Prayer as a Sacrifice – Abiding Principles from the Ceremonial Laws: Giving (6)

Prayer as a Sacrifice

Abiding Principles from the Ceremonial Laws: Giving (6)

Prayer is the quintessential means of giving.

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23

It’s not difficult to see how God can refer to prayer as a “sacrifice.” Prayer involves setting our hearts right before the Lord. It leads us to focus anew on Him, enthroned in glory. It is a gift of time and words by which we enter into the Lord’s glory and participate in Him. And when we pray for our neighbors we are giving to them grace from the Lord in a powerful and effective way.

In ancient Israel prayer would have been the quintessential way of giving, both to the Lord and to their neighbors. Prayer does not require the special presence of God which the Tabernacle afforded, in order to acknowledge and give thanks for His grace. Prayer can bless a needy neighbor, even if he is not benefiting from some sacrifice or tithe or offering. Prayer keeps the heart pure, focuses the mind for a proper perspective, brings us before the Lord in His glory, and enables us to show grace to our neighbors every day.

The prayers of faithful believers are like sweet incense to the Lord (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8). Paul’s exhortation to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) emphasizes both the importance and efficacy of this sacrifice for acknowledging, engaging, and ministering the grace of God. Prayer is the quintessential means of giving.

For a fuller study of the pattern of worship revealed in Scripture, order the book, The Highest Thing, by T. M. Moore, from our online store. These studies and brief essays will help you to see how the pattern of sound worship, which began in the Law of God, comes to complete expression in the rest of Scripture. Pastors, we’re getting ready to start the next season of The Pastors’ Fellowship. Write to me today at tmmoore@ailbe.org for information about how you join in these online discussions. Our theme for the coming series is “The Worldview of God’s Law.” There is no charge for participation, but you must reserve a place for these monthly gatherings. Subscribe to Crosfigell, the devotional newsletter of The Fellowship of Ailbe.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.