The Altar of Worship

The Altar of worship and prayer is a supernatural place where we, children of God, can encounter the presence and power of God. It is a means through which we can experience His power to change our lives and transform our nation.

Table of Contents

However, we Christians have been struggling to release the power from the Altar of worship and prayer to transform our nation for some time now. But it is not working. In this small book, we will explore what we need to do to release this supernatural power to experience the fullness of God’s presence and power in our lives and then eﬀect transformation in our nation.

Chapter 1: What is an Altar of

worship?

Throughout the Old Testament, the Altar was central in the relationship between God and His people. It was a place of sacriﬁce and atonement, where the Israelites brought their oﬀerings and sought forgiveness for their sins. It was a place of worship where they came to thank God and express their love and devotion to him. An Altar in the Tabernacle was usually a structure or raised platform on which the sacriﬁces or oﬀerings were placed as they were oﬀered to God Almighty. It could be animal sacriﬁces being oﬀered or incense being burned in the worship of God. It is where a person worships God by oﬀering sacriﬁces and oﬀerings to Him. The animal or bird to be sacriﬁced or the incense to be burnt are laid on the Altar.

There were two altars in the Tabernacles of Moses, namely, the Brazen Altar and the Golden Altar of Incense.

The Brazen Altar:

This was located in the Outer Court and used for burnt oﬀerings and other sacriﬁces. It was made of acacia wood covered in bronze, and its primary purpose was to make atonement for sin through the blood of the animal sacriﬁced on it. It’s symbolic of where the Blood of the Lamb of God was shed to bring us redemption. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” (Ephesians 1:7; Col 1:14).

The Golden Altar of Incense:

This Altar was located in the Holy Place, just before the veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It was made of acacia wood covered with gold and used for burning incense to symbolize worship and prayer. Incense is placed in censers, a small vessel used to carry ﬁre from the brazen Altar in the Outer Court to the golden Altar of incense, and burns continually in God’s presence.

The sweet aroma of the incense represents the worship and prayers of God’s people ascending to Him. This Altar is not for atoning for sin; it’s an Altar of Worship, consecration, dedication, and prayer.

These altars were an essential part of the worship practices of the Israelites, and were a tangible expression of their faith and devotion to God. They served as a reminder of God’s holiness and their need for forgiveness and redemption. They provided a way for the people to oﬀer worship and sacriﬁces to God.

The Altar in the New Covenant

Today, under the New Covenant in the Blood of Jesus, the Altar is a spiritual or symbolic space of worship and sacriﬁce. It is a space where a child of God or a corporate body of believers can encounter the Presence of God and oﬀer Him their sacriﬁces of praise, worship, and prayers. The Altar is a sacred space where the presence of God is powerful and therefore serves as a place where people can come to meditate, oﬀer their devotion to God, and listen to Him.

It is often understood as a physical space or place where Church members congregate for prayer. This space can be in a hall, a private home, or even outdoors. And its purpose is to provide a place of encounter for people to connect with God, lead new believers to Christ, edify one another, and pray to God in one accord. They would also oﬀer praise and thanksgiving, seek guidance, and intercede for others.

In this small book, the Altar of worship we’ll discuss is not necessarily physical but pertains to the spiritual Altar of sacriﬁce, consecration, and worship. It’s where believers come to worship God, oﬀer prayers, and seek His presence. This applies to both corporate worship of God and individual communion with the Father God. At the Altar, we oﬀer our sacriﬁce of praise and obedience and lay our lives on the Altar for God. Just like Isaac, the son of Abraham, did on Mount Moriah.

But our place of sacriﬁce is not on a physical Altar; neither are our sacriﬁces and oﬀerings.

The Earliest Altar Built to Worship God

The ﬁrst Altar built unto God in the Bible is mentioned in Genesis 8:20. Noah built the ﬁrst Altar to worship and oﬀer sacriﬁces to the Lord after he and his family were saved from the Flood. This act of worship and sacriﬁce is signiﬁcant because it indicates that Noah recognized the power and mercy of God and turned to Him in gratitude and devotion.

Noah’s Altar was a symbol of his faith and relationship with God. It served as a model for the worship practices of the Israelites and other people of faith throughout history. Noah demonstrated his recognition of God’s sovereignty through his worship and sacriﬁce. And he set a precedent for the importance of worship, prayer, and sacriﬁce in the lives of believers.

Abraham was the second person recorded in the Bible to have built an altar to worship God. He built many altars throughout his life as a sign of his devotion and obedience to God. No wonder God called him His friend. The ﬁrst time an altar is mentioned in connection with Abraham is in Genesis 12:7, where the Bible says that Abraham built an altar to the Lord at Shechem in Canaan. This was after God had appeared to Abraham and promised to give this land to his descendants.

