).png)
The Sacrifice and Commitment of Prayer:
I. The Sacrifice of Prayer
Thankfulness is offered as a spiritual sacrifice. It is given in combination with other spiritual sacrifices. As a spiritual sacrifice, thanksgiving can be offered in the form of a prayer and/or praise. Prayer, praise, and thanksgiving are almost inseparable, and they are most often offered together. Thankfulness is a peace offering. “This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer to the Lord: If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer, with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of blended flour mixed with oil. Besides the cakes, as his offering he shall offer leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offering” Leviticus 7:11–13 (NKJV). It is not possible for us to approach God or gain access to God on the basis of our own credentials. For this reason, in the Old Testament, sacrifice accompanied prayer, indeed it was a prerequisite for entering the presence of God. With the coming of Jesus Christ, and his offering of the one, real, ultimate sacrifice for sin, there is no longer any need for the individual supplicant to offer individual sacrifice for his/her own sin, but there is still the need of the mediating sacrifice, which is effective once-and-for-all for those who trust in him. He is the Mediator, he is the atonement. By him and by him alone do we have access to the Father in prayer. Henceforth, we pray always and only in his name. Never do we come to God trusting in our own righteousness or our own sinlessness. In this way it is written that Christ ever lives to make intercession for us. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV).
In the Old Testament particularly, a variety of sacrificial offerings and incense offerings were understood as prayer, prayers of repentance/confession, prayers for forgiveness/cleansing, and prayers of thanksgiving. This concept of sacrifice and offering as a form of prayer, and/or as a necessary companion of prayer, is directly related to the acknowledgement of our utter dependence on the mercy and goodness of God. When we pray with a right attitude, we know these sacrifices are pleasing to God. In Scriptures our prayers are described as sweet incense to God and likened to an evening sacrifice. “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” Revelation 5:8 (NKJV). “And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand” Revelation 8:4 (NKJV). “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” Psalms 141:2 (NKJV). In other words, He enjoys hearing from us. So, what we sacrifice comes back to us “pressed down, shaken together, and running over”. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” Luke 6:38 (NKJV). This makes our prayer life a real joy and hardly something we would think of as a sacrifice.
II. The Commitment to Prayer:
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” Ephesians 6:18–19 (NKJV). Paul understood that no one is above the need for prayer. We cannot merely assume God’s blessing or that we’ll automatically be successful, even if we’ve been successful in the past. We must continue to seek God through prayer. Paul knew that all Believers face demonic forces and the fiery darts of the devil, and we cannot be victorious without the power of prayer. This is not something to take lightly. Paul recognized that the work of God cannot be done without being committed to prayer. This commitment to prayer must be a central part of our lives. Commitment means pledging oneself to something or to someone else, with dedication and loyalty. Making a commitment, is making a promise, a vow, a pledge and an obligation, binding oneself. Jesus and the writers of the Bible ask many times that we make a commitment and we bind ourselves to Him. Paul had an amazing ministry. He had seen the power of God flow through his life through many mighty miracles and powerful messages. Yet, in spite of all this experience, Paul never forgot the commitment to and importance of prayer. Even though he was an apostle, called by Jesus Himself, Paul recognized that every prayer was important. Jesus warned His followers clearly of the issues that would come their way. Of those who persisted in commitment and followed Him, so many died a brutal martyr’s death. Christian commitment requires faith, because the Word of God says, "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6) and “faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).
A prayer of commitment to the Lord our God is a dangerous prayer; for the Lord demands our all, our everything, leaving no stone unturned. Giving our commitment, our will and our lives to the Lord as we ought, we acknowledge His Kingship over our lives. We acknowledge and recognize His sovereignty over our lives.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are my Lord and my God. I know from Your Word that a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart is a sacrifice, O God, that You will not despise.
I come before you now to offer myself to you Lord God – all of me – my body, my mind and my soul. All I have, all I am, are Yours and Yours alone.
I confess Lord, that I am a sinner and I ask for Your forgiveness for all the sins I have committed. I repent of my sins Lord, and with your help, I choose to turn away from them and I proceed in the opposite direction, turning to You alone.
In the name of Jesus, I also choose to forgive all those who have ever wronged me or who have ever spoken slanderous words against me. I bless each one of them in the name of Jesus and pray that the love and peace of Jesus will fall heavily upon them now. Lord God, I freely and most willingly submit my will before you now, and ask that from now on, You and only You, will lead me.
I also submit my body to You as a living sacrifice; for Your use and the use of You Kingdom. Lord, let me no longer be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind so that I may be a living sacrifice to Your good and acceptable and perfect will for all to see.
Search me O God and know my heart. Test me and try me Lord and know my thoughts and see if there is any wickedness in me. Lead me O Lord, in your everlasting ways.
Break me and remold me Lord, to reshape me Lord into the image which You desire of me.
Stretch me Lord and expand me into the new areas of life which you have destined for me.
Lead me Lord, onto and along that narrow path which You have chosen for me, so that my destiny may be fulfilled exactly as You have planned since before, I was in my mother’s womb.
Use me Lord, for the magnification of Your name and Your glory and for Your Kingdom, according to Your will.
O Lord God, as I submit myself to you, I commit to doing everything I do, to saying everything I say, and to choosing everything I choose, for the sake of Your Kingdom and not mine.
Father, I pray this in the mighty name of Your son, Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Saviour. Amen!