Abandon Self at the Altar
Posted by Rev. Joel Saladaga III
Fil-UCC Prayer and Fasting Emphasis Week | October 2017
Devotional for the Week:
REBUILDING THE ALTAR
(Subject of Revival)
By Pat and Karen Schatzline
Reading: Matthew 26:36-39
Abandon Self at the Altar
We can choose to crawl off the altar at any time. Nothing but our will keeps us on the altar. It is all about submission. Jesus modeled submission for us in the Garden of Gethsemane. He understood the price that had to be paid to become our sacrifice and our altar even when the human side of Him was screaming for a pardon from His Father.
If we are willing to put our lives on the altar, God will bring forth reformation in our lives. A personal encounter with a supernatural God is the only thing that will transform us. To be transformed by God, we must leave the bottom of the cross where the spectators stood and climb up the tree of forgiveness, using Jesus as our example.
Jesus is our altar, and therefore we must be attached to Him—we must be tied to Him! Apart from Him we can do nothing. This is what it truly means to abandon self and crawl back to the One who knit you together in the secret place. The most important altar we will ever build is the one upon which we die to self. An altar without a sacrifice is a piece of wood or stone without purpose.
FAMILY PRAYER ITEMS
- Good health and physical strength
- Provision of needs, food, shelter and transportation
- Love and care of all family members
- Spiritual and material blessings
- Protection, safekeeping and Guidance
- Unity and singleness of mind in the household
- Plans and future projects
- Friends and relatives
- In-laws
- Victory over family challenges
- Godly and Purposeful child-rearing
- Wisdom for all family members
- Regard to God’s work and ministry
- Family involvement and participation to church ministries and activities
- Family devotion and prayer time (family altar)
- Healthy and loving husband and wife relationship
- Vibrant parents and children relationship; parents to live a good example to kids
- Good study habits and godly influence of kids at school
- And other family requests