To build deeper levels of connection with God, it’s essential to have an altar where the incense of prayer is burning consistently. A prayer altar is a personal dedication to communion with God the Father.
A prayer altar transcends a place of request and reciting prayers of our daily wants and needs to God; it’s about creating a Spirit-enabled atmosphere dedicated to communing intentionally and intimately with the Father as a sign of our surrenderedness to His supreme will and divine plans.
Understanding Prayer Altars
A personal Prayer altar is to:
- Seek to know His will.
- Build intimacy with the Father.
- Show that we surrender to God’s supreme will.
- Receive guidance.
- receive precision in life’s journey.
- Build strength
- Receive divine revelation.
- To ask for grace for witnessing
How to Build a Prayer Altar
Matthew 26:40-45 (KJV): “And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Salvation Girdle
Salvation by the grace made available by Christ Jesus is the centrality of our devotion to God. The transformative process of the heart has to be through salvation, purification, sanctification, and justification by Faith in Christ.
This is why the first altar required by God is a transformed heart. The word of God says “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
The heart serves as the initial altar, reflecting the biblical truth that a surrendered heart opens the door for Christ’s presence and the journey of spiritual refinement.
The Potent Word of God
Immerse yourself in the transformative power of God’s Word one key element needed to build an effective prayer altar for God. As stated in Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” and in Colossians 3:16 it says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom...” guiding your thoughts and actions.
There is more to the scripture than just being a bible, it is the living, active force that shapes our lives as we wholeheartedly embrace it.
If we are going to grow in faith to the point of being approved by God, there must be diligent study of the Word of God. Just as a man cannot become a mechanical engineer just by glancing through engineering books so also a a believer cannot be a devoted follower of Christ just by glancing through the bible. There must be an everflowing desire to read, learn, and eat the word of God which is the bread of Life.
As seen in 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ” Let His Word be your constant companion and source of wisdom then you can build an effective prayer life and altar of prayer for your God.
Thanksgiving and Praises
“I will enter His gate with thanksgiving in my heart.” Learning to start every worship encounter with praising and worshiping the Father. It has to be very deliberate and substantial. Thank Him for the little things, thank Him for the seen and unseen battles He has won for you.
Learn new soul-lifting praise songs. You can also rely on the Holy Spirit to write new songs to sing to the Lord. It has to be approached deliberately and with precision. This is a very powerful element needed to build an effective prayer altar to the Lord.
Prayers and Supplication
Prayer is a means to engage with God. God wants us to present our cases before Him. Our prayers should be according to His will for us, His people, and that He will reveal His mind to us. It’s okay to make our weaknesses known to Him, make the coveted gifts known to Him, and ask for grace to build a life through character. Asking on behalf of God’s people and more. Tell to God how life is treating you, and talk about your vulnerabilities.
The Holy Spirit
We don’t know how to pray or do any spiritual exercise without the Holy Spirit. For a perfect understanding of the Word of God, we need the Holy Spirit. All the spiritual exercises at the prayer altar must be facilitated by the Holy Spirit. Effectual fervent prayer can only be facilitated by the Holy Spirit. Let the Spirit take its due course, do not limit its free flow in any way.
Integrity & Punctuality
If you say you will meet with God at so and so, make it a time because by then He’s waiting. I have opened my mouth to the Lord and cannot go back. People who can’t fulfill their own words will barely be able to build a place of altar for God. Psalm 69:9 talks about an unbending zeal for visiting the house of the Lord. Make it a time, include it in your schedules and calendars, they can’t be canceled out for other meetings, to walk the work of consistency.
Consistency
Most believers pray but not consistently long enough to hear God. Building a place of altar for God will demand a consistent walk with God and the art of always showing up in His presence. many believers pray but lack the willpower and endurance to pray until they hear from God.
In Hebrews 11-6 there is a resounding assurance that God is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him. Therefore if we can maintain regular communion with God, we can build an altar that daily exudes His presence and receive His blessings. A faithful persistent commitment to see God cannot go unrewarded because “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Things to Get Rid of from Your Prayer Altar
Filthiness
Create a secluded place to consistently meet with the Lord in the study of His word and in prayer. The place must be clean; cleanliness is next to godliness. Get rid of immoral things completely from your tent, the fetish and voodoo items before you knew the Lord, the evil and erotic novels and books should all be discarded, watching ungodly movies, and songs, get rid of all unclean tendencies, and that begins with you because we are God’s temple and nothing unclean can be in us.
Distractions
Never condone sinful habits like lying lips around your altar, uphold God’s fear and presence there, and be specific about the close ones to you, not for fear but for reverence and honour to God.
It is important to get rid of distractions from your prayer altar, such as ringing and messages from the phone, noises, etc should be dealt with.
Your place of prayer should only have elements of praises to God, such as Bibles in approved versions and languages, books of true Christian leaders who have genuinely met the Lord, instruments of worship, Christian workbooks, and more.
You can have a journal to document the precepts of God. Make available mild light, and make it a place of ambiance enough to commune and concentrate on communicating with the Father.
Hastiness
No rushing in, no rushing out! The altar place is your El Bethel ( Genesis 28:19, 35: 1, 31: 13, 15) where God lives and you live with Him. It should not be that you only visit Bethel at times of challenges and troubles; you stay and dwell in Bethel where God dwells, which means you are always with the Father, constant fellowship is key here. I recommend having at least a tenth of all the hours of the day to fellowship with the Father, that is 2.4 hours at least in His presence daily. It must be done delightfully.
Carnal Mindedness
At the prayer altar, it is important to get rid of carnal thoughts and fleshly tendencies. I know you have wants and desires, but it’s time to lay them aside, and let His want and nature take over you, at the prayer altar, He is all that matters. His time to submit to knowing His heart and will.
In John 4: 24, the bible says there that “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”So there isa need to surrender your will to God’s as you seek His heart and guidance.
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