The Principles of Prayer VI

 Another aspect of consecration rarely discussed in today’s church culture is that one must necessarily consecrate oneself to something greater than oneself. We do not set about consecrating ourselves for the sake of projection or image; we don’t do it to garner the praise of men or in the hope that they see us as more spiritual than we are. It’s not something we brag about to others or post progress reports about. We consecrate ourselves to God, and He is the only one that matters as far as seeing it, knowing it, or acknowledging it.

If someone drops fifty pounds, you’ll likely notice. Since consecration is an inner work, although someone may be striving to do it, the change being invisible to the naked eye, we neither expect nor hope that those around us see it, but know that God does.

We act upon the choice to consecrate ourselves to God immediately and without delay. When only the presence of God will satisfy the hunger of the soul, when knowing Him becomes the absolute goal of the heart, we don’t put it off, procrastinate, or delay its implementation until we tie up some loose ends or have more time to dedicate to it.

Good intentions without action are a form of self-delusion that has left many a soul spinning their wheels endlessly, keeping them in the same spiritual state, allowing for no further progress or growth. The most dangerous word a believer can utter when it comes to pressing in, focusing on the things above, or consecrating themselves to God, is tomorrow.

None of us can know with absolute certainty that we will be around to see another sunrise. God numbers our days, and only He knows when we will breathe our last and be no more. If the enemy can’t tempt you away from consecrating yourself, his next best option is to convince you to delay it. You’ve got too much on your plate today. Tomorrow, though, your schedule is not as packed, so maybe wait until then. When tomorrow comes, it is a repeat of yesterday, and once we give in to the idea that we can put it off, it becomes a constant theme.

If God has redeemed you and called you by name, every hour and day you squander in pursuit of anything other than Him is a form of dishonor to His grace and purpose. What a grace that God not only called you by name but also facilitated the reconciliation between you and Him via the death, burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son. Having full awareness of this priceless gift, why would we delay our consecration and put off being His alone, wholly set apart, and yearning for the indwelling of His Holy Spirit?

We often like to pontificate about the consequences of action, but there is also the consequence of inaction. When we know there are things we should be doing, but don’t because they are uncomfortable or require exertion, we will be held accountable for our inaction regarding these things, just as we are for the choices we make that contravene the Word of God.

Hebrews 3:7, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”’

The longer you leave a piece of clay out in the sun, the harder and more brittle it becomes. Leave it out long enough, and there is no chance of molding it any longer, because it has hardened to the point of being unmalleable. This is the danger of delaying and putting off consecrating oneself to God. Bit by bit, the heart grows brittle, and the desire that once burned bright burns less so with each passing day. Today, if you will hear His voice, today if you will hear His call to consecrate yourself to God, do not put it off, but begin the journey forthwith.

There is order in everything God does. God is not haphazard in His commands, nor does He require unnecessary things of us because He can’t come up with anything useful with which to occupy our time on a given day. When we are commanded to consecrate ourselves to Him, we must aspire to it with all due diligence, because without consecration every other aspect of our spiritual walk will suffer and wither and grow stale.

When we endeavor to consecrate ourselves to God, not only will our prayers be consecrated, but the power of our testimony will become such that, though they may seem unexceptional to some, they will touch the hearts of those who hear them and plant the seed of the gospel in their heart.

I once was lost, but now am found. I once was blind, but now I see. I once was dead in my trespasses, but now I am alive in Christ. None of these declarations will ring true if the individual has not set himself upon the path of consecrating his life to God.

God’s mercy, love, justice, righteousness, and grace are unchanging from age to age, as are the ways in which we can grow in Him, know Him more fully, and experience the power of the Holy Spirit He promised to those who would forfeit this life for the life to come.

If prayer was an indispensable part of every individual who walked in the power and authority of God throughout the ages, what makes us think we’ve cracked the code and found a way to circumvent it? If every one of the individuals we look to as giants of the faith contributed their spiritual strength to the countless hours they spent on their knees rather than glad-handing and hobnobbing with people of influence and authority, what makes us think these things are now an apt substitute?

The enemy will do everything he can to keep you from having a robust prayer life, and that in itself is telling and revelatory. When you know that you have an enemy whose single-minded purpose is your destruction, and there’s one thing he’s trying to keep you from doing, you should endeavor to do that one thing more than anything else.

The enemy isn’t putting up roadblocks when you go to bingo night, or attend a potluck, he’s not trying to keep you from getting to a ball game or a concert, but the moment you purpose in your heart to spend more time in prayer, it’s as if everything that could go wrong goes wrong. Do the things the enemy is trying to keep you from doing because he understands just how dangerous those things are to his plans and purposes.          

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr. 

Posted on 18 April 2025 | 11:17 am