TWO LIFESTYLES ON PRAYER.

Matthew 6, JESUS COMPARING TWO LIVES. Matthew 6 is actually a continuation of what He begins teaching in Matthew 5. Jesus is actually teaching His disciples. He wants to make a distinction between His disciples and what He terms as HYPOCRITES, MASK WEARERS, PLAY ACTORS AND RELIGIOUS MEN. By chapter 6 verse 5, He warns about the distinction between His disciples and hypocrites on the level of prayer.

Matthew 6:5(NIV).-AND WHEN YOU PRAY, DO NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES, FOR THEY LOVE TO PRAY STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND ON STREET CORNERS, TO BE SEEN BY MEN.

We need to understand something here. There is nothing wrong in praying. There is nothing wrong in standing in synagogues and on street corners. What is wrong is the motivation or the attitude in what they are doing.

1. …They love to pray…
2. …To be seen by men…

We do not pray according to our will or according to our passion. Prayer has nothing to do with what we love or even feel. Prayer originates with the DIVINE, and has to do with WHAT THE DIVINE WILLS.
Prayer in God’s will is accepted in heaven and has effects on the earth. We shall be coming back to Matthew 6.
So according to Revelation 8, prayer of the saints on the earth realm, are brought before God, and they coincide with Gods will in Heaven, then power is released from God’s realm of the SPIRIT, THE DIVINE, in fulfillment of what the saints have prayed, and those prayers change something on earth. The prayers bring change on the earth.

Revelation 8, at the end of verse 5, we have the word …earthquake. That’s a vital word in order for us to understand the effect of praying in line with God’s will. It has nothing to do with a seismic tremor. Earthquake here is the Greek word, Metathesis…SHAKING THE PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE GOVERNED THE EARTH UPTO THAT TIME…CHANGING ALL THE PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS THATBE, THAT ARE NOT KINGDOM…REMOVAL OF ALL THE PRINCIPLES THAT ARE IN CONTRADICTION OR IN OPPOSITION TO THE DOING OF GOD…CONFRONTATION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST MANIFESTATIONS…


…Meta means…change or transform…
…thesis…principle…

To understand what these prayers are, that are so powerful as to change the expression of things as they appear on earth, we have to go back to the Old Testament where these incenses were first captured. The Old Testament was written in figures, types, shadows, of things that were to have their fullest meaning in the New Testament. So, in the Old, it is an account of God, Supreme Creator of the Universe, and His interactions with men, designed to produce His ultimate purpose in the earth.
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 11, explains to us the purpose of the Old Testament.
We need therefore to look at the altar of incense in the Old Testament, because, in the physical representation, in the type and shadow, of what we have seen in Revelation, we can see how saints ought to pray, so that their prayers can be heard, and there be an effect on the earth.

EXODUS 30 – THE ALTAR OF INCENSE.

God says, “…Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense…” vs 1 (NIV).
He then gives the dimensions of the altar.-vs2-5. (read). This is a physical description of what the altar should be.

Vs 6…talks about where the altar is to be placed.
…put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the Ark of Testimony- before the atonement cover that is over the testimony- where I will meet with you…

The Ark of Testimony is the same Ark of Covenant. It represented God’s presence in the Earth.

The Altar of incense is to be “…put in front of the curtain that is before the Ark of the Testimony…”

The Holy of holies, where the Ark of Covenant was, represented Heaven where God’s presence is. That was behind the curtain.

The Holy Place, where the altar was to be placed, represented, earth, the highest point on earth, where the incense is to be burnt.
God says, “…that’s where I will meet with you…” – vs 6.

That means, the highest point of access on earth, to the divine, is a place called, ALTAR OF INCENSE. The curtain separated the Heaven form the Earth. This means, when you offered prayers in the Holy Place (Earth), on the Altar of incense, what you prayed, affected the events that took place in Heaven.

