ICS Daily Devotions
The Prayer of Consecration
Matthew 26:39 (NKJV) “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”
Jesus sets an example of how we should pray to be in God’s will and to have His leading in every major decision we make in life. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He did not ask God for an easy way out from becoming the sin sacrifice for the world. Of all the recorded prayers of Jesus, this is the only one where He prayed, “If it is Your will”. Jesus was praying about the will of God for His life when He said, “Nevertheless, not My will, but as You will”. Different passages of scripture mention that Jesus said He came to do the will of the Father. If Jesus did the will of the Father, then it is imperative that we model after His life as well by living in full submission to the plan and purposes of the heavenly Father.
A prayer of consecration is a prayer seeking the will of God for our lives. We pray, “If it is Your will,” because we do not know the will of God. We are not fixated upon our own agenda, but we lay it down before God and ask Him to direct our steps. We do not make the decision first, then ask Him to bless it. This can be a struggle for many Christians because it deals with the Lordship of Christ in our lives. It has to do with laying down what we perceive to be our own right to decide what we want to do and how we want to live our lives. It involves surrendering and submitting to God. A consecrated life involves a purposeful and intentional decision to make our lives count for the Lord.
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk them.”
We need to be honest with ourselves, is what’s on our mind a “good idea” or “God’s idea”? If He is the Lord of our lives, it is good to obtain God’s endorsement before we rush out to execute our ideas or plans. Not every idea is God’s idea, therefore, it’s important to consecrate our plan, idea and dream to Him. Wait for a confirmation through the Word – Is there a “Book, Chapter and Verse” (BCV) reference? Seek a witness of the Holy Spirit and godly counsel from others. If we are confident it is God’s idea, then God will fund it, provide resources for it and bless it. Once we have ensured that God is in this endeavor, we will be able to stand firm and immovable in the face of adversity. We won’t be easily discouraged, blame God or others or become bitter when we experience difficulties while walking out His calling.
Once God has given us the idea, we own it and will have a clearer picture of the blueprint. We are impregnated with it. We will speak about it in faith. We will begin to plan, strategize and implement it when the timing is right. We will act and decide based on holiness, justice and righteousness especially in the area of business and corporate dealings. God has a unique plan for every one of us. He is the Master Craftsman. Stay resilient and be patient despite the pressure that can come upon us while we walk out God’s calling, keeping a clear conscience so that the devil can have no hold over us. And we will witness the hand of God upon our lives.
Sermon Series: Resilience (Part 3)
