Repair The Altar

By Lisa Marshall, World Network of Prayer

In I Kings 18:30 we read the accounts of Elijah and his infamous clash with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. I find something very interesting about this story. It is only one verse, and if you aren't careful you will miss it. Verse 30 tells us that before Elijah took his turn, "He repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down".

Before he could make a sacrifice, before God had the opportunity to answer his prayer in a miraculous, spectacular way, before the people experienced revival, before they all fell down before God and worshipped, Elijah had to first repair the altar.

The word "altar" is mention 322 times in the Bible. It is a place of refuge and comfort from the troubles of this world, a place of consecration, a place where praises and prayers are rendered, a place to make vows and offer thanks, and sometimes it is where you climb Mt. Moriah and give up that thing dear to you. What I fear is that just as Israel, many have neglected the altar.

I have a question for you. What is the condition of your altar? Does it have stains from you tears? Is it a little worn from using it so much? Or is it a little dusty? Maybe you've moved it from a prominent place or maybe you've thrown it out altogether?

"And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel" (Genesis 35:1). "Bethel" was the place where Jacob first met God and saw the vision of angels and the ladder. Many years after this occurrence, Jacob got distracted and God found it necessary to send him back to the starting-point, back to the altar.

Rebuild your altar if needed, and make the decision now to visit it daily. God will meet you there.