In the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, Abraham is described as having built altars in various places, including Shechem, Bethel, and Hebron. These altars were a testament to Abraham’s relationship with God, and his faith and prompt obedience continue to be a model for us today. Abraham’s descendants were also altar builders, following in their father’s footsteps in altar worship.

In Genesis 28:11-17, Jacob had a dream while on his way to Laban in Haran. In the dream, he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. At the top of the ladder, Jacob saw the Lord, who spoke to him and reaﬃrmed God’s covenant with his grandfather Abraham and his father, Isaac. God promised to bless him, give him many descendants, and bring him back to the land of Canaan.

When Jacob woke up from the dream, he realized that he had been in the presence of God without realizing it. The words “surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” express his surprise and awe at the realization that he had been in the presence of God.

Therefore, he set up the stone he had used as a pillow, then the night before, as a pillar and poured oil on it. Then he worshiped, prayed, and made a vow to God. That was Jacob’s ﬁrst Altar of worship and prayer. Then he changed the place’s name from Luz to Bethel, meaning the “House of God.”

Chapter 2: The Purpose of the Altar

One of the primary purposes is to symbolize the meeting place between the holy God and mortal man. And therefore, a symbol of where or how a worshiper can surely come and encounter the “Presence of God.” Every house of worship has a place designated as the Altar where people can come to pray, meditate, and oﬀer their worship and devotion to God. Other fellowships have a room called the ‘Altar Counseling Room” where people just making a decision to accept Christ as Savior are gathered for prayer and ediﬁcation, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. All these and any other which we, the priests of God, set apart for such supernatural activity are places where the Presence of God can be found.

In short, for us in the new creation of Christ Jesus, the Altar is a spiritual place before God where we present ourselves to worship Him. It’s where we come to submit and lay down our lives for Him to do whatever He desires with us. That’s where we lay down everything, like Isaac did, in total and willing surrender.

And it is at the Altar we willingly surrender like our Master and say, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.”

The purpose of the Altar of worship is to facilitate a deeper relationship between God and His people, to promote spiritual growth and transformation, and to encourage believers to live a life that is pleasing to God. But even more important, to burn incense in intercession unto God for their leaders and the salvation of their country.

Enable Worshipers do Oﬀer Sacriﬁces and Oﬀerings There were several diﬀerent oﬀerings made by the people of God in the Old Testament tabernacle: In the Bible, there are several diﬀerent types of oﬀerings that the people of God made:

1. Burnt Oﬀering: This type of oﬀeringt was entirely consumed by ﬁre and was seen as a symbol of complete dedication and devotion to God. It was usually made of a bull, ram, or goat.

2. Grain Oﬀering: This oﬀering consisted of ﬁne ﬂour, oil, and incense and was often accompanied by a burnt oﬀering. It symbolizes the oﬀering of one’s life and resources to God.

3. Peace Oﬀering: This oﬀering was made as a symbol of peace and fellowship with God, and it was often made after a time of conﬂict or trouble. It was usually made of a bull, ram, or goat.

4. Sin Oﬀering: This oﬀering was made as a symbol of atonement for sin, and it was usually made of a bull, goat, or bird. It was intended to bring forgiveness and cleansing to the person making the oﬀering.

5. Trespass Oﬀering: This oﬀering was similar to the sin oﬀering, but it was made as a symbol of atonement for speciﬁc types of sins, such as theft or lying. It was usually made of a ram or goat.

6. Tithes and Oﬀerings: These oﬀerings were given as a symbol of one’s faithfulness and obedience to God, and they were used to support the work of the temple and the priests.

Each of these oﬀerings had a speciﬁc purpose and signiﬁcance, and they were all important components of the worship and religious practices of the people of God in the Old Testament. Of all these, the burnt oﬀering was the only one whereﬁre completely consumed the entire sacriﬁcee on the Altar. It symbolizes a life wholly devoted and dedicated to God on the Altar of sacriﬁce.

Provide a Means of Abiding in His Presence God commanded the priests in Leviticus saying: “And the ﬁre upon the Altar shall be kept burning thereon, it shall not go out; and the Priest shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the burnt-oﬀering in order upon it, and shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-oﬀerings.

“Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out” (Lev 6:12-13).

After putting on the proper attire in the morning, the priests were to gather wood, put it on the Altar, lay the burnt oﬀering upon it, and ensure that the ﬁre upon the Altar was not put out.

All the wood, hay, stubble, and dirt in our lives will be consumed by the ﬁre of God. Junk is created in our lives every day, and we come in contact with more junk every day. As we live down here on this side of eternity, all the junk we gather in our everyday walk must be gathered, together with the firewood, and placed on the Altar, to be consumed by His holy ﬁre. But the divine substance that gloriﬁes Him is not the wood, hay, and stubble, but the burnt oﬀering laid upon the Altar. That is, our lives oﬀered up to Him as living sacriﬁces. This, indeed, is our spiritual worship.

