A Guide to Praying Through the Tabernacle Plan
Josh Bault
The Gates
a. Acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Door through confessing your faith in the witness of His gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew declared Him as God with us (the Hebrew God), Mark saw Him as the Messiah of the Hebrews, Luke saw him as the Power of God manifested, John saw Him as the Lamb of God. When you enter the gates into His presence, acknowledge Jesus Christ as your all in all; He is your Messiah, Your sacrifice, your intercessor, your God and your power. You acknowledge that Jesus is your entrance to heaven as well as the spiritual dimensions available to us while here on earth. “Father, Hallowed be thy name.”
i. Psalm 100: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.”’
a. Spend time in thankfulness for the blessings that God has given us and the trials that we endure. “In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”1 Thess 5:18
b. In the courtyard we bring forth praise just for who God is. “Praise God in the sanctuary, praise Him in the firmament of His power; praise Him for his Mighty acts, praise him according to His excellent greatness.” Psalm 150:1-2
II. The Brazen Altar
a. This area of prayer is our time of repentance. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Pray for God’s fire to fall. It is here that we confess our sins and we ask God to burn away the areas of our life that are displeasing to him: rebellion, pride, lust, works of the flesh. Here it is that we close ourselves out to the world, to the enemy, and to the flesh.
III. The Brazen Laver
1. We should pray for the Lord to wash the ashes and the blood from our hands and feet, to wash the burnt parts away from us.
2. Use the Word. Pray here to “have clean hands and a pure heart.” Pray here for God to “create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you.”
3. Allow God to give you a scripture here to allow it to reflect your life as a mirror. The laver was polished so that it was a mirror so the priest could see their reflection and allow the Lord to show them any spot or wrinkle. Allow God’s Word to show you your reflection and let it wash you clean.
IV. The Holy Place
a. We enter the Holy Place through 5 pillars (supported the curtain): Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Jesus Christ). Pray for revelation of His name and His love.
i. Declare your awe of Him
ii. Ask for His wisdom and His counsel
iii. Declare Jesus as the Mighty God
iv. Acknowledge and declare Him as the father of your life (He loves you, empowers you, encourages you, and disciplines you)
v. Ask for and speak His peace into your mind and heart for your safekeeping.
b. The Menorah (the Golden Candlestick).
i. Pray for the anointing to provide light to you, to provide protection; that God will shine in your life all the time.
ii. It provides light for the table of showbread. We must hide in His Word,
iii. Pray intercessory prayers for the ministry, the church, the leadership
c. The table of showbread
i. Pray for a fresh word from God every day, We must have fresh bread every day.
ii. Pray for direction for life, soul-winning, operation of the gifts of the Spirit In us and for sustenance for life
iii. Pray for direction and sustenance for others.
d. Altar of Incense
Get carried away in worship. The fire from your worship here goes up before God.
V. The Holy of Holies:
This is the place where you romance and love God, where true worship begins. Remove your garments and put on the white garments of intimacy. Uncover yourself completely to God. Spend time worshipping and loving and desiring God. Long for Him, seek Him whole-heartedly.
a. The covering of the cherubim: God provides angelic hosts to protect and fight for us. Pray that God would send angels to help fight this battle with us.
b. The Mercy Seat: Pray for the mercy of God and His favor upon you and your family.
c. Enter into the Ark of the Covenant
i. The pot of manna: pray for God’s word for your sustenance and journey
ii. The Ten Commandments (the law): ask God to keep you and your family from sin. Pray against perversion in life and pray for a revelation of how to love God and love your neighbor. Pray how you can reach the lost.
iii. The rod of Aaron (the priesthood): take authority over every high place and spirit that comes against you and your family in the name of Jesus Christ. Use that authority to tell the Devil to back off. Take dominion over things that would come against family or church. Pray for God’s acceptance of your ministry to Him.
