Communion and Pass Over

Communion

The E-mail came requesting suggestions on how to pray for God to bless the house that a family was moving to. She asked me if I remembered mentioning the Lamb of God in the prayer.

Thinking back years ago, I can remember giving a short talk about Blessing your house when you move to a new place. My friend was referring to the basic core of this message.

I asked her if she remembered in the book of Exodus when the Children of Israel left Egypt they were instructed to kill a lamb and save the blood into a basin? They were to sprinkle the blood on the top and sides of the door posts of each home so that they would be protected from the Death Angel. They were then to eat the lamb and unleavened bread.  All who remained in the house were protected and blessed.

This Passover celebration was carried over into the New Testament and at the Last Supper, Jesus instructed His disciples to do this in remembrance of Him until He returns.

Symbolically when we take communion, we eat the bread and drink the wine or juice in remembrance of Jesus’ broken body and His blood that was shed for us.

I suggested that she remember one thing when you pray a over a house and that is to keep it a simple dedication that the persons who live there will be blessed and protected.

My friend wanted to pray that all who entered this house would be saved, but I suggested that you cannot ask God to cause people to do anything against their will. For instance if you ask that all persons who enter the house will get saved - - then you are asking God to force them to get saved.  However you can pray that the Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of all who enter the house and cause them to realize that God is in this place.

My friend wanted to use olive oil and place it on the doors. While that is not typically wrong, we should want to avoid getting weird or mystical. The oil is probably not needed for a house blessing. Oil is for anointing and for those who are sick.

Instead I suggested that she carry her Bible and use it to touch the door post and the top of the door. This could be a symbol of the blood using the Passover as an example. Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.

Pleading the Blood of Jesus can be done symbolically as you use your Bible to touch each door. If using your Bible in this manner seems strange to you, then just read from the scriptures and pray a prayer of blessing and protection over the house and its occupants.

My friend has a friend who wanted her to come bless a house they planned to look at and purchase. I suggested that this might not be a good idea because if it is NOT God’s will for them to have this particular house you do not want to ask God to give it to them anyway.

We must not treat the Blood of Jesus lightly and we also must remember that there is power in His Blood, power in God’s Word and power in prayer. Perhaps we need to unloose our boldness and to step out and make more declarations as we pray.

This post is linked with Ann Kroeker’s, Food on Fridays .  Today I write on communion
Also linked to Michelle’s Thought Provoking Thursday