Call to Draw Near!
April 14, 2022 in Today's Prayer by TGV
3-BSG-1B: PRAYER GUIDE.
Leviticus 1: Prayer Guide/ 3-BSG-1B (Leviticus 1:1)/ Theme: Call to Draw Near! / Hymn: Take My Life and Let It Be (SDAH 330).
Key Text: “The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tabernacle of meeting” (Lev. 1:1).
Heart Questions: Where was God when He spoke to Moses? What can we do today to enter God’s presence? What preparations must we consider before entering His presence? – (Exploration: read Ex. 19; 1 Pet 3:12; Ps. 23:3, 4; Isa. 26:2; Jn 10:9; 14:6; Eph. 2:17-18; Heb. 10:19)
Opening Remarks: Call to ascend to Yahweh’s Presence! Previously God spoke from Mt. Sinai, but now He speaks from the Most Holy place of the sanctuary. Moses drew near God to receive specific instructions about worship: how to draw near God and accepted through sacrifices. Today, we take the privilege of entering the glorious Presence of God lightly. This chapter detail the steps in which the worshiper (a sinner) brought a sacrifice (an offering) to God. Read again Lev. 1:3–9. How does each of these steps help to inform/ shape your prayer life?
How can you use this chapter to help someone draw near God? (Meditational Hymn, SDAH # 306 – “Draw Me Nearer!). This chapter, among other things, calls us to enter God’s presence. Moses, the nation’s most humble representative, was called to come closer, to draw nigh to God’s presence. Beloved, this must be our goal too: to enter the glory of God’s presence; to have the Most Holy place’s experience in our daily lives, consecrate ourselves (keep God’s holy Law), and be holy as He is holy. Beloved, is this your earnest desire?
Lastly, the whole sacrifice was burnt before the LORD upon the Altar. Fire is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Later in the Book, we learn that the fire had come out from God as a token of acceptance (Lev. 9:24). Beloved, we must surrender our whole nature, body, soul, and spirit to the disposal of the Holy Spirit.
As we come to today’s Prayer Session, Beloved, we are invited to— [1] Heed God’s call to ascend into His Presence! [2] We must repent our sins. We cannot ascent unless all sin is dealt with: “For our, God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29); [3] We must surrender all Jesus – and allow Him to “Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.” Amen?
Values to Build On: Prayer (confession & repentance); Presenting our Gifts (tithes/ offering) to God freely & cheerfully (cf. Lev 1:3; 2 Cor. 9:7); Consecration – (presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, Rom 12:1-2); Giving God our best: time, talents (spiritual gifts), resources, but above all, Obedience to His will.
Sins to Avoid/ Confess: 1. Failure to adhere to the above values/ 2. Failure to become familiar with Levitical Law. — “We are to become familiar with the Levitical law in all its bearings; for it contains rules that must be obeyed; it contains the instruction that, if studied, will enable us to understand better the rule of faith and practice that we are to follow in our dealings with one another. No soul has any excuse for being in darkness.” — (Letter 3, 1905).
Something to Thank God: The provision Christ has made on Calvary for all people (“whosoever:” Jn 3:16; Jn 4:14; Rom 10:13; Acts 2:21; Rev. 22:17) to have “access to God” (cf. Mark 15:37-38) and be saved (1 Tim 2:4).
People to Pray For: All worshippers (sinners & righteous alike) to draw near God.
Issues to Pray For: LORD, let my prayer and service be acceptable/ and pleasing unto Thee!
Today’s Promise: 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. – (Hebrews 10:19–23, NKJV)
3-BSG-1Z: CLOSING PRAYER.
Closing Prayer/ Leviticus 1, (3-BSG-1Z)/ Is there a prayer I can pray/echo in this chapter? Yes.
Prayer: Father, thank You again for Your word in Leviticus chapter one. We thank You for the gift of life, for another chance to hear the Gospel and make necessary changes in our lives.
Father, we saw how You have called us to enter Your glorious presence. Our problem is sin (Isa 59:1-2), and we are often ashamed to draw near because of those sins (Jn 9:31). Forgive us, dear LORD. May Thy Spirit remind us what was taught through the Burnt Offering: how it pointed to Christ; how hard it was to deal with sin; and how Christ was “smitten, afflicted, bruised, and wounded” for our transgressions (Isa. 53:4-5). Please help us vividly understand the costly wages of sin (Rom 6:23; cf. Rom 8:13; Gen 2:17; Ezk. 18:4; Gal. 6:7; Rev. 21:8) and make wise choices now (before it is too late) to surrender to Jesus Christ.
We thank You for Your unchanging character – Loving! You are a loving God who desires to draw near. Though the children of Israel were sinners (just as we), You devised a plan whereby everybody (the rich, average person, and the poor) could come before You (through sacrifice) and be accepted and forgiven of their sins. Thank You for being “a forgiving God,” who forgives our sins, transgression, and iniquity – And who “remembers them no more!” (Heb 8:12; 10:17).
We thank You for Your works of Redemption – For Jesus Christ, our Burnt Offering on Calvary! We thank You for the total Sacrifice of Your beloved Son, who offered Himself “once for all” (Heb 7:27) that we might live forever. We thank You for “access to the Father” because of what was accomplished by the Son (on our behalf) at Calvary. May Thy Spirit help us “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:22).
May this Book bring a Revival in our daily lives as we see Jesus in each chapter. May our prayer and service be acceptable to You, dear LORD. May You consecrate us and seal us for Thy Kingdom. We thank You, Father, and we come believing and trusting in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Sacrifice, Amen.
WORSHIP THROUGH SINGING!
Meditational Hymn: Take My Life and Let It Be (SDAH 330).
1
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
At the impulse of Thy love.
2
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Always, only, for my King.
3
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold:
Not a mite would I withhold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
4
Take my will, and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
It shall be Thy royal throne.
5
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Ever, only, all for Thee.