Provide a Means of Pleasing God

We must never forget what God is commanding us in this passage—the ﬁre shall not be put out; it must be kept burning continually upon the Altar. We are to do everything within our power to keep the ﬁre burning.

The Apostle Paul summarized this same message in his Epistle to the Thessalonians in three short verses:

“Pray without ceasing. In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit” (I Thes 5:17, 18, 19).

In other words: Don’t put the ﬁre out. Praise Him always. Pray without ceasing. Rejoice evermore. Whatever happens, don’t do anything that might dampen the zeal that the Holy Ghost is stirring up, either in you or another believer around you. Instead, do everything in your power to stir up the ﬁre. Add more fuel.

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb 10:24-25).

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly aﬀectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Rom 12:9-11).

The praise, worship, and prayers of God’s elect are not useless exercises. They are part of bringing God’s purpose to pass on the earth. We have missed the importance of our ministry unto God in the spirit. We have thought prayer was just for getting things from God. That is part of it. But the spiritual ministry of the royal priesthood in this heavenly temple of God, which manifests itself in prayer, praise, and worship, is an important function in the eternal purposes of God.

Chapter 3: The sacriﬁce of Praise and Worship

They traveled for almost three days. The place for the sacrifice is within sight now. Thanks to his father, Isaac picked up the wood for the burnt offering. He walked alongside his father while carrying the wood on his shoulder towards Mount Moriah. As you might call him in my native colloquial language, he was “the true son of his father.” And indeed, the only-begotten son, both figuratively and in reality. He was always around his father, especially when he was worshiping God. He has assisted him many times in building altars and solemn worship with Burnt-offering unto God. He loves his father. And now, even more than anything, he’s beginning to love the God of his father.

However, on previous occasions when planning for the burnt offering, he remembered that they’ve always had the fire, the wood, the knife, and something else. Something even more important. Yea! he remembered. A lamb! The sacrificial lamb that would be killed and laid on the Altar of Burnt Offering. “Possibly, father must have forgotten this time,” he whispered.

A Willing Sacrifice

So, he called his father’s attention to the missing item on the offering catalog, expecting him to act and make sure they had all they needed for this offering. He was a young boy, alright, but was as concerned about the success of this mission as his father was. As they walked along the path and reached the foot of the mountain, he paused and asked:

“My father. And Abraham said, Here am I, my son.”

And he said, Behold, the fire, and the wood. But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Gen 22:7)

The boy doesn’t know that his father had been thinking about this for more than three days, but had made a quality decision to obey God and also believe His promises. He had resolved to walk in faith and obedience.

“And Abraham said, God, will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son. So, they went both of them together” (Gen 22:8). “When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the Altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son” (Gen 22:11,12).

And like a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, Isaac stayed motionless on the Altar in total obedience and submission to his father even unto possible death. We do not read anywhere that this young man resisted or tried to run for his life, though he could have. He was strong enough to struggle and fight for his life, and could most certainly outrun his father. And though the Scripture doesn’t tell us, theologians agree that Isaac should have been in his late teens or even early twenties during this incident. He was indeed old enough to decide for himself. But, in obedience to his father, whom he trusted completely, he willingly laid it all down on the Altar.

He indeed is a type of the Lord who laid His life down willingly for us in obedience to His Father God. This, indeed, is a willing sacrifice. And a willing sacrifice is a living sacrifice.

God wants us to be like Isaac in this respect and be like our Master Jesus Christ. He wants us to lay our lives on the Altar as a living and willing sacrifice, for this is the worship and the acceptable service in His sight.

God will not take any offering from you or me if we don’t offer it to Him willingly from our hearts. The Apostle Paul teaches that when giving to God in worship, we should always do it from our heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. This agrees with what the Lord told the woman at the well when he said:

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23)

In the Old Covenant, God emphatically told the Children of Israel this same message: “And the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him out of the Tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them If any man of you shall bring an offering to the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD” (Lev 1:1-3).

A Living Sacrifice

God expects an offering of praise emanating from our life, as a living sacrifice unto Him continually, as the Apostle exhorts in the 12th Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. God desires that the sweet incense of a life offered to him on the Altar of sacrifice would rise continually before Him as a sweet-smelling savor. This is the antitype of the burnt offering.

A Burnt Offering is an Offering of Worship

The word translated as “burnt-offering” in Scripture means “ascending.” A burnt offering is offered up to God by fire and “ascends,” or “that which goes up” unto God. It is a “whole” offering because the entire animal used for the offering is burnt upon the Altar before the Lord.