Praying through the Tabernacle – Part 2
Josh Bault
1 Thessalonians 3:7-11
Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: (7)
For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. (8)
For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; (9)
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? (10)
¶ Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.(11)
I. Prayer must fulfill two essential principles: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16
a. Prayer must be exceeding (above and beyond call of duty) and fervent. There is power in fervent and exceeding prayer before God. James 5:16-18 declares: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (16)
Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (17) (1 Kgs. 17.1 ; 18.1)
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, (1 Kgs. 18.42-45) and the earth brought forth her fruit. (18)
Fervent is defined as: “exhibiting o marked by great intensity of feeling, impassioned.” God wants us to be passionate about communicating with him about our needs and the needs of others, as well as just spending time with him.
PUSH: pray until something happens. Perseverance and diligence in prayer pays off. Elijah had to pray for rain 7 times before it came.
b. Not only should prayer be exceeding “night and day, but it should also follow the a pattern. It must be ‘fervent’ and “effectual.” God has given us a pattern for effective prayer through the Lord’s prayer and the Tabernacle plan.
II. The Tabernacle Pattern of Prayer
a. The Significance of the whole tabernacle
i. It was a place of meeting with God; it was the only way there could be a relationship with God.
1. Our prayer life and walk with the Lord must come through approaching God correctly and with the right attitudes and spirit. It is only this way that we can truly meet and have a relationship with God.
ii. It was a type of separation out of the world and an enclosure to get alone with God.
1. The walls were 7 1/2 feet high, they were some 4 inches thick, there was only one door; no one could see in and once you were in you could not see out.
2. Once you find yourself in the secret place of God’s presence, the enemy and world cannot see you, and you will not want to see out. Colossians 3:1-3 declares:
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (1)Ps. 110.1
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (2)
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (3)
We are hidden in Christ through our relationship with Him. We obtain entrance into his secret place daily through our prayer life, our study of Scripture, and our worship. Here it is that we are guarded by His presence. Our affections are exposed in His presence and here the Lord puts a covering over our affections and redirects them to heavenly things. The tabernacle keeps us from sin and keeps us from placing other things, people, and ideals in the place of God.
iii. The place where the fire burned continually.
1. The fire of the altar, the fire of the candlestick, and the fire of the incense had to remain burning at all times. This is symbolic of the fires that must remain burning in our relationship with Jesus Christ. The fire of repentance, the fire of his anointing (light) and the fire of worship.
b. Using the tabernacle as a pattern of prayer
i. The gates
1. The gate was the only entrance into the tabernacle. This gate is symbolic of Jesus Christ being the only door into the Kingdom of God. The gate was surrounded by 4 pillars: One symbolic representation is the witness of Christ’s life through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew declared Him as God with us (the Hebrew God), Mark saw Him as the Messiah of the Hebrews, Luke saw him as the Power of God manifested, John saw Him as the Lamb of God. When you enter the gates into His presence, acknowledge Jesus Christ as your all in all; He is your Messiah, Your sacrifice, your intercessor, your God and your power. You acknowledge that Jesus is your entrance to heaven as well as the spiritual dimensions available to us while here on earth. Father, Hallowed be thy name.
2. Psalm 100: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.”
a. To enter the courtyard of His presence, we spend time in thankfulness for the blessings that God has given us, the trials that we endure, and the patience that God provides through them. “in all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thess 5:18
b. In the courtyard we bring forth praise just for who God is. We worship him because He is worthy and because He has done great things. “Praise God in the sanctuary, praise Him in the firmament of His power; praise Him for his Mighty acts, praise him according to His excellent greatness.” Psalm 150:1-2
ii. The brazen altar
1. The altar is the place of sacrifice. When the COI came into the sanctuary, they had to bring a sacrifice and the priest would slay the animal and put its blood upon the horns of the altar and would burn parts of the animal before God.
