Deliberate Christian Devotional: Build an Altar For God - February, 2025
Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 27:1-8, Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 13:15
Memory Verse: “Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God.” – Deuteronomy 27:6 (KJV)
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Introduction
Throughout the Bible, altars were sacred places of worship, sacrifice, and encounter with God. The patriarchs—Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses—all built altars as acts of obedience, dedication, and thanksgiving. These structures were central to the Israelites’ relationship with God, representing devotion and atonement.
However, with the coming of Jesus Christ, physical altars of stone and burnt offerings are no longer required. Jesus, through His death on the cross, became the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 10:10-12). But does this mean that altars are no longer relevant in our Christian walk? Absolutely not!
Instead of physical altars, we are now called to build spiritual altars—places of daily communion with God, thanksgiving, and worship. These altars are not constructed with bricks or stones but are established in our hearts and through our lifestyles.
The Altar of the Heart
In Deuteronomy 27:6, God commanded the Israelites to build an altar using whole stones—untouched and unshaped by human tools. This represents the purity and sincerity with which we must come before God. Today, our hearts are the new altars where God desires to dwell (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
A heart filled with gratitude, faith, and obedience is an altar of praise unto the Lord. When we develop a lifestyle of thanksgiving and surrender, we create an atmosphere where God’s presence can abide.
Types of Altars of the Heart that Christians can Build
New testament Christians can build diverse altars of the heart like:
- The Altar of Worship
- The Altar of Thanksgiving
- The Altar of Prayer
- The Altar of Obedience
1. The Altar of Worship
Every Christian is called to a life of worship. Worship is not just about singing songs on Sundays; it is about offering our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). A heart that worships God daily—through prayer, obedience, and surrender—becomes a powerful spiritual altar where God’s presence resides.
2. The Altar of Thanksgiving
The Bible says, “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15). Thanksgiving should not be an occasional activity; it should be a daily offering unto God.
A simple way to cultivate this is by keeping a thanksgiving journal—a record of God’s goodness and faithfulness in your life. When you intentionally acknowledge His works, your heart becomes an altar of praise, and worship becomes your lifestyle.
3. The Altar of Prayer
Jesus often withdrew to pray, demonstrating that consistent prayer is essential to maintaining our relationship with God (Luke 5:16). Setting apart a specific time daily to commune with God—whether in your home, office, or any quiet place—creates a personal altar where you can encounter Him.
4. The Altar of Obedience
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:9-12) was an act of complete obedience. Today, God may not ask you to sacrifice your child, but He calls you to surrender your time, desires, resources, and plans to Him. When you live in obedience to His Word, you are offering a sacrifice that pleases Him (1 Samuel 15:22).
Get Deliberate: Steps to Build Your Altar
Evaluate Your Heart: Is your heart a place where God’s presence dwells? Are you consistently offering praise, worship, and obedience?
Create a Thanksgiving Journal: Begin recording the things God does in your life daily. This will help you cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
Set Apart a Prayer Time: Dedicate a specific time each day to commune with God in prayer and worship.
Surrender to God: Identify areas in your life that you need to yield to God and ask for His grace to obey.
Developing a habit of building altars to the Lord can be a struggle amidst life’s daily demands. Get the needed support by joining the Deliberate Christian Bible Study and Prayer Chain
Prayer:
Lord, I desire to be an altar of worship, thanksgiving, and obedience to You. Fill my heart with gratitude and help me to live in total surrender to Your will. Let my life be a daily offering of praise to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
There are more prayer points on diverse issues in the Deliberate Christian Prayer Bank
By intentionally building spiritual altars in our hearts, homes, workplaces, and daily lives, we create a deeper connection with God.
Comment in the comment section- My life shall be an altar where praise and thanksgiving rise in Jesus name.
Check out previous devotionals
This devotional was written by Deliberate Christian Ronke Babalola and edited for the Deliberate Christian website by Dunmininu Makoyawo
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Lord make me an alter of worship and obedience in Jesus name.
Thank you for sharing ma’am.