The Book of Leviticus describes several different offerings in detail. In contrast to the sin offerings, a burnt offering is an offering of worship. It is not an offering relating to the sin of the offerer, but one offered up as a fragrance for God’s acceptance and satisfaction.

In the Sin and Trespass offerings, one comes as a sinner to pay the penalty for sins and trespasses. In the burnt offering, one comes to offer oblations of worship to God. This offering is totally for God. In this offering, sin is not seen or thought of. It is an offering from the faithful, giving sweet and voluntary worship to their God.

As this offering is burnt, the fragrance of the incense rises up before God as a sweet-smelling savor. In this offering, God finds satisfaction. In the burnt offering, the worshiper places the entire animal on the Altar, and since the Altar is the table of the Lord, as declared by the prophet Malachi (1:11,12), whatever is placed on it is “the bread of God” (Lev 21:6). It is all His. The fire from heaven consumes the offering, and it ascends unto God as sweet incense.

“I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1-2).

Here, the Apostle admonishes us to present our body to God as a living sacrifice that is acceptable to God. As discussed above, in the early part of this chapter, God spoke to Moses, stating that when anyone brings an offering to Him, it must be from a willing heart. An offering from a willing heart is a living sacrifice, and this is what is acceptable to God.

Here, the Apostle says that, like the burnt offering of the Old Testament, we should wholly and voluntarily surrender our bodies as a living sacrifice on the Altar of Burnt offering. An offering of life willingly and wholly laid upon the Altar. Not one given grudgingly or under compulsion, but one which, like Isaac, is laid on the Altar in obedience and total submission to the Father God. And as our Lord and Master did, we are to lay down our lives on the Altar of Burnt-offering willingly.

And as we do, the fire of the Holy Ghost will fall upon us, and our life will be offered unto God as a sweet-smelling savor, holy and acceptable unto Him. We are to present our bodies wholly to God as a living sacrifice. This is our spiritual worship. God seeks a spiritual offering, an offering from the heart raised in spirit and truth. An offering given to Him from the heart is willingly and is a living sacrifice.

It is essential to understand that Burnt-offerings refer to worship and communion as it pertains to our relationship with God. Burnt offerings mean to worship. We worship God not only with our words or belongings, but with the totality of our life laid upon the Altar. A life totally devoted to God in words and deeds is the worship He desires. This is the living sacrifice the Apostle is talking about.

Dear member of the royal priesthood, what offering will you bring Him today? What will you offer to the God of gods, the King of kings, the Lord of the heavens, and the Prince of the kings of the earth?

Will you bring Him a song? Yes! Bring Him many songs, but bring Him more than ordinary songs.

Will you bring him an offering of money, silver, and gold? That’s okay too! But bring Him more than silver and more than gold, for He is more precious than all these. Bring him more than praise and worship songs.

Bring Him an offering, an offering befitting our Deity, from His priests. Bring Him an offering of worship and of praise, and more than that, bring Him your own self, a living sacrifice laid down on the Altar like Isaac. Not a dead one, but a living sacrifice, a life of praise unto His Name. A life that not only praises and worships Him with voices and hands lifted, but one that is lived daily to bring glory, honor, and praise unto His Name; A life that shows forth the praises of Him that called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; A life surrendered to Him at the Altar of sacrifice. This is ministration unto the Lord at the highest realm in the duty of the royal priesthood.

Our prayers and desire should be like that of David, the man of God: Lord, Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Where Believers Lay Their Lives as a Living Sacrifice

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:1 that we believers should present our bodies as “a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God,” and Hebrews 13:15 says that we should offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.

This is a new day, dear member of the Royal Priesthood. The Spirit of God is telling us that the “fire is already upon the Altar,” and this is the day of consecration. We, the priests of the Most High God, are to congregate for worship at the golden Altar of Incense. We are to take the censer and fill it with incense, our living sacrifices, burn it on the Altar, and it will produce a sweet aroma before the God of the whole earth.

Spiritual sacrifices and offerings include prayer with fasting, intercession, giving to others, serving in the church or community, and encouraging others. In other words, it is about continually living a life pleasing to God. This is the incense we burn on the Altar of burnt offerings to God. And we are to keep this burning continually.

“Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; The lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). This shows David’s understanding of prayers as incense and worship as the evening sacrifice. This agrees with John’s vision in Revelation 8:4.

The Significance of Spiritual Sacrifice

The significance of spiritual sacrifices and offerings in the Bible has both personal and corporate implications.

Firstly, offering spiritual sacrifices is a way of expressing gratitude, devotion, and submission to God.

Secondly, offering spiritual sacrifices is a means of growing our relationship with God. When we put aside our desires and priorities and lay our lives on the Altar to seek Him, we deepen our relationship with Him.

