Rebuild the Altar

Have your prayer life been off lately? You haven't been praying like you once did. It may feel as if something keeps holding you back or distracting you. Sometimes it's just laziness if we would be totally honest. Besides that, it may be a spiritual attack on your prayer life.

In the Bible, Ezra 3, Jozadak, Zerubbabel, and some others decided to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem, but first they built an altar. They built an altar so they could come together and pray and worship the Lord. They made sacrifices, gave offerings, and consecrated. Before we do anything, we should communicate with God about it. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

Prayer is our first work. All of the gifts and callings that are mentioned in the Bible are connected to prayer. Prayer is the foundation of every work we can possibly do for the Lord. Jesus was always praying and He tells us in the Bible that we are to always pray (Luke 18:1). We can only do the effective, impactful work of the Lord if we have a prayer life. Remember this scripture?

John 14:2,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

If we believe in Jesus, we will do as He did. Pray as He prayed. Still away as he stilled away to be with the Lord. Fast like he fasted so they will be powerful and spiritually equipped to do what He has purposed us to do.

Your prayer altar has to be built before your ministry can launch. Your altar is your foundation to any work you do for the Lord. The oil comes with sacrifice. We know that the Bible tells us that it is the anointing that destroys yokes. So, effective and impactful ministry requires the oil that only comes through sacrifice. The sacrifice of prayer, worship, and consecration.

In Ezra 4, the locals tried to instill fear into the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. The same will happen to you when you decide to do the will and the work of the Lord. Any time you make up your mind to build something unto the Lord the enemy will come. He will use anything and anyone he can to distract you, frustrate you, or bring fear. You have to recognize the enemy and continue the work. You have to be like Nehemiah and say to the enemy, "I am doing a great work. I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"

When you are doing something for the Lord, He will watch over you. He will take care of what you have dedicated to Him on the altar.