2 Chronicles 30:27 – “The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.”
This verse in the Old Testament reiterates something we often take for granted – prayer. The priests and Levites prayed on behalf of the people, and their prayer reached heaven – God’s dwelling place. But the priests’ prayers and blessings were preceded by a lot of ritual cleansing, and several sacrifices. Thankfully, after Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we no longer have to perform any rituals or sacrifices to get our prayers heard by God.
In the New Testament, God reminds us that we are a royal priesthood – we are His priests, ministering on behalf of those who don’t know Jesus yet. It is our duty to stand in the gap and pray for others. But there are a few things we must do, if we want our prayers to indeed reach heaven.
- Bring your sacrifice of praise. Even when you’re in a difficult situation and find it difficult to praise God, choose to give thanks to Him for who He is. God’s love for you always remains the same.
- Confess your sins as the Holy Spirit brings them to your remembrance, and allow yourself to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus.
- Tell God what you want. You can boldly speak to Him, as a child would to his/her father.
- Pray for God’s will. Accept that God’s knows what’s best for you, whether He chooses to grant your requests or not.
When we pray aided by the Holy Spirit and in Jesus’ Name, we have the assurance that our Father in heaven hears us. Have you spent time in prayer today?