Thirdly, offering spiritual sacrifices will have a positive impact on others. As we live out our faith by sacrificing for others, we become a witness to the love of God and bring hope to those around us.

Finally, offering spiritual sacrifices will bring glory to God. We reflect His character and bring honor to His name. As a corporate body of believers in a nation, we truly become the light and salt of the earth, dispelling darkness and preventing corruption.

What is the incense we are talking about here? Let’s listen and have John tell us what was revealed to him. In the eighth Chapter of the Book of Revelation, John was in the spirit and saw this vision:

“And another angel came and stood at the Altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden Altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God out of the angel’s hand.

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the Altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thundering, and lightning, and an earthquake” (Rev. 8:3-5).

Prayer:

LORD, Let my prayer be as incense before Thee O God and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Let the smoke, as it were, of my incense and my prayers, ascend up before You out of my High Priest’s hands;

Let it rise, Lord, let it rise before You, and let it be a sweet-smelling savor unto You, my God and Redeemer. (Psalm 141:2; Rev 8:3-4 Paraphrased).

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Lord, I bring you my heart and my soul; let them be to You a living sacrifice.

O’ Lord, I bring an offering to you.

Let My Prayers Be as Incense

This heavenly scene witnessed by John the beloved is taking place in the Temple of God. This is not in the earthly realm, but in the true Tabernacle, which the Lord made. The incense put in the censer is the worship and prayer of the saints. These are what produce the smoke that rises before God. And this smoke, as from a burnt offering, produces before God a sweet-smelling aroma.

“And another angel came and stood at the Altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden Altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the Altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, a flash of lightning, and an earthquake.

As stated before, this is not just the occasional worship song or prayer that we offer to God that He’s referring to here, but our life wholly offered up as a spiritual offering of worship unto Him. It is a life of worship and prayer He’s seeking. It is to be a continual, lifelong thing” (Rev 8:3-5 ESV).

Here is the interpretation of John’s vision: As our lives are laid on the Altar in submission and worship, a living sacrifice giving up a sweet-smelling savor unto God, other supernatural things are being accomplished on earth. The fire from the Altar that released the incense from our prayers is cast down into the earth. This divine fire, as John saw in his vision, produces the purposes of God on the earth.

Not only does the incense from our worship and prayer produce the sweet savor that ascends before God, but as it is cast into the earth, the power of God is released, shaking the earth to its core. Voices are heard as the Word of the Lord is released. Thunder shakes the earth to its foundation as the power of God is manifested. Lightning lights the world as the illumination of God flashes within the consciousness of men. And a great earthquake erupts as the kingdoms of men are overthrown, and the kingdom of this world becomes the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ.

This heavenly scene witnessed by John the beloved is taking place in the Temple of God. This is not in the earthly temple but the true one, which we are. As we live a life of worship and prayer, we are indeed sending up to God a sweet odor, as from the burnt offering. When our lives are laid on the Altar in submission and worship, they are like living sacrifices, giving up to God a sweet-smelling savor. Not only this, but also the fire from the prayers or the censer of our lives is cast into the earth, producing the purpose of God. As the sweet odor of our prayers and praise and worship ascends before God from the golden Altar within us, it produces an effect on the earth to the glory of God.

Chapter4: Let’s Learn from Scriptural Examples

In this chapter, we discuss three examples from the Bible that illustrate the release of the power of God when the people offer the sacrifice of worship and praise.

Elijah and the Altar on Mount Carmel

Elijah was on one side, and 450 prophets of Baal were on the other. Ahab had sent a message to all Israel and gathered these prophets on Mount Carmel for this contest.

“How long will you waver between two opinions?” was the question Elijah asked the people of Israel. “If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him,” he told them.

Both sides came to an agreement. They would build two altars of burnt offerings, one for Baal and the other for Jehovah. The 450 prophets of Baal would call on their God, and Elijah would call on his God, and the God that answered with fire would be God indeed. That, simply put, was the contest.

From morning until noon, the prophets of Baal toiled and toiled, shouting and screaming, intensely calling on their God to set their Altar ablaze; but there was no answer. Elijah mocked them. He advised them to shout louder so as to wake up their God, who might be asleep or probably on vacation. It was hilarious!

So, they continued, earnestly praying, shouting and screaming, jumping around the Altar, cutting themselves with swords, and calling upon Baal to answer them, but to no avail. They continued this until the time of the evening sacrifice, but Baal could not answer; he was a dead god.

Then Elijah gathered the people around the Altar of the living God on Mount Carmel. He took twelve stones, each representing a tribe of Israel. With these twelve stones, he repaired the Altar of the Lord, which had been broken down by Jezebel. He took the bullock, cut it into pieces, and laid all the pieces on the wood for a burnt offering according to the ordinance of the God of Israel.

