Free · Apostolic Academy
A way to pray that follows the pattern of the Tabernacle — through the gates with thanksgiving, to the altar for cleansing, into the Holy Place for His Word, and on to the throne of grace. Four stages, in your own words, with a guided prayer you can pray, print, or keep.
Updated 4 October 2026
Print the four steps on one page (PDF), with each verse and room to write, or pray it now in the guide below.
Tabernacle prayer walks through the pattern God gave for approaching Him — the same order the priest moved through the Tabernacle. It is not a script to recite and not a formula that makes prayer “work”. It is a path that keeps prayer from becoming nothing but a list of requests: you begin with thanksgiving, deal honestly with sin, receive from His Word, and only then carry other people to Him.
It suits a family well because each stage is short, the order never changes, and a child can learn it by walking it. The guide below asks what is on your heart at each stage and gives you back a prayer in your own words.
1 The Gates
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.”
Psalm 100:4 (KJV)
Enter His presence with praise, thanksgiving, and honor to His holy name. Name what you are grateful for — your own words become worship.
Do this: Thank Him out loud for each thing before you go on.
2 The Altar & the Laver
“The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7 (KJV)
Come to the cross. Confess and turn from sin, surrender what you are holding, and ask the blood of Jesus to wash you and give you a clean heart.
Do this: Be still and honest. Confess, then receive His forgiveness and cleansing.
3 The Holy Place
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
Receive from His table. Ask for His Word, wisdom, correction, strength, and provision, and let His Spirit be your light and lead you.
Do this: Open your Bible and read here — let His Word speak before you ask.
4 The Altar of Incense & the Ark
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
Let your prayers rise like incense. Pray for others, give your burdens to God, worship Him, surrender all, and draw near to His presence.
Do this: Lift each name to God, then rest quietly in His presence.
Tabernacle prayer is often taught as a walk past each piece of furniture, from the gate of the court to the ark. This guide prays the same walk in four stages. The table shows where each place falls; Exodus 40 names every piece and where it stood.
| Place in the Tabernacle | Stage in this guide | What you pray there |
|---|---|---|
| The gate of the court | 1. The Gates | Thanksgiving and praise |
| The altar of burnt offering (the brazen altar) | 2. The Altar and the Laver | Repentance, and the blood of Jesus |
| The laver | 2. The Altar and the Laver | Cleansing |
| The candlestick (the lampstand) | 3. The Holy Place | Light: His Spirit leading you |
| The table of shewbread | 3. The Holy Place | His Word and daily bread |
| The altar of incense | 4. The Altar of Incense and the Ark | Intercession for others |
| The ark and the mercy seat | 4. The Altar of Incense and the Ark | Worship, and resting in His presence |
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Children take to the stages quickly because each one has a place attached to it. Keep it short — a sentence per stage is a complete prayer. Let them say their own words rather than repeating yours, and do not correct the wording; the point is that they learn to come to God in order, not that they perform.
Everything in the Apostolic Academy is free, including this guide. The K–5 curriculum it sits beside is part of All Access.