strength"[Isaiah 30:15.]
Shared at: Shellharbour Christian Fellowship.
By: Renae Hayman.
Occassion : Sunday Evening Meeting (Sharing Time)
Date: 25th. April 2010.
Written By: Renae Hayman.
Exodus 20:24-26 “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me…I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
¶ I have been encouraged concerning prayer and entering into the Lord’s presence through these verses. He has shown me, He does not desire hewn stones, things that are prettied up by my efforts as it is an offence to Him and he cannot receive of the prayer of my lips because it is polluted with the flesh, vain glory, self effort (no flesh shall glory it His presence). He has shown me that we are what we are and it is better for me to come to Him as I am for He desires truth in the inward parts (I am not pretty, I am merely a sinner saved by grace). Furthermore, the Lord says “Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar”. This encouraged me that I do not ascend to the Lord on man made steps, this I think displeases Him most, as it makes little of all that Christ Jesus has accomplished for me, it is the Almighty who has sought after me, who sent His Son to me and has caused His Spirit to be sent from heaven to dwell in my heart. He has reached down to me, He has met my need, He has saved me and to think that I can come to Him by my own understanding or via my own strength then He must lay bear my nakedness and shame that a right relationship and understanding of Him can be manifest. And then He says, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee which I believe is His whole heart for me to abide with Him and for Him to bless me with who He is.
¶ With a bit more encouragement concerning prayer the Lord has shown me that He desires men and women that do His bidding as Moses who heard from the Lord and performed all His will & desire on the Egyptians and then it struck me that the Lord also hearkened unto Moses. The Lord has shown me that this is the kind of relationship He desires with me, that He speaks, I do, and He hearkens to me. Jacob was a prince and had power with God and with men, and prevailed. ¶ The Lord has also shown me that learning this and abiding in this kind of fellowship takes time and He encouraged me with the parable of importune prayer where guests come to a man's house and he has nothing to lay before them, so he goes and asks his friend, who replies I am in bed etc I cannot get up. But because of the importance of his friend he gives him what he needs and then he goes and lays it before his guests. The Lord has encouraged me I have nothing to offer anyone of myself, I must go to my Friend,and some times he does not get up straight away but He has encouraged me He will get up if I keep asking so I can give bread to those in need. He has encouraged me concerning a saint that knew what it was to seek the Lord like this; and on one occasion he sought the Lord for 18 months over one friend who knocked on his door, and after 18 months the Lord gave the answer, and this man who was healed told everyone: and then others with various needs kept knocking on his door, and he kept asking his Friend and his fellowship with his Friend became so close, that after years of serving others he would only need to look up for a few moments and he would have an answer. Praise the Lord. What is impossible with man is possible with God.
The Blessing of Prayer.
“An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me…I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
God Bless.