“At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that these people may know that You, the Lord, are God and have turned their hearts back [to You].

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench.

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (1 King 18:36-39).

In the Old Testament, fire and flame are often associated with Israel’s worship. The fire of God descending from heaven and consuming a burnt offering is usually a symbol of God’s satisfaction with, and acceptance of, the offering. Fire and smoke are often associated with God’s power and presence, as seen on Mount Sinai.

Israel went astray after the false gods of the surrounding nations. This started in the reign of Solomon, whose heart went after strange women. He married many strange women from heathen nations, and they led him into idolatry. During his reign, he erected high places for these strange gods in Israel. Not long after his death, his kingdom was divided according to the word of the Lord. National apostasy began, and idol worship became rampant in Israel and in Judah.

Yet through this time of apostasy, God was faithful in sending His prophets, whose missions were to turn the nation back to God and to point the people to the ancient landmarks and bring them back to the faith of their fathers.

Back and forth from the days of the judges to the reign of the kings, we see God’s people repenting from idolatry and then turning away from God after they have been delivered and brought back. There were seasons of revival followed by a turning away from God. And many more times, ungodly rulers succeeded those whose hearts were right with God.

There were kings like Hezekiah, who did what was right in the sight of the Lord, after the steps of David, and brought revival to the house of God (2 Kings 18). And there were evil kings in Israel who followed the ways of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin. There were even worse kings who followed the ways of Ahab and Jezebel, the mother of harlots. For “there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things, as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel” (I Kings, 21:25-26).

“And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt-offering: the burnt-offering shall be on the hearth upon the Altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the Altar shall be kept burning thereon.

And the Priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes whereto the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the Altar, and he shall put them beside the Altar.” (Lev 6:8-10).

Intercession Stopped the Deadly Plague

“And Aaron stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped” This is a marvelous picture of intercession.

This is a new day, dear member of the Royal Priesthood. The Spirit of God is telling us that the “fire is already upon the altar,” and this is the day of intercession and consecration. We, the priests of the Highest, are to congregate and worship at the golden Altar of incense. We are to take the censer and fill it with our living sacrifices, which will produce a sweet aroma before the God of the whole earth.

After ministering to God from the golden Altar, we are to quickly step out and, with our censer full of incense, move into our ministry for our people and for the deliverance of our nation.

We also remember one occasion when Aaron took fire from the Altar, put it in the censer with some incense and ran among the people to stay the plague.

Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the Altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed (Numbers 16:46-48).

Re-echoing the last verse: “And Aaron stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.” This is a marvelous picture of intercession.

Worshipers Won the Battle of Jehoshaphat for Israel

This third example serves as a reminder of the power of worship and prayer with fasting to win in battle over multiple enemy armies arrayed against us. This is the case with the battle of Jehoshaphat against the Moabites and the Ammonites. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout the land of Judah, and they worshiped and prayed. The whole nation, men and women, boys and girls, and the little ones, stood before the Lord and prayed.

The incident in 2 Chronicles 20:1-23, where King Jehoshaphat faced a battle against Moab and Ammon, demonstrates the power of worship and prayer in several ways. In this story, King Jehoshaphat was faced with a formidable enemy and was afraid. He called the people of Judah together to fast and pray, seeking the Lord’s guidance and help in the face of this crisis.

As they worshiped and prayed, the spirit of God spoke to them through Jehaziel, a Levite of the sons of Asaph. Jahaziel stood up and declared that the Lord would fight for them and that they did not need to be afraid. God gave them the strategy for the battle. They obeyed and appointed singers and worshipers who marched to the war-front singing-“Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.”

As the army of Moab and Ammon approached, King Jehoshaphat led the people in a final act of worship, lifting up their voices in praise to the Lord. At that moment, the Lord intervened, confounding the enemies and causing them to turn on each other. The people of Judah were able to defeat their enemies without even lifting a weapon as the Lord fought for them.

This incident demonstrates the power of worship and prayer in several ways.

• First, it shows how turning to the Lord in humility and faith can bring peace and comfort in times of fear and uncertainty.

• Second, it highlights the importance of giving thanks and praise to the Lord, even in the face of difficult circumstances.

• And finally, it demonstrates the power of the Lord to intervene and deliver his people when they trust in him and worship him in faith.

For Christians today, this story serves as a reminder of the power of worship and prayer in their own lives and a call to turn to the Lord in faith and trust, seeking his guidance, protection, and deliverance.

Chapter 5: Prerequisite for the Release of Power

There are some prerequisites to be met before the power from the Altar of Worship is released. Here are some of them:

Understand Your Righteousness in Christ, the Divine Exchange

You must know and understand your right standing with God because Jesus’ righteousness has been deposited into your account.

