Build An Altar

It is my responsibility to build an altar to the Lord in my heart, maintain it,
and visit it frequently. I take my sin, sorrow, faults, and failings to God at t
his altar and offer them as I would a burnt offering, letting Gods fire consume t
hem and reprove me. I take my confidences, joys, and praise as peace offerings,
willingly sharing them with my Master and continually submitting them to Him. I
call on the Lord at my altar, discussing my requests and desires with Him, and s
eeking His face concerning them.
Finally, it is at the altar where God answers from Heaven by fire. Since my body
is the temple, I can never leave my altar. As I maintain altar-consciousness an
d listen for Gods voice, I will hear Him speak through His Word, through other Ch
ristian brothers and sisters, and even through observations of nature, which aft
er all is the work of His hands.
Consider these two verses:
For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them
and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
2 Corinthians 6:16(NIV)
You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a hol
y priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Chri
st.
1 Peter 2:5 (NIV)
I encourage you today to become altar-conscious. If youre just starting out, buil
d your hearts altar to the Lord by making a determination to spend daily time wit
h Him. You may have to repair your neglected altar. Thats all right; just do it a
nd take up where you left off. If you already spend regular times with God, keep
it up. Whatever the case, its a joy to know that God eagerly desires to spend ti
me with us.
What is An Altar?
- An Altar is a place that is designed or separated for worship unto God; a plac
e of fellowship with God.
- It is a place where praises and prayers are rendered unto God.
- An Altar symbolizes holiness and represents the presence of God; a higher plac
e where untarnished (spotless, blameless) services are offered to God.
- Altar is a place of refuge and comfort from the troubles of this world.
- An Altar could also be a place where intercession is being made for the well b
eing of others inspired by the Holy Spirit.
An Altar could be a part of a building or a room. For instance the church serves
as an Altar where Christians meet and fellowship with God. Men of God in the Bi
ble built Altars for God after He had done things for them like Moses (in Exo. 1
7:15) Abraham, Isaac, Solomon e.t.c.
Altars, in the olden days are built with or out of stone where worshippers seek
Gods face and offer sacrifice of animals but now our sacrifices are of praise, th
anksgiving and prayers through our Lord Jesus Christ unto God.
Classification of Altars
Altars could be classified into three; mainly
i) Personal Altar- As the name implies is a personal means of communication and
fellowshipping with God. It is otherwise called Quiet Time. This is a time you hav
e assigned/committed/set aside for God to meet with Him on one-on-one level or bas
is. It comes with a specific time at which you seek the face of God through wors
hip, praises, thanksgiving and prayer. It is better early in the morning when th
ere would little or no disturbance from any quarters. The essence is to hear and
talk to God; it ensures a direct link with God. Lk 5:16
ii) Family Or Home Altar a place where family members meet for the purpose of co
mmuning, fellowshipping, praising, worshipping and praying to God. It comes with
a specific time of meeting
iii) Church Altar The Church itself is an Altar. It serves as a unified place of
worship for Christians or individuals coming together to pour out their hearts
to God. Heb 10; 25
Others include: Corporate Altar- The coming together of Individuals from different denomination
or churches to pray, worship and render praises unto God.
Note An Altar is not a place where you place your Bibles, Anointing Oil, Symbol
of Cross, Holy Book and any other Christian items. Altar is a thing of heart. Je
r. 29; 12-13
Factors That Are Necessary For An Altar Building
- Genuine Salvation Ps 24: 3-4
- Passion / Hunger for presence of God. I kg 5: 5 Solomon did what is fore-fathe
rs Could not do.
- Faith- Heb.11; 6 you need faith to erect an altar.
- Holiness Altar is sacred that is why you need to be holy to build a holy place
for God.
I Peter 1:16; Ps 99:9
How do you build your altar? How does your yearning for God shape your daily rou
tines? The question probes past the conditioned response of Bible study and praye
r to encompass the whole of our lives. How do we nurture the desire for God in ou
r circumstances? Here is where a rule can help. A rule oflife is a pattern of hol
y habitsthat aligns our time and energy with our desire for God. Desire for the H
oly without the support of spiritual practices fades into the noise of our overcr
owded lives. A rule is personal. Which holy habits will best form my life with G
od? A rule is more actively discerned than passively received. In her book,At Hom
e in the World: A Rule of Life for the Rest of Us,Margaret Guenther advises that
discernment takes thoughtful reflection. What is the current shape of our lives?
Do we feel oppressed? Are there areas where we experience inner freedom? (31).
What are our deepest longings, longings so deep, we hardly dare express them? Go
d asks us to name our desires. Jesus asked of people who came to him, What do you
want? (Barton, 23). Answering the question requires a trusting vulnerability. To
give voice to our yearning for God implies at least a flickering trust that he
will give us the desire of our heart and no substitute.
So how
u have
ild it
ild it
do you build an alter? You build it wherever you are with the material yo
at hand. You build it to give expression to your deepest longings. You bu
knowing the altar is only important as a place where you meet God. You bu
with love in surrender to Love.

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It is my responsibility to build an altar to the Lord in my heart, maintain it,

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