Looking back at my spiritual life, I come to realize that there have been numerous times when I have prayed and asked the Lord to use me for his work, kingdom and glory. We take a look at the many mighty men and women the Lord is using for the sake of his kingdom in the various spheres of life and our hearts churn up a yearning for the Lord to use us in like manner. Every child of God has been called to a specific purpose on the earth. There is a very specific purpose for which the Lord created each one of us. One of our missions here on earth is to discover what that mission is and to commit ourselves to its pursuit with every iota of our strength.
In order for us to discover the plan of God for our individual lives, we must prepare our hearts to receive from him. First things first, we must realize that we are seeking to discover the plan of God for our lives. This implies that his plan may not necessarily be the same as those we have always had in mind for ourselves. We must understand that no matter how detailed or carefully thought out, God’s plan for our life is definitely mush better than our plan for our life. Next, we must consecrate ourselves to him and to his plan; whatever it is. This may not sound right when considered initially since logically we should know what that plan is before committing to it but in reality, that is the safest and fastest way to hear the voice of the Lord regarding all issues of our lives. If we already have a predefined notion of what we want to do and refuse to submit those personal desires to the Lord, not only will we hinder ourselves from running the race we ought to run but we will most likely make ourselves prone to error in hearing the voice of God; since our will and desires are not yielded completely to the Lord. The word Consecrate means to declare an item or person sacred or dedicated to the service of a deity. It also means to ordain to a sacred office. Thus, when we consecrate ourselves to the plan of God for our lives, we declare to God and to all else that we are separated to the office that he has called us to.
The issue of consecration is of major importance because only when we are consecrated to the pursuit of the plan of God can we begin to understand the fullness of that plan and pursue it to fruition. Many times, we seek the face of the Lord desiring for him to show us his plan before deciding to follow it or not. However, this is not a sign of our trust in God. If we genuinely trust him, we should believe that whatever that plans is, it will be the best for our lives.
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.” James 4:6-8, 10.
The story is told of a man who had the call of God on his life for the ministry. Although he had always known this from his youth, he refused to commit himself to the Lord totally because he was afraid the Lord would send him to China as a missionary. For him, the thought of going to China as a missionary was one pill he was unwilling to swallow. So the young man continued to run away from the Lord but every now and then would return and rededicate his life to the Lord. Then he would get scared again and backslide. After a while of doing this, he finally decided that he would commit his life to the Lord even if it meant he had to go to China. The moment he made this decision, the Lord spoke to him very clearly, saying that he never intended for him to go to China but for him to be willing to go. If you are not willing to sacrifice your personal desires to follow the plan of God for you, you most likely will not hear from God or will limit the range of issues he can speak to you about and will also greatly limit how much the Lord can use you. Notice from the scripture above that we are to first submit ourselves to God, draw near to him and then he will draw near to us and in the process lift us up. The issue of Consecration is one that is not dealt with in details because it is a painful experience submitting your will and desires to those of the Lord.
Once the issue of consecration has been settled, the next step is to seek to know in detail the plan of God for us. This involves understanding the details of that plan, when the first phase of the plan is to be implemented, the location in which that is to happen and other such sensitive details. One thing is certain though: with God, there must be no assumptions as to what is to be done. After these basic issues have been resolved, pursue the plan you have received with all your strength and watch God use you in ways that beat your imagination.
In conclusion, it is important to understand that God has a plan for your life, regardless of whether he has called you to business, ministry or politics. Until you yield your plan for your life to him, consecrate yourself to his plan, understand what that plan is and begin to pursue it with all your being; your prayer for God to use you won’t be fully answered. Decide to follow Gods plan for you; even if you don’t know the details of it yet and your life will take on a whole new meaning!
Use Me Oh Lord!
Posted by davidluiz in Daily Devotional
Looking back at my spiritual life, I come to realize that there have been numerous times when I have prayed and asked the Lord to use me for his work, kingdom and glory. We take a look at the many mighty men and women the Lord is using for the sake of his kingdom in the various spheres of life and our hearts churn up a yearning for the Lord to use us in like manner. Every child of God has been called to a specific purpose on the earth. There is a very specific purpose for which the Lord created each one of us. One of our missions here on earth is to discover what that mission is and to commit ourselves to its pursuit with every iota of our strength.
In order for us to discover the plan of God for our individual lives, we must prepare our hearts to receive from him. First things first, we must realize that we are seeking to discover the plan of God for our lives. This implies that his plan may not necessarily be the same as those we have always had in mind for ourselves. We must understand that no matter how detailed or carefully thought out, God’s plan for our life is definitely mush better than our plan for our life. Next, we must consecrate ourselves to him and to his plan; whatever it is. This may not sound right when considered initially since logically we should know what that plan is before committing to it but in reality, that is the safest and fastest way to hear the voice of the Lord regarding all issues of our lives. If we already have a predefined notion of what we want to do and refuse to submit those personal desires to the Lord, not only will we hinder ourselves from running the race we ought to run but we will most likely make ourselves prone to error in hearing the voice of God; since our will and desires are not yielded completely to the Lord. The word Consecrate means to declare an item or person sacred or dedicated to the service of a deity. It also means to ordain to a sacred office. Thus, when we consecrate ourselves to the plan of God for our lives, we declare to God and to all else that we are separated to the office that he has called us to.
The issue of consecration is of major importance because only when we are consecrated to the pursuit of the plan of God can we begin to understand the fullness of that plan and pursue it to fruition. Many times, we seek the face of the Lord desiring for him to show us his plan before deciding to follow it or not. However, this is not a sign of our trust in God. If we genuinely trust him, we should believe that whatever that plans is, it will be the best for our lives.
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.” James 4:6-8, 10.
The story is told of a man who had the call of God on his life for the ministry. Although he had always known this from his youth, he refused to commit himself to the Lord totally because he was afraid the Lord would send him to China as a missionary. For him, the thought of going to China as a missionary was one pill he was unwilling to swallow. So the young man continued to run away from the Lord but every now and then would return and rededicate his life to the Lord. Then he would get scared again and backslide. After a while of doing this, he finally decided that he would commit his life to the Lord even if it meant he had to go to China. The moment he made this decision, the Lord spoke to him very clearly, saying that he never intended for him to go to China but for him to be willing to go. If you are not willing to sacrifice your personal desires to follow the plan of God for you, you most likely will not hear from God or will limit the range of issues he can speak to you about and will also greatly limit how much the Lord can use you. Notice from the scripture above that we are to first submit ourselves to God, draw near to him and then he will draw near to us and in the process lift us up. The issue of Consecration is one that is not dealt with in details because it is a painful experience submitting your will and desires to those of the Lord.
Once the issue of consecration has been settled, the next step is to seek to know in detail the plan of God for us. This involves understanding the details of that plan, when the first phase of the plan is to be implemented, the location in which that is to happen and other such sensitive details. One thing is certain though: with God, there must be no assumptions as to what is to be done. After these basic issues have been resolved, pursue the plan you have received with all your strength and watch God use you in ways that beat your imagination.
In conclusion, it is important to understand that God has a plan for your life, regardless of whether he has called you to business, ministry or politics. Until you yield your plan for your life to him, consecrate yourself to his plan, understand what that plan is and begin to pursue it with all your being; your prayer for God to use you won’t be fully answered. Decide to follow Gods plan for you; even if you don’t know the details of it yet and your life will take on a whole new meaning!