As believers, we understand that our righteousness does not come from our own actions or merits, but from our faith in Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, Paul emphasizes that only through our union with Christ can we attain righteousness. Christ is our righteousness because He lived a perfect and sinless life, and when we are in Him, His righteousness is imputed to us. This means that God declares us righteous, not based on our own works, but on the finished work of Christ.

The verse, 2 Corinthians 5:21, explains how Christ’s righteousness is imputed to believers: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.” This verse emphasizes the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to believers.

Paul explains that through Christ’s sacrificial death, He took on our sin and became sin for us, and in exchange, we can receive His righteousness and become the righteousness of God. Therefore, our standing before God is not based on our own righteousness, which is like filthy rags, but on the righteousness of Christ that has been credited to our account.

This, indeed, is the divine exchange that occurs when we believe in Christ. He takes on our sins, and we receive His righteousness. This exchange is only possible through faith in Him and His finished work on the cross.

Therefore, you can stand and minister to God in worship at the Altar without any sense of guilt and as if you’ve never sinned. You have the right standing of Jesus Christ.

What is the Importance of Obedience in Releasing the Power from the Altar?

In 1 Samuel 15:22, the prophet Samuel tells King Saul, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”

This verse emphasizes the importance of obedience to God’s commands over offering sacrifices or making offerings. God is not interested in a mere ritual or religious observance if it is not accompanied by genuine obedience and submission to His will.

In other words, God is more concerned with the condition of the heart and the obedience of the individual than with external displays of piety or religious observance.

Obedience is the key to having an intimate relationship with God, and true worship involves not just ritualistic offerings, but also a heart that is fully devoted to God and obedient to His commands.

What is the power behind the Altar?

The “power behind the altar” of which we speak is the power of God, whose manifest presence overshadows the Altar. It’s power from the manifest presence of God. If we, God’s people would humble ourselves, worship Him, pray, forsake our ways, totally surrender and lay our lives on the Altar; then this supernatural power will be released from the manifest presence of God. The result of this manifestation of God’s presence includes:

1. Elijah and the Altar of God on Mount Carmel: Resulted in Israel’s repentance. This manifestation will inspire God’s people to return to God from idolatry, worldliness, and filthy lucre. And then there will be revival, renewal, and restoration.

2. Our intercessory prayers for our families and our nation will release instant and impactful power that will deliver our people and transform our nation. This is the example we read in Numbers 16:46-48) when the rebellion of Korah brought a devastating plague on Israel.

Follow Elijah’s Guideline on Mount Carmel

Elijah, in his confrontation with the prophets of Baal, showed us an example of how to prepare the Altar for releasing the power of God. Under the influence of Jezebel, Israel had fallen into idolatry. And the nation was under God’s judgment because of their abomination. God sent Elijah, the prophet, to bring them to repentance. We can learn from what he did to prepare for the manifestation of the power of God on mount Carmel.

Elijah’s Preparation Before Power Fell Upon the Altar

First, Elijah repaired the Altar of God that was broken down. Likewise, where you start is: “repair the altar of your heart.” God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He’s looking for those who will worship in spirit and truth. But if you’re not yet born-again, you really need a new heart as God promised in Ezekiel 36:26, saying, “A new heart will I give you?” Receive this through the Gospel of Christ.

Second, water was poured on the Altar. It was soaked with water. The water here speaks of the word. It’s the water of cleansing and sanctification. The Blood of the Lamb had already been shed on the Altar; the water now is for washing, the washing of the water by the word (Ephesians 5:26). Wash yourself with and in the word. Renew your mind with it. And set yourself apart unto the Lord.

Third, Elijah prepared the burnt offering and laid it on the Altar soaked with water. In the same manner, present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Surrender to Him and lay your life on the Altar.

Finally, Elijah called upon the name of the Lord. After you’ve repaired your Altar, washed and soaked in the water, and laid your life ‘wholly’ on the altar’; then begin to worship and bless the Lord in His sanctuary. Then the ‘power from the Altar of worship’ will be released.

Remember, the fire of God, or His explosive power, will not fall from heaven until the sacrifices are laid on the Altar.

Chapter 6: Steps to Release Power from the Altar of Worship

Here are some steps that Christians may take to release power from an altar of worship

1. Lay all hay, wood, stubble, and other rubbish down to be burnt: Before approaching the Altar of worship, it is important to strip off and lay self, worldliness, filthy lucre, human vices and devices, and every other weight down to burn. We do this at the brazen Altar before entering into the Presence of God.

