The Principles of Prayer VIII

 The difference between the sacrifices of old, wherein men would bring burnt offerings and lay them upon the altar, and today is that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice before God. This standard is not exclusive to leadership, to pastors or preachers, or those who hold some vaulted position within the church, but for all who are called according to His purpose. It is a reasonable service. Not something excessive, or too pricy to make it worthwhile, but reasonable to the point that generation after generation of men who took Paul’s admonition to heart and strived to be living sacrifices looked back on their lives and the only regret they had was that they hadn’t done it sooner.

God is never going to shortchange you. You’re never going to look back on a life lived in obedience and conclude that it wasn’t worth it, or that you put in more than God did. Knowing that the presence of God will exceed any expectations you might have had as to what it will be like, the enemy’s singular focus is to keep you from presenting yourself as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God.

He will use any means necessary, because as long as he can convince you that God, in moderation, faith in moderation, or obedience in moderation are just as acceptable to God as being fully committed, sold out, and focused on Him, you will never know the fullness of His presence in your life, and at some point find yourself wondering if that’s all there really is to it.

You hear of people, some moderately prominent, who come out and declare their disillusionment with God, how faith isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and how they’re taking steps to deconstruct their beliefs, and what we must realize about such individuals is that they never really knew God. They never presented themselves as living sacrifices, but always kept something in reserve, some part of their hearts hidden away, and because they never knew Him, and He never really knew them, they can walk away. They’re not walking away from the one true God, but from an idol, an illusion they fashioned for themselves, which left them cold and faithless.

Some things must be experienced in order to be understood. You can try your best to describe them with eloquent prose, and analogize them until the cows come home, but it doesn’t come close to experiencing it firsthand. My mom always told me fire burned, and I believed her, but I never really understood what that meant until the day I touched a hot stove.

People can talk about the presence of God, the love of God, the power of God, and the closeness they feel when in fellowship with Him, but until someone experiences these things for themselves, the words will always fall short. The enemy knows this, and if he can keep someone from experiencing God with distractions, temptations, confusions, or deceptions, he will do it for as long as he can, until the individual either gives up in frustration or commits to present themselves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

There is nothing subtle about a roaring lion. If he is within proximity, you will know he is there, without having to look in the bushes or behind tree trunks. You’ll also likely know the difference between a tourist and a native. Tourists want the photo opportunity; they want to get close enough to pet the lion, and perhaps ruffle his mane, while a local, someone who has lived with the reality of what a lion can do, only has one concern: to keep as far away from the lion as they can.

They understand they shouldn’t wander into the lion’s territory unless they’re prepared for a confrontation, and they likewise understand the danger the lion poses.

There are the people who are chomping at the bit to give the devil a big ole’ whoopin’, and those who are consistently building up their spiritual arsenal for the eventuality that they might have to. The two are not the same, whether in mindset, outlook, or actions. Those who’ve never seen the devil up close, who’ve never had to confront him, resist him, and rebuke him, will likely look upon the idea of it as something exciting, a new story to tell, and a new experience to brag about.

They practice their steely glares in the mirror, think about the one-liner they’re likely to deliver when standing on the battlefield, and focus on aesthetics rather than ensuring they have the necessary arsenal to get the job done. In short, they go into battle underestimating the enemy and get their clocks cleaned for it. The practices that determine victory or defeat are the selfsame things that casual Christians ignore, dismiss, and otherwise fail to do consistently, while dreaming not so much of the battle itself, but of the cheers and applause as they take their victory lap once the enemy is felled.

They’ve never known the power of God because they never took the time to know Him. You can’t possess God’s power without establishing a relationship with the One who empowers. Likewise, you can’t have a relationship with God without spending time in His presence, having fellowship with Him, and desiring Him above all else.

Watching a fully grown man ride a roller coaster in church may be more entertaining than falling to your knees and crying out to God, but we’re not in this for entertainment purposes. We’re in this to stand and having done all to stand, walk in the authority of the only One the enemy fears, and at whose command he must flee.

It’s neither unloving nor mean-spirited to point out the inadequacies of the modern-day church, especially when it’s that church that can’t stop beating its chest, declaring how strong and vibrant it is. Fog machines and flashing lights so invasive as to cause an epileptic seizure are not what produces strength. Humility, obedience, and faithfulness in prioritizing God do. The reason we’re not matching the results of those who came before us is evident when you take a moment to compare and contrast the level of commitment, tenacity, desire, and drive. Yes, it makes all the difference that those of past generations spent hours on their knees on a given day, while we roll our eyes if the opening prayer in a church service is longer than thirty seconds.

We have not because we ask not, and we ask not because we fear the accountability once we receive that which we ask for. The sad reality is that most would rather live a lukewarm existence absent the power and presence of God and live as they will than surrender their all so that they might gain His all.   

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr. 

Posted on 21 April 2025 | 11:38 am