A Sacrifice of Prayer

Ladies Prayer and Fasting

CCSM Sanctuary

October 11, 2014

“Write down what you see.”

                A simple command that I failed to do for quite sometime.  Why?  Because I was distracted and busy doing things about life; I tend to divert my attention to worthless things; above all, I’m not good in writing.   I wasn’t able to finish it for years.  I tried to write some of it but I misplaced it one way or the other so I have to start over again.

I don’t know how to describe things I’ve seen and how science would call it.  What I saw then, I failed to write, but now, can’t help it.  It keeps on bothering me inside.  Though I shared this verbally to others, I just felt to write it down this time in order to have peace in my mind and in my heart. 

During our Prayer and Fasting, I was listening to Sis. Ening sharing to us about the topic:  “A Living Sacrifice”.  Her teaching was kind of deep if you can’t absorb it.  I mean, if you can’t follow through to what she is saying, you will get lost.  She talked about kinds of sacrifices and she expounded it. 

In the sacrifice of prayer, I can clearly hear Sis. Ening teaching us while listening to a small voice narrating the scene in front of me at the same time.  When she read Revelation 5:8 that says “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bows full of incense, which are the prayer of the saints” I saw Liturgy being done in front of me.  Let me illustrate:

Illustration:

Side Door                                                       Main Door                                                      Side Door Bishop                                           Priest                                       Me Congregation                                  Deacon                                    Congregation Gospel Torch Incense                                                                                                                    Me with other ladies in                                                                                                                                 circle form                      Kneeler                                                                                                Kneeler Altar Area

      

 What I saw were known to me.  It’s the Liturgy.  We do it normally most especially on Sunday.  I knew its functions and duties but at that time, it’s not an imagination.  I don’t think about it either.   What puzzled me was, how could I see the Liturgy with my naked eyes as if they were real while listening to the teaching of Sis Ening at the same time?  I saw myself standing with the congregation facing the center aisle and singing because the entrance rites is about to start (see the illustration above) and I was seated with the ladies at the same time. 

The Entrance Rites

The order of Liturgy was observed.  Though I wasn’t facing the altar area, I was able to see what’s going on.  It was like everything is transparent.  I was able to see myself in front of me with the congregation and able to see what’s going on at my back.  I saw ministers passed by on the center aisle.  It’s kind of weird but it’s real.  During the processional, the incense comes first which is the prayer of the people and I knew that.  That’s what the scripture says and what has been narrated to me by that still small voice.  I mean, I have knowledge about it but the revelation has to say something.  Did you ask yourself why the incense comes first in the Entrance Rite?  It is to prepare the people in coming into the presence of God.  It is through prayer that we are entering in the presence of God that we may be worthy of coming to Him.

The torch signifies Christ is 100% God and 100% man.  Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and His word can prove that.  It was written in the bible.  In the gospel of Christ, we can see and read how He became a Servant (Deacon), a Shepherd (Priest) and as King (Bishop).  I was awed because it added my knowledge and understanding.  Yes, I’ve learned all these from the past but how it was narrated to me was so amazing.  

The Ministry of the Word

The readings are declaring the goodness and faithfulness of God, His laws and the coming of Christ.  It has been proclaim year after year until “The word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).  God came down on the earth.  That’s the reason why the incense, the torch and the bible went down to the center aisle signifying that before you proclaim the gospel, prayer comes first to prepare the people to receive the gospel; that people may enlighten; and that they may believe that Christ came to earth through birth, died on the cross and resurrected from the dead.  After reading the gospel, the ministers went back to the altar again signifying that Christ has ascended into heaven.  Now that the gospel has been proclaimed, God is strengthening His people through the homily.  The scriptures were expounded for the people of God to be strengthened and to be His witnesses to the world.

The Ministry of the Holy Communion

The Holy Communion signifies the love and suffering of Christ; that we are to remember always that His body has been broken for us and His blood has been shed for our sins.    It also signifies the table of the Lord. 

The Blessing and Dismissal

In going out into the world (the Recessional), God commanded us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), the incense goes ahead again that says, before going out of the world, pray first because in the world, there is tribulation and if we are not surrounded with prayer, we will be led astray.   

Suddenly, what I saw vanished in a blink and I heard no small voice at all.  The sanctuary became normal again.  No congregation except us ladies then I heard Sis Ening read Psalm 141:2 “Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” I was reminded and back to my senses that whatever you do and wherever you go, it should be done in prayer first.  Yes, I heard it to Sis Nemia also and it became alive to me now. 

The segments I saw were the clear illustrations that before entering into the presence of God and/or before doing the work of God, pray first and in going out into the world, to do the ministry of God, pray first and after doing all, pray for thanksgiving to God.  Now I fully understand why Jesus Christ prayed early in the morning (the Entrance Rite), talking to God (the Ministry of the Word), do the ministry (the Holy Communion) and commanding His disciples to be His witnesses (the Blessing and Dismissal) and he prayed in the evening again (the Postlude – where all the ministers went back to the altar again) to give glory to God in everything.  Surely, God does everything in order and with blue print.

                 Does it make sense readers?  I hope so.  The order of the mass or the Liturgy has been patterned in the life of Christ.  We may not be aware of it but if we allow God to work in our life, He will reveal things to us.  What happened was unexpected.  Yes, the theories were known to me before but what I’ve seen and heard makes me glad because God revealed things in unexpected manner.  It drives my view point of the Liturgy and the understanding of the incense of prayer, the sacrifice of prayer.  Thank you Lord.