The Evening Sacrifice
Just over 6 months ago, Kathy and I were able to renew a relationship with some long time friends over breakfast. We had not seen them for years and were grateful at how God knits our hearts with certain individuals regardless of their location and/or the frequency of our visits. The obvious long term bond of our common relationship with Jesus made for a rich time of “catching up” on all that has taken place in our families. During our chat we were inspired by a personal prayer commitment our friends had made toward their children and the country. After walking through some times of difficulty, they made a simple commitment to pray every day at 3:00 PM for just a few moments on behalf of their family, the country and any other issues that were on their mind. Kathy and I were inspired with the results they immediately began to see regarding their concerns, and as well with the simplicity of just a few moments of prayer every day at a specific time. We decided to take up this simple discipline ourselves, made a daily “prayer alarm” setting on our phones, and for the past 6 months have seen wonderfully encouraging things happen as a result.
Recently I began to ponder the significance of 3:00 PM, and was reminded that it was at this time in the afternoon - “the ninth hour” - over 2000 years ago, Jesus uttered these amazing words “IT IS FINISHED”!! The earth shook, the dividing curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom, the dead began to rise from their graves and the world has never been the same since. At that moment, all that had gone wrong in creation with Adam’s fall, was made right through the ultimate “Evening Sacrifice”!! In the Jewish tradition of sacrificial offerings, it was at 3:00 P.M. when the final sacrifice was made for the day, and Jesus became the final and perfect sacrifice for all time. In the words of the Psalmist David, “Lord I cry out to you; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to you. Let my prayer be set before you as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:1-2).
What a faith builder to know that every day at 3:00 P.M., Kathy and I are honoring those wonderful words, “It Is Finished” by bringing our petitions in honor of this completed work, with the knowledge that Jesus said to us “Ask and keep on asking” (Matthew 7:7) Of course, prayer is something we have always done, but having a simple daily reminder and momentary halt to lift our hands and prayers has been so rewarding! We are greatly encouraged, and would love to invite you to join us all over the world, in brief prayer every day at 3:00, in whatever time zone you’re in, to both lift our requests and our hands in worship as the acknowledgement of the finished work of Christ’s Evening Sacrifice. We have seen God do some awesome things as a result, and would love to share with you in this the power of worship and prayer!
P.S. Let us know your stories of turn-around!
