Praying the Ten Commandments is one of the most practical ways to use the Laver. You read one commandment, ask the Father to show you where it touches your life today, tell Him the truth, and receive His forgiveness through Jesus. Then you ask what obedience looks like before the day is over, and you do it.
This free email prayer series walks you through it. You get three short emails to get you ready, then one commandment a day for ten days. Each one has a prayer you can pray with your Bible open. Sign up for the series.
What is the Laver, and why do we stop there?
God showed Moses a pattern for worship (Exodus 25:40). In Temple Prayer we follow it. We come in through the Gate with thanksgiving. We trust in the blood of Jesus at the Bronze Altar. Then we stop at the Laver, the bronze basin that stood between the altar and the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 30:18). You can read more in Washing at the Laver, or pray the steps on Learn with the Laver prayer.
God told the priests to wash their hands and feet there before they went in to serve Him:
They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations. Exodus 30:21 AMP
In plain words: God told the priests to wash at the Laver every time they went in to serve Him. Skipping that wash was not a small thing. It was a matter of life and death. He wanted clean hands and clean feet before they came near Him. That is why, in Temple Prayer, we stop here and ask Him to wash our hearts before we go further.
We don't wash with water today. Through the Holy Spirit, we use the Laver like a spiritual bath for the conscience (Acts 24:16). Just as we brush our teeth daily, we clean our minds daily through the practice of repentance. At the Laver we reflect on God's commandments, see the difference between His standards and our behavior and realize we are no longer condemned, but drawn to repentance, contriteness, and humility.
The Laver is the one that's the most ignored by us Christians. Many of us rush from salvation to our requests and skip the washing that keeps our hearts clean.
What happens when Jesus teaches the commandments?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes the commandments from what we do to who we are. "You shall not murder" becomes a question about anger and contempt. "You shall not commit adultery" becomes a question about what we choose to do with our eyes and our desires. And right in the middle of worship, He tells us to go and make peace with someone we have wronged (Matthew 5:21–30).
Then He says this to His disciples:
...but whoever practices and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19 AMP
Jesus is not teaching strangers here. He is teaching the people who have come to follow Him. He is saying that obeying His word, and showing others how, matters in His Kingdom. I often say God's love language is obedience. Jesus ties the two together in John 14:15, and in that same conversation He promises the Holy Spirit as our Helper (John 14:15–17, 26). We are not asked to obey in our own strength.
Under the New Covenant the commandments are not there to condemn us. They lead us to repentance and a clear conscience (Romans 3:20).
Where did God keep the Ten Commandments?
Moses carried two stone tablets down Mount Sinai. God had written on them. Israel had already made a golden calf, and Moses broke the tablets (Exodus 32:15–19). God did not give up on His people. He told Moses to cut two new tablets, and He wrote the same words again (Exodus 34:1; Deuteronomy 10:1–5).
Then He told Moses where to keep them. They went inside the ark, under the mercy seat, in the Tabernacle. Scripture calls them the Testimony (Exodus 25:16). And God said He would meet with Moses right there, above the mercy seat (Exodus 25:22).
The story does not stop at Sinai. In Revelation, John sees the temple of God in heaven opened, and the ark of His covenant appears in it (Revelation 11:19). Later he sees heaven's sanctuary opened again and calls it "the tabernacle of the testimony" Revelation 15:5 AMP. Hebrews explains why these scenes belong together. The earthly tabernacle was a pattern and foreshadowing of heavenly things Hebrews 8:5 AMP.
That earthly tabernacle established the worship pattern, laid the foundation, and finds its fulfillment in Christ. Jesus is our great High Priest. Because of Him, we can come to the Father with boldness and receive mercy (Hebrews 4:14–16).
That is why I pray the commandments at the Laver. God's testimony sat under the very place where He promised to meet with His people. When I read a commandment and ask the Father to show me where I have fallen short, I am not hiding from a judge. I am talking to the Father, through the High Priest who has already opened the way. Scripture does not say this in one verse. It is how these passages fit together for me.
What does praying the Ten Commandments look like each day?
Each day is simple and takes about five quiet minutes. You can also walk the verses on Learn at the Laver Scripture index.
- Read the commandment out loud.
- Ask the Father to show you where it touches your life today.
- Tell Him the truth about what He shows you. Be specific. Then receive His forgiveness.
- Ask what obedience looks like before you go to bed tonight, and do it.
Step 3 rests on a promise:
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. 1 John 1:9 AMP
In plain words: when we tell God the truth about our sin, He keeps His promise to forgive us and clean us up. We don't have to hide or make excuses.
Sometimes the next step is a phone call, an apology, giving something back, or correcting a story you told. That is what I mean when I say prayer can change your life. You meet with God, and the people closest to you begin to see the difference.
The ten days
You will pray through these commandments, one each day:
- No other gods (Exodus 20:3)
- No idols (Exodus 20:4)
- Honor God's name (Exodus 20:7)
- Remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8)
- Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12)
- Do not murder (Exodus 20:13)
- Do not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)
- Do not steal (Exodus 20:15)
- Do not give false testimony (Exodus 20:16)
- Do not covet (Exodus 20:17)
Every email ends with a prayer you can pray in your own words and one thing to do before the day is over.
Sign up for the free email prayer series
You will receive 13 emails over 14 days, sent in the evening. The first three get you ready, and then there is one commandment a day for ten days.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
A prayer to begin
Father, thank You that You want to dwell with Your people. Show me what needs washing. Thank You for Jesus, my High Priest, who has opened the way to You. Holy Spirit, help me see clearly and obey. Amen.
Common questions about praying the Ten Commandments
How long does each day take?
About five quiet minutes. Read the commandment, ask the Father to show you where it touches your life, tell Him the truth, receive His forgiveness through Jesus, and ask what obedience looks like before the day is over.
Is the email series free?
Yes. It is a free email prayer series. You will receive 13 emails over 14 days. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Where does this fit in Temple Prayer?
After thanksgiving at the Gate and trusting the blood of Jesus at the Bronze Altar, we stop at the Laver. That is where we bring the commandments into a real conversation with God and ask Him to wash our hearts.
Want the fuller picture? Class 6 of the free Temple Prayer Bible Study is The Laver & The Ten Commandments. Or start with Washing at the Laver.
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
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