John Eldredge begins his workday by consecrating himself and his workplace and every minute of his day to the Lord.
And that is the way we should begin our prayer time, says the author of Moving Mountains: Praying with Passion, Confidence and Authority.
"It is the fresh act of dedicating yourself - or your home, a relationship, a job, your sexuality, whatever needs God's grace - deliberately and intentionally to Jesus, bringing it fully into his kingdom and under his rule."
The idea of consecration or dedication is not new.
As Eldredge points out, there are instances in the Bible where God called on his people to consecrate themselves before a great event such as the Lord coming down on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:9-11)
He illustrates the importance of consecration by referring to Acts 13 where the young church at Antioch spent time in prayer and fasting before dedicating Barnabas and Saul as missionaries.
He suggests Barnabas and Saul "dedicated themselves afresh to God; they renounced every way they had wandered from him; they presented their lives, their gifting, and their calling completely to Jesus, to be filled again with his Spirit, to be his and his alone".
In a sense, that is what the apostle Paul commands us to do in Romans 12:2: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is your spiritual worship."
Why is it important to do this in prayer?
As I think about it, I cannot enter God's throne room with a mind and heart determined to disobey him. God wants me to have a willing heart.
I'm unlikely to hear God if my mind is focused on other things - some good, some bad.
If I consecrate myself to God every day, I have a better chance of knowing how to pray according to God's will. And that is the key to answered prayer. (1 John 5:14-15)
Consecration certainly leads to effective followers of God. The apostle Paul is a great example, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to Europe while overcoming great obstacles, beatings, and imprisonment.
And I am sure the disciples of Jesus were consecrating their lives to God while praying in the days leading up to the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Lots for me to think about and pray about.
And that is the way we should begin our prayer time, says the author of Moving Mountains: Praying with Passion, Confidence and Authority.
"It is the fresh act of dedicating yourself - or your home, a relationship, a job, your sexuality, whatever needs God's grace - deliberately and intentionally to Jesus, bringing it fully into his kingdom and under his rule."
The idea of consecration or dedication is not new.
As Eldredge points out, there are instances in the Bible where God called on his people to consecrate themselves before a great event such as the Lord coming down on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:9-11)
He illustrates the importance of consecration by referring to Acts 13 where the young church at Antioch spent time in prayer and fasting before dedicating Barnabas and Saul as missionaries.
He suggests Barnabas and Saul "dedicated themselves afresh to God; they renounced every way they had wandered from him; they presented their lives, their gifting, and their calling completely to Jesus, to be filled again with his Spirit, to be his and his alone".
In a sense, that is what the apostle Paul commands us to do in Romans 12:2: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is your spiritual worship."
Why is it important to do this in prayer?
As I think about it, I cannot enter God's throne room with a mind and heart determined to disobey him. God wants me to have a willing heart.
I'm unlikely to hear God if my mind is focused on other things - some good, some bad.
If I consecrate myself to God every day, I have a better chance of knowing how to pray according to God's will. And that is the key to answered prayer. (1 John 5:14-15)
Consecration certainly leads to effective followers of God. The apostle Paul is a great example, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to Europe while overcoming great obstacles, beatings, and imprisonment.
And I am sure the disciples of Jesus were consecrating their lives to God while praying in the days leading up to the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Lots for me to think about and pray about.
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