DON'T GO TO THE TABERNACLE!

Do you know, dear reader, that good, well meant, seemingly right things can have mediocre, useless or even bad results? 

Case in point. If you know me or have sat in many of my Bible study classes or read very much of the stuff that I write, you know that I have a habit of waking up early in the morning and walking in the woods back behind our house.  Gracie (my little dog) and I walk down into what I call the "tabernacle" (tent).  It is a place where the limbs of the trees form a tent like covering over the trails and provide us with a wonderful place to pray.

I have made a big deal in my teaching, over the years, about Christians needing to have a certain place and a certain time to pray.  I have said that a specific place like that is set apart (sanctified) as a place where you can meet with God and He can meet with you. Good stuff.

I have constructed a little altar upon a ridge there in the tabernacle.  It's made of 12 uncut stones (small as they may be) on which I place smaller stones that represent my family and friends and their needs.  I kneel there each morning, and reach out and touch "your" stone and pray for you and your need.  At times, when God has answered my prayers, I have felt I needed to let the person know that I have been interceding for them.  So I will take their rock and give it to them with an explanation of what I have been doing and more importantly what God has done for them. Admirable intents. 

But I've discovered that even when I do this meaningful and peace filled act each morning, sometimes I still have trouble staying as close to God as I want to be.

(Can I just chase a rabbit for a moment.  As I was praying a few days ago, I mentioned to God that I wanted to be closer to Him.  He seemed to say to me that I can be as  close to Him as I "want" to be.  Can you imagine one of my little grand kids coming to me and saying "Grump, I want to be close to you" and me pushing them away and saying "No, you have to stay at a distance from me today"?  It would never happen.)  Today, right now, you can be as close to the almighty God of the universe as you want to be.  Don't that just butter your bread this morning?  Where was I?

So I discovered some truths.

• Prayer must be more than a ritual, it must be a relationship
• Prayer must be more than habit, it must be honest communication
• Prayer must be more than copying what I've heard prayed before it must be compassionate (fervent)

I had become satisfied and complacent with my walking in the quiet tabernacle and kneeling by my altar and reaching out and touching those rocks that represented the needs but my personal, relational, passionate time with God had become stale. (Maintenance of your Christian relationship.  Does that speak to anyone this morning?)

So I will not walk to the tabernacle this morning.  I will kneel here at my chair and converse with a personal God.  I will call out to Him for the needs that I have and the needs of those I love.  I will stop going through the motions of prayer and try to really pray honestly and personally with my God.

No, I'm not going to throw your rock away.  And I still will enjoy my times in the tabernacle.  But I will remember why I am there when I go.  I hope you will remember this little lesson when you go to God in prayer.