Repairing the Altar of God

"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt (limp) ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word...And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down" (1 Kings 18:21,30).

The prophet Elijah, who was a mighty man of prayer, rebuked the people for their lack of true devotion to God. The Israelites began to run after the gods of the nations that surrounded them. As a result, a great drought had come upon the land. One of the evidences that they were conforming to the ways of the nations around them was that the altar of God had fallen in disrepair. Elijah repaired this altar, prayed and the fire of God fell. The altar of God was the place where they worshiped God and offered sacrifices to showed their love and devotion to him. But sadly the children of Israel neglected the altar of God and allowed their hearts to be drawn away after false gods. The church today is in a similar state. It has no real influence upon the world. The church has so neglected the altar of prayer to go after worldly methods, that it no longer has any power to do God's bidding. Rather than influencing the world the world has infiltrated the church. "Elijah was a man skilled in the art of prayer, who altered the course of nature, strangled the economy of a nation, prayed and the fire fell, prayed and rain fell. We need rain, rain, rain! The churches are so parched that seed cannot germinate. Our altars are dry, with no hot tears of penitents. Oh for an Elijah" (Ravnehill).

The Apostle Paul wrote, "I beseech ye therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1-2). Are you limping around with a half hearted devotion to God wondering why your life feels so dry and barren? Repair the altar of God, present yourself wholly to Him, and pray fervently for the rain of renewal to fall upon your life.