…Aaron must burn fragrant incense every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight, so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come. Do not offer on this altar ANY OTHER INCENSE OR ANY BURNT OFFERING OR GRAIN OFFERING, and DO NOT POUR DRINK OFFERING ON IT. Once a year, Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with THE BLOOD OF THE ATONING SIN OFFERING for the generations to come; it is MOST HOLY TO THE LORD. – vs 7.

So we are on earth, standing before God to pray. You are on the Earth speaking to the Heavenlies. When you do that, your prayer comes up like incense before God. Surprisingly, there are things that cannot be offered on this Altar of incense.
1. You can’t offer any other incense.
2. Any burnt offering.
3. Grain offering.
4. Drink offering.
Whatsoever these things represent was not offered there. It should not therefore be offered on the Altar of incense of prayer. The only sacrifice that was accepted on this Altar of incense, the only sacrifice that would be offered was the SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT- TALKING ABOUT CHRIST. Approaching the Father is by no other way but Christ.
1. You cannot pray any other prayer here, except that which is in line with God’s will at that time.
2. You cannot offer a burnt offering…Heb…olah…meaning, “go up”. This means, its something from us towards God.
3. You cannot offer grain offering…Heb…minhah…meaning, “to lead, guide, therefore, a gift”. That is still something from us towards God.
4. You cannot offer a drink offering…Heb…necek…meaning, “to pour self”. It is something from us towards God.



These offerings were VOLUNTARY. You could not offer on this Altar something you could produce with the work of your hands. All these were what man could offer to God “FOR HIMSELF”. The only offering that could be offered on the Altar of prayers was incense.

…This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come…vs 10.

This is a clear reference to Jesus Christ. So, when you pray, it is why you pray in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that our prayers come up to God on the same Altar the Atoning sacrifice is given, meaning, come to the Father through Jesus Christ. Prayer that is accepted is therefore in the figure, position, name, authority and offering of Jesus Christ. God hears only one prayer: The prayer of Jesus Christ. Which is that prayer? How do I pray “...in Jesus Name?” How do I access the Father in Jesus’ Name, to have all I ask for done on my behalf?

ACCESS TO THE FATHER: THE MAN JESUS CHRIST – Matthew 2:1-12(read)

This is an interesting piece of scripture. When Jesus was born, when He was in a manger in Bethlehem, the wise men that came brought Him gifts. They brought gifts to a small boy, a baby in fact. Though they brought gifts, they didn’t say, “…we have come to bring you gifts…” They said, “…we’ve come to worship Him…” They understand that they were not just coming to see a king; they were coming to see THE KING: THE LIVING GOD. They brought Him gold. This was befitting a King. They also brought Him myrrh and incense. This is quite a strange gift to bring to a little child born in a manger. What would a little child be doing with a smoking flask?

But we have already seen that incense is the prayers of the saints. So, in essence, the Magi were bringing their prayers to the King Who receives prayers. During those days, legal petitions and proceedings were at times called prayers. In the western nations, in their court systems, an appeal is called a prayer. This is because, when one is making that appeal, he is coming to the sovereign in the land, the judge, the one who has been vested the authority to decide who lives and who dies. He is therefore the ruler. Are you seeing the child now? That’s why I think Christmas is a misconceived idea.



When the wise men came, they brought in their proceedings, their pleadings. They brought in their prayers as incense. This is why they are called, THE MAGI- WISEMEN. They are not wise because they could follow an unusual star. Infact, these wise guys had followed that same star to the wrong destination. They are not wise because they had studied a lot. WISDOM IS DESCRIBED HERE AS THE CAPACITY AND THE ABILITY TO BRING ACCURATE PRAYERS AS INCENSE BEFORE THE LORD.

THIS IS WHAT MADE THEM WISE MEN.
It is not because they could follow a star. By this act alone; bringing incense to the King warranted them to be sent DIVINE MESSANGERS to lead them back home. Vs. 12.