This is Pastor Ryan Watson’s Morning After devotional based on the Springtown Seventh-day Adventist Church’s 10 Days of Prayer. Our prayer is that these reflections will bless you. If you can, join us Friday evening, January 6, at 7 pm for the 3rd day in our season of Prayer.
As we read the stories of Abraham and his descendants, it quickly becomes apparent that altars were a significant aspect of their religious practice. Often we find that whenever they relocated from one place to another, a new altar was erected. This certainly indicated the importance of worship in the lives of the patriarchs and their families, but also, as we considered in our devotional time together yesterday evening, this was often done to commemorate God’s interaction and involvement in the lives of these men and women. These altars had the effect of bearing a testimony to the living and active presence of God among men. They were a memorial to those who worshiped God, and a witness to others that there is a God who reveals Himself and can be known by mankind.
A thought came to my mind, as we spent time in prayer together, that we ourselves might be something of an altar. We might be a walking testimony to others of God’s living and active presence in the world. Later I was reminded of a song that makes a prayer out of this idea:
Make my life an altar
Let Your will be my own in whatever I do
This is all I can offer
Let my heart be Your home, Lord, I give it to You
‘Cause I know what a You do is right by me
And not a single thing in this world is gonna take your place
I’m building my life unto You
Knowing Your love will see me through
I’m building my life unto You
Knowing Your love will see me through
I will build it on solid ground
Make a place for this love I’ve found
Let your glory and grace resound
For Your Spirit is coming down
I’m building my life unto You…
(“Make My Life an Altar” by Cheri Keaggy)
That is a powerful thought. What might it look like for God’s people, and for His church, not just to erect an altar to commemorate God’s presence, but to be those altars? Perhaps it would begin with living out the faithful life and love of Christ to the best of our ability. It might also include speaking gracious and kind words, even verbalizing the reason for the love that is at work within us. It is certainly a high and holy ambition, but not one that is beyond God’s will for us. Surely that was God’s intention when He created us in His image, and when He redeemed us to be His again.
You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
As we continue in our season of prayer over the next eight days, we are going to be reconsecrating ourselves to God, and asking Him to fill us with more of His Spirit, so that we might be built up as a spiritual house where Christ may fully dwell. Would you make this your personal desire and prayer?