I have met a number of brothers and sisters who prayed boldly for their families, enterprises, and children. The contents of their prayers were nothing but asking for blessings, longevity, and peace. Moreover, they even had the scriptural basis, saying, “O God, You are rich in mercy, and You would never make us suffer. As You have given us Your Son, so there is not one good thing that You would withhold from us.” When I was young I could not explain why my inner sense could not agree with this kind of prayer. Gradually, I found out that such prayer was not the burning of incense on the incense altar. Rather, it was a prayer that had not passed through death. It had not been seasoned by experience before the Lord and was uttered carelessly.

We often feel that to pray for certain things would almost be an insult to God. We do not dare to pray in such a way. There is an inner prohibition, an inner condemnation. This comes not because we are told anything by anyone; rather, it comes as a spontaneous feeling within when we are about to pray. As we are about to open our mouth, we feel that in us there are still our desires, our goals, and our selections. Once we feel this way, we do not dare to pray anymore. After such a purification, whatever remains for which one can pray and dares to pray is a prayer in resurrection. This kind of situation varies from person to person. It is not absolute but relative. In any case, the more deeply and strictly you have learned the lessons, the smaller the sphere of what you can pray and dare to pray becomes. One who prays most effectively has the most limited sphere of prayer. Only those who do not know prayer enjoy a broad sphere of prayer. No other place requires us to pass through death and resurrection more absolutely than does the incense altar. This is the requirement of prayer.

I met a brother who when he debates with someone speaks strongly and convincingly. He argues fiercely and feels he is right in everything. But after the debate is over, when everyone begins to pray, his first sentence is a confession, saying, “O Lord, all the words that I have just spoken are an offense to You; do forgive me.” Thus, you see, once a man comes to pray, he immediately encounters the requirement of death and resurrection. Not only the words, but even our inner intents and motives are made manifest at the incense altar. Hence, in helping others, we do not need to argue so much. The best thing we can do is to bring them before God. Once they pray, they know immediately that they are still natural. They have not passed through death and come into resurrection.

Among the children of God today, there is a very wrong concept. Some keep telling others that to pray one must have faith in order that God might answer his prayer. When people talk about prayer today, immediately they talk about faith. Brothers and sisters, please understand that faith is not something which you can have as you will. The most important requirement of prayer is not that you have faith, but that you are able to pass through the offering altar and arrive at the incense altar. Prayer is a matter of death and resurrection, not a matter of faith.

Prayer is entirely a matter between the two altars, the offering altar and the incense altar. Anything that is condemned of God, anything that is incompatible with God, and anything that cannot last eternally must be dealt with and terminated at the offering altar. You need to burn the incense before God with the fire taken from the altar of burnt offering. It is not necessary to worry about having faith concerning anything that you can pray for. God is your faith. Surely God will answer any prayer that is in resurrection. You only need to learn the lesson of death and resurrection and to pray under that principle. Then you will have the guidance to pray, the words to pray, and the faith of prayer., If you are in resurrection, you cannot help but believe, and God will certainly answer your prayer.

Hence, when Romans 8 speaks of prayer, it does not mention the matter of faith at all. It only says that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The prayer in Romans 8 is entirely not a matter of faith but a matter of praying with groanings in the Spirit. That groaning is in death and resurrection. For example, a brother may have offended you, criticized you, judged you, and attacked you, so that you can no longer bear it. When you go before God to pray, you intend to accuse him, but the Spirit will not allow you to do so. Rather, He wants you to pray for that brother and ask the Lord to be gracious to him. Many times you cannot pray thus, but you can only groan continually. This is the principle of death and resurrection.

Always keep this principle. When Korah and his company rebelled, Moses told them to take their censers and burn incense in them. According to the spiritual meaning, that burning of the incense exemplifies praying in the natural being and outside resurrection. Such prayer not only cannot bring in blessings, but will encounter God’s judgment and bring in spiritual death. Hence, we must learn to offer prayers in resurrection that will be acceptable to God. Only such prayers will have authority and be of value. Now we understand the necessity for prayer to be in resurrection.
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