EXHORTATION
The prayer of consecration and dedication to God is one of the most important prayers in our life because it a prayer of surrendering our will. It is easy to give up most things except our will.
The first sin in bible is a sin of will. God gave us a will so we can choose to give it back to Him. Jesus demonstrated the highest consecration and dedication to God by willingly laying down His life to pursue the purpose of God.
John 10: 17 (TPT) “The Father has an intense love for me because I freely give my own life—to raise it up again. I surrender my own life, and no one has the power to take my life from me. I have the authority to lay it down and the power to take it back again. This is the destiny my Father has set before me.”
The act of a willing surrender of the will pleases God. Note the Father has an intense love for Jesus because He freely gave His life to God. That was a sacrifice of the heart/will which is well-pleasing to God.
Our prayer today is two-fold:
Giving our souls to Him. Our soul is made up of the mind, the will, and the emotions. The will being the strongest part of the soul is what we want to surrender willingly to the Lord
Giving our bodies to Him. Rom 12:1 (AMPC) I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Giving our bodies to the Lord in surrender is a way of dedicating our lives to Him; we yield our members to God as instruments of righteousness.
Rom 6:13 (AMP) Do not go on offering members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves to God [in a decisive act] as those alive [raised] from the dead [to a new life], and your members [all of your abilities—sanctified, set apart] as instruments of righteousness [yielded] to God.
It is very difficult because we all have survival instincts and anything that will reduce your happiness, ego, sleep, wealth, health and ultimately life, our flesh will fight it.
Jesus also in the flesh gave us an example of a surrendered will in the face of the highest threat to our existence which is death.
Luke 22:42-43 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
A dedicated and consecrated lifestyle does not come easy.
Luke 22:44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
That is the prayer we want to pray today. A prayer of surrender in love and in trust because of His love and goodness.
Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Who is in control of my life? Myself? Satan? or God? Who is influencing my actions or inactions? This scripture was written to Christians. Does He reign in my life?The reason we are saved is for fellowship. Will you open that door again today? Not only to Him as our Savior but also as Lord.
Our sacrifices/services will only be acceptable to God after we have first given Him our will. I believe this was the primary reason Abel’s offering was accepted and Cains was not. Note, God accepted Abel first and then his offering; Cain was rejected, therefore his offering was not accepted.
Gen 4: 4-5 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
This prayer is clearly one of the most important prayers in our lives; this is one prayer you can’t pray too much! We are saying, Lord, govern my life, occupy the throne in my heart, be in charge. It’s one thing for God to dwell in our spirits; it’s another thing for Him to be in control of the entirety of our lives. God doesn’t force Himself into our lives, we have to invite Him. We are also offering our lives to Him to use for His glory.
To consecrate means to make holy or to dedicate to a higher purpose. It implies setting yourself aside and dedicating yourself wholly to God.
Eph 5:18: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Just as wine completely influences the mind, will, emotions and the body of the man who is drunk, so should the Holy Spirit be able to completely influence every area of our lives.
The Holy Spirit is reigning in some areas of our lives but not in others. The extent at which you are ready to submit to Him will determine the extent at which He can exercise authority over your life.
A prayer of consecration is the prayer that gives our will to God. When we pray this prayer, we aren’t asking God to give us anything, we are actually giving Him a gift of our lives. We are presenting our bodies a living sacrifice to Him; we are giving Him total control of our lives. This type of prayer is well pleasing to God. The ‘prayer point’ for this session is asking Him to take the offering of our lives we present to Him!
Rom 12:1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
It’s a prayer of nevertheless, I will do what you say in spite of what my desires are!
Luke 22:42: Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.
He must increase (John 3:30) This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.
As you pray this prayer, He will begin to reveal to you certain areas of your life He’s not in control of. Your marriage, your money, your emotions, your time?
The more you submit to His domain, the more He reigns in our lives.
SONG: I GIVE YOU M HEART (Hillsong Worship)
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION AND SURRENDER
Say the words of this prayer out loud and then proceed to pray in other tongues and in your understanding as your consecrate yourself to the Lord:
Dear Heavenly Father, You are my Lord and my God.
I come before You, and I offer myself to You Lord
All of me–my body, my soul, and my spirit.
All I have, all I am, are Yours and Yours alone.
Lord God, I freely and willingly submit my will before You now, and ask that from now on, You and only You, will lead me.
I submit my body to You as a living sacrifice; for Your use and the use of Your Kingdom. Lord, let me no longer be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind such that I may be a sacrifice to Your good and acceptable and perfect will.
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.
Mold me and make me Lord; reshape me into what You desire of me.
Stretch me Lord, and expand me into new areas of life which You have prepared for me.
Lead me Lord, onto and along that narrow path which You have chosen for me.
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 our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen!
I present my life to You, take my life as an offering, and use for Your glory. As I pray in other tongues, I give my life, my will unto God as an offering and He fills me with all of Himself.
VERSE OF THE DAY: Rom 6:13 (AMP) Do not go on offering members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves to God [in a decisive act] as those alive [raised] from the dead [to a new life], and your members [all of your abilities—sanctified, set apart] as instruments of righteousness [yielded] to God.