Judges 6:28-29, Revelation 8: 3-4
Raising an altar of prayer, in a Christian context, refers to creating a dedicated space and practice for personal or collective prayer. This can be done physically in a space at home or spiritually in the heart. The act signifies devotion, worship, and seeking God's presence. One needs to be disciplined that one is intentional without being coerced to do. Genesis 12:8. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. This shows the biblical tradition of building altars as places of prayer and worship. We are not to introduce a new thong.
Isaiah 56:7. These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. God delights in prayer and promises to meet with us there. We should have a designated place where we meet with God.
1 Kings 18:36-37. Elijah prays fervently on the altar to call down fire from heaven, showing the power of prayer at altars. We are to call on God as Elijah did.
This may include the following steps.
Dedicate a special space. This could be a quiet room, corner, or any place where you can focus on prayer without distractions. Here, one can a candle or a bible that can be a point of focus.
Prepare hour heart. Just as ancient altars were built in reverence and honor, the believer should approach prayer with sincerity, humility, and reverence.
Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." It is important to enter into the altar while really ready and prepared.
Offer praise and worship. It is important to begin your prayer time with worship, acknowledging God's greatness and goodness.
Psalm 100:4. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."
Bring your requests. Present your prayers for yourself, your family, and others before God.
Philippians 4:6."Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Make this the way of life.
Meditate on scripture. Use God's Word as a guide and speak it over your life.
Psalm 119:105. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Read and meditate on the word of God.
Commit to consistent prayer. Make this a regular practice, establishing a rhythm for when and how you pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17. "Pray without ceasing." This is possible when you are always seeking the face of God.
Praise God for his answers. Trust that God hears your prayers and thank Him, even before the answers come. Mark 11:24. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
By setting up an altar of prayer, whether physically or in spirit, you align your life with God’s presence and honor Him in a special way. It’s a way to communicate with Him intentionally and consistently. Once again, we must be intentional in our worship to God for us to keep enjoying God’s grace.
