(Romans 7:6 AMP)
There’s no question about it. God wants to pour out His glory on us today as surely as He did on His Old Covenant people. But we must make the first move. We must draw near and spend time in His presence.
We must follow the example of the Israelites of old by separating ourselves and bringing offerings to Him. Not just the kind of offerings we plunk in the bucket on Sunday mornings, but offerings that symbolize our lives. Offerings that say to God,”I give all of my resources and all of myself to You.”
If we’ll do that, He can move on us in His mighty power and take us to another degree of glory.
“But, Lynne,” you might say, “I don’t know how to separate myself to God that way. Exactly what should I do? What offering should I bring Him?”
Don’t ask me. Ask the Lord. Let Him show you.
New Testament sanctification is not a legalistic thing. It’s not a matter of trying to fulfill some kind of prescribed religious obligation. It’s a matter of the heart. It’s a matter of hearing and heeding what the Holy Spirit is saying to you personally at this time in your life. As born again New Covenant believers, we aren’t bound to the written requirements of the law like God’s Old Testament people were. We’re free to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
That’s the wonder of New Testament Christianity! It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship. And through that relationship, God can lead us into greater degrees of sanctification and glory in a personal and unique way.
He may lead one person to get up earlier each morning to spend some extra time in prayer. He may lead another to fast a meal or two a week for a while and use the time they’d normally spend eating to meditate on the Word. He might lead others to spend their daily commute to work worshipping Him with songs, hymns, and spiritual songs.
If we will attend to His leadings, the Holy Spirit will reveal to each of us just what kinds of offerings God wants us to bring. He will show us day by day how to separate ourselves more and more to fellowship with Him.
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:1 – 14
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”