2. Approach the Altar with faith, reverence, and Jesus’ righteousness: Enter the presence of God with reverence, fully prepared to worship Him with all your heart, soul, and strength. Approach the Altar with faith and worshipful reverence, and yet with the confidence of Jesus’s right standing.

3. Offer your living sacrifice of praise and worship to God: “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). Worship Him with songs, hymns, spiritual songs, and psalms of adoration and thanksgiving. Above all, surrender all and lay your life down on the golden Altar before the Lord to do whatever He desires with you. Surrender willingly like Isaac. Let your life become a living incense offering, the smoke of which continually rises before God as a “sweet-smelling savor.”

4. Now bring your requests before God on behalf of your nation and her leaders: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1,2). Engage in intercessory prayers for the nation’s leaders and people in your domain of influence who are in need and for those yet to know Christ as their savior. As the smoke of the incense from our living sacrifice goes up, the power of God will descend to effect a supernatural transformation in our nation. (Rev 8)

5. Pray for personal needs, family, friends, and standing requests: Bring your personal needs and concerns before God. Ask, and you shall receive. Be specific. This may be praying for healing, guidance, provision, protection, or other specific requests for your families, friends, brethren, and acquaintances. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, proclaim peace within her walls and prosperity within her palaces.

6. “Be Still” and listen for God’s voice: As you spend time in worship and prayer, it is important to be attentive to God’s voice and leading. This may involve listening for promptings, impressions, or thoughts that come to mind or paying attention to circumstances or events that seem to have significance.

7. Conclude the session of worship and prayer with words of adoration and declaration affirming that all the Almighty has said will be accomplished. It can be songs of worship and praise. All exalting and extolling Him; and agreeing with the KING of kings that all He has purposed will come to pass. Follow the pattern our Master taught us for concluding our worship and prayer, which is in line with— “..for Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, both now and forever”.

And another one that follows the same pattern is found in Jude 1:24-25:

“Now unto him, that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25).

Chapter 7: Conclusion

If we, ‘God’s people,’ would obey the call to repentance and consecration and lay our lives on the Altar, the events in John’s vision (Revelation 8) will become our experience. The following supernatural events will happen in our day:

The incense from our lives laid on the Altar will ascend before God as a sweet aroma, pleasing to Him.

As the sweet aroma goes up, supernatural forces will come down from God and will produce eruptions and disruptions, resulting in transformations that will produce the purpose of God in our nation.

The fire from the Altar of our worship and prayers will be cast down to the earth, and the power of God will be released. This will shake the earth to its core. Voices will be heard as the word of the Lord is released. Thunders will shake the earth to its foundation as the power of God is manifested. His lightning will lighten the world as the illumination of God flashes within the consciousness of men.

And a great earthquake will erupt as the kingdoms of men are overthrown, and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ. Amen. “The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen.”

Call To Action

The Call to Action today is for us to

• Repair our altars (remove whatever the spirit tells you to remove, restore intimacy)

• Wash and soak in the word, consecrate and set ourselves apart to God

Lay our lives ‘wholly’ on the Altar of worship and prayer in total submission to God.

• Lay our strengths and abilities down on the Altar

• Lay our weaknesses and liabilities on the Altar

• Cast all our cares, fears, and concerns on Him

• Submit to Him in everything, And

• Totally rely on the Holy Spirit, for it is “not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

If we do this in spirit and in truth, our lives will become a living sacrifice, pleasing to God and releasing transformative power that will bring deliverance to our nation. My dear sisters and brothers, I plead with you, let’s start today. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with us all. Amen.

About the Author

You can say Joseph is a second-generation old-time gospel minister. He had his early upbringing with his grandfather, who taught him to read and write as a child with the Bible. His grandfather, aptly named Daniel, who indeed was a man of prayer and a pioneer for the Gospel in his tribe, set Joseph on the right course in life before he went home to be with the Lord in the late ’60s.

Joseph was born again in 1972, filled with the spirit a couple of years later, and has been on fire for God since. He had the privilege of being part of the move of God in the ’70s and has enjoyed the grace, power, and supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit in every sphere of his life. He is grateful to God for the privilege of participating in ministering to the Body of Christ since his teenage years under and with men of God who worship Him in spirit and have no confidence in the flesh.

Joseph holds a Doctorate Degree in Engineering from Texas A&M (1988) and has worked for about four decades in different industries, including Oil & Gas, Computer/IT, Financial, Research, and Government Institutions. The Word of God has worked for him and made him a success in all affairs of life. He is blessed with a wonderful wife and two godly and successful children. His goal in life is to seek the LORD, know Him, and pass the fire and vision to the next generation.

Want to experience the presence and power of God in your life? An important aspect of our worship is offering ourselves as a living sacrifice on the altar. Read our article

Altar of Worship: Offering Our Lives a Living Sacrifice