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Prayer is not just a spiritual routine — it is a divine art, a sacred discipline, and a living conversation with the Almighty. Yet, many believers today struggle to maintain consistency and depth in their prayer life. They begin strong, but after a few minutes, they run out of words or lose focus. Dr. David Yonggi Cho, one of the most influential pastors and revivalists of our time, shared powerful insights on how to stay long and effective in the place of prayer — a revelation that transformed his own spiritual life and ministry.
The Need for Prayer Technique
Dr. Cho compared prayer to a soldier’s training. Just as a soldier cannot fight without learning the techniques of battle, a believer cannot stand strong without learning the techniques of prayer. Many Christians pray passionately for a few minutes but quickly lose momentum. The reason, Dr. Cho explains, is a lack of structure — a spiritual framework that keeps the heart and mind engaged before God.
Over the years, God helped him develop what he called the “Prayer Jogging Course” — a structured approach to prayer that could last 30 minutes, one hour, or even all night. Yet, the most powerful and effective of all these was what he called The Tabernacle Prayer — a divine revelation God gave him while ministering in Taiwan.
The Revelation of the Tabernacle Prayer
When the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle — a sacred meeting place where His presence would dwell. Today, as Dr. Cho reminds us, we no longer go to a physical tabernacle, because we ourselves are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Our body represents the courtyard, our mind the holy place, and our spirit the Holy of Holies. This understanding changes everything about how we approach prayer. We don’t need to look for God in a distant place — He dwells within us.
Each believer is now a priest unto God, and through the Holy Spirit, we can approach Him directly without an intermediary. The Tabernacle Prayer is designed to lead us step by step through the spiritual “courts” of God’s presence — from confession to worship, from renewal to empowerment.
Step One: The Brazen Altar — The Cross of Jesus
Dr. Cho begins his prayer each day by visualizing himself entering the courtyard and standing before the brazen altar — the place of sacrifice. For the Israelites, this was where burnt offerings and sin offerings were made. For us, it represents the Cross of Calvary.
At this altar, we remember that Jesus Christ has already paid the full price for our sins. His blood has made us righteous, forgiven, and free. This is the foundation of all prayer — the assurance that we are accepted by God, not because of our works, but because of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Here, we also claim the benefits of His blood:
* Forgiveness and righteousness
* Sanctification and the fullness of the Holy Spirit
* Healing and deliverance from sickness
* Redemption from the curse and poverty
Victory over death and hell
As Dr. Cho emphasizes, believers should not only pray for healing when they are sick, but continually *claim divine health* in advance. Likewise, we should not live under the consciousness of curse, poverty, or failure, for Jesus has redeemed us from all these through His cross.
Renewing the Mind and Affirming Identity
One of the greatest transformations that happens in prayer, Dr. Cho taught, is the renewal of the mind. As believers meditate on the finished work of Christ, old thought patterns of sin, guilt, defeat, and poverty are replaced with a new identity in Christ.
> “Many Christians,” he said, “have an identity crisis. They don’t know who they are in Jesus.”
Through the Tabernacle Prayer, we affirm who we truly are — redeemed, healed, blessed, sanctified, and seated with Christ in heavenly places. We learn to reject the lies of the enemy and refuse every “package” that doesn’t align with our new identity. When the devil tries to deliver fear, sickness, or failure, we boldly say, “Return to sender — that’s not mine!”
The Power of Worship and Joy
When the believer spends time at the altar of the Cross — reflecting on Jesus’ blood, grace, and victory — joy begins to rise from the heart. The burdens of sin and worry lift, and worship flows freely. Dr. Cho described how this stage of prayer often left him feeling uplifted, renewed, and full of divine energy — sometimes even breaking into dancing and rejoicing before the Lord.
He once observed that even in nations known for quiet or somber worship, like Japan, revival came when believers learned to rejoice in God’s presence — singing, clapping, and dancing before the Lord with joy unspeakable.
Becoming Strong in Prayer
The Tabernacle Prayer is not just a method — it’s a journey of transformation. Through it, Dr. Cho testified that his faith was strengthened daily, his vision clarified, and his spiritual identity reaffirmed. It’s a discipline that moves a believer from mere words to divine communion.
Every moment spent in prayer renews the mind, fills the heart with the glory of God, and aligns our will with Heaven’s purpose. The more time we spend before the “brazen altar” — the Cross — the more our inner man is renewed, our spirit strengthened, and our mind set on things above.
Final Encouragement
Dr. Cho’s life and ministry were marked by prayer — not casual prayer, but deep, structured, Spirit-led communion with God. His teaching reminds us that prayer is not a burden; it’s a privilege. The secret to staying long in the place of prayer is to let your prayer have structure, vision, and revelation.
When you understand the meaning behind each stage of the Tabernacle, your time in prayer will no longer feel like an obligation — it becomes a powerful journey into God’s presence.
So today, come boldly to the temple of the Holy Ghost — your body — and by faith, enter the courtyard. Kneel before the altar of the Cross. Worship Jesus. Renew your mind. Reaffirm your identity. And let His glory fill your life again.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
— Hebrews 4:16
Listen to the Audio Message
Effective prayer of a righteous man availeth much!