2. We must bring sacrifice to God
a. Repentance is a daily sacrifice that must be made to God. Paul declares: “I die daily.”
b. Fasting is a periodic sacrifice that we can give to the Lord
c. Praise/Worship/Ministry are other examples of sacrifice to be made.
3. This area of prayer is our time of repentance. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Pray for God’s fire to fall. It is here that we confess our sins and we ask God to burn away the areas of our life that are displeasing to him: rebellion, pride, lust, works of the flesh. Here it is that we close ourselves out to the world, to the enemy, and to the flesh.
a. It will take some time to accomplish (sometimes 45 minutes to an hour).
iii. The Brazen Laver
1. After sacrificing at the altar, the priest had to wash. His hands were bloody and his feet were dirty. He had to wash lest he die.
2. We should pray for the Lord to wash the ashes and the blood from our hands and feet, to wash the burnt parts away from us.
3. Use the Word: “We sanctified and cleansed by the washing of water by the Word.” Pray here to “have clean hands and a pure heart.” Pray here for God to “create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you.”
4. Allow God to give you a scripture here to allow it to reflect your life as a mirror. The laver was polished so that it was a mirror so the priest could see their reflection and allow the Lord to show them any spot or wrinkle. Allow God’s Word to show you your reflection and let it wash you clean.
iv. The Holy Place
1. We enter the Holy Place through 5 pillars (supported the curtain): Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Jesus Christ). Pray for revelation of His name and His love.
a. Declare your awe of Him
b. Ask for His wisdom and His counsel
c. Declare Jesus as the Mighty God
d. Acknowledge and declare Him as the father of your life (He loves you, empowers you, encourages you, and disciplines you)
e. Ask for and speak His peace into your mind and heart for your safekeeping.
2. The Menorah (the Golden Candlestick)
a. Pray for the anointing to provide light to you, to provide protection that God will shine in your life all the time.
b. It provides light for the table of showbread. We must hide in His Word.
c. Pray intercessory prayers for the ministry, the church, the leadership
3. The table of showbread
a. Pray for a fresh word from God every day. We must have fresh bread every day.
b. Pray for direction for life, soul-winning, operation of the gifts of the Spirit in us and for sustenance for life.
c. Pray for direction and sustenance for others.
4. Altar of Incense
a. Spend time worshipping and letting go in God’s presence. This is the place to get carried away in worship. The fire from your worship here goes up before God.
v. The Holy of Holies
1. This is the place where you are shut in with God, the place of true intimacy with Him. The priest had to take off the outer garments, the bells and the pomegranates, and put on the white robe of intimacy to enter through the veil. You enter God’s presence by intimacy with Jesus Christ. His flesh was the veil. The only entrance is through joining in Him. This is repentance, baptism in His name, being filled with the Holy Spirit. That is true connection, true intimacy with Jesus. This is where the glory of God dwells through the sanctuary of the body of Jesus Christ. Through the New Birth and seeking after Him, we are in Him and He is in us (intimacy), and the glory of God is revealed to us and in us. This is the place where you romance and love God, where true worship begins.
a. The covering of the cherubim: God provides angelic hosts to protect and fight for us. Pray that God would send angels to help fight this battle with us.
b. The Mercy Seat: Pray for the mercy of God and His favor upon you and your family.
c. Enter into the Ark of the Covenant
i. The pot of manna: pray for God’s word for your sustenance and journey
ii. The Ten Commandments (the law): ask God to keep you and your family from sin. Pray against perversion in life and pray for a revelation of how to love God and love your neighbor. Pray how you can reach the lost.
iii. The rod of Aaron (the priesthood): take authority over every high place and spirit that comes against you and your family in the name of Jesus Christ. Use that authority to tell the Devil to back off. Take dominion over things that would come against family or church. Pray for God’s acceptance of your ministry to Him.
From: Pastor Josh Bault’s personal notes. Used by permission. January 2012. Adapted from teaching given by Anthony Mangun, Alexandria, Louisiana. It may be used for study & research purposes only
