Consecration to God’s Plan

Rhema TeamJanuary 2019 WOF2 Comments

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Consecration to God’s Plan

In Matthew 26, we see Jesus praying the prayer of dedication. These verses give us an example of His devotion to consecrate Himself to do the Father’s will.

Matthew 26:36, 39

36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

What was Jesus talking about when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane? He knew the cross was before Him. He knew He was about to be made the sacrifice for sin on our behalf (Heb. 9:26). Jesus battled the temptation to draw back from what was to come and prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me!”

It wasn’t easy for Jesus to fulfill the Father’s plan. But He knew the outcome of redemption meant salvation for mankind. So for the joy set before Him, He surrendered to His Father’s will (Heb. 12:2). Jesus’ prayer of consecration was “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done” (Matt. 26:42).

God is looking for believers who will consecrate themselves entirely to Him to carry out His plan for their lives, just as Jesus did at Gethsemane and throughout His earthly ministry. God is looking for believers who will say as Jesus did, “Not my will, Father, but Your will be done.”

The prayer of consecration is not a one-time prayer. Jesus virtually prayed the same prayer three times (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44). It is a prayer we pray throughout our lives. We will only be able to follow God’s plan if we always maintain an attitude of consecration and surrender to His will, whatever it might be. 

God is looking for believers who will say as Jesus did, “Not my will, Father, but Your will be done.”Kenneth E. Hagin

Lack of Consecration in Believers

There seems to be a lack of deep consecration to do God’s will among Christians today. One time I was thinking about the difference between my experiences in Full Gospel circles 50 years ago and now. As I compared the two, I realized there wasn’t nearly as much sickness among Spirit-filled Christians then as there is today. The move of the Holy Spirit was also much greater then than it is today. As I was thinking about it, the Spirit of God said to my spirit, “Yes, and the consecration of My people was greater too.”

It seems that many believers today are willing to lay some things on the altar, but not all! God’s plan for their lives is hindered. Many of His blessings are withheld because they haven’t wholly consecrated themselves to do His will instead of their own.

Let’s consider how consecrated we are to the Lord. Let’s consider whether we’re able to say from our hearts, “I’ll do whatever You ask of me. I’ll go anywhere You send me. I’ll stay wherever You want me. No matter where You lead me, I’ll carry the Good News of Jesus Christ to others.”

Be Willing to Do Anything for God

It’s important to be willing to do anything God asks. We need to commit ourselves to obey Him and do His will every day for the rest of our lives. Unwillingness to obey God can hinder or delay His plan for us from being fulfilled.

We will only experience the fullness of God’s plan and the full measure of His anointing and blessing on us if we are willing to obey Him in every area of our lives. We’ve all had to “drink some cups” that we would rather have passed up. But when we know that the cup is God’s will, we can rest assured the outcome will be for our good and to God’s glory.

Many Christians have never surrendered everything to the Lord. They only are willing to make Jesus Lord of part of their lives. But sometimes they aren’t willing to give up control of certain areas their carnal nature holds dear.

It’s critical to make a quality decision to follow God’s plan for our lives. That decision becomes an anchor to our souls that keeps us in His perfect will when the devil brings temptations to distract us from the plans of God. If we’re never fully surrendered to Him, we stand in danger of being persuaded by the devil’s temptations to pursue our will and desires. As a result, we lose out on God’s best.

The Crossroad of Decision

Many Christians are at a crossroad. They face decisions that will influence the course of their lives. The road of obedience is what we must choose if we want to follow God’s plan.

Although it seems hard to say no to our will and plans, the result of obedience will cause our spirits to rejoice. We will make our way prosperous and be fulfilled beyond anything we can imagine.

No comparison can be made between a life of walking in the flesh and one of living according to God’s perfect plan! As we choose daily to obey the Lord’s will, we will be a blessing to many. And God will lead us to places of abundance in every area of our lives!

Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from Kenneth E. Hagin’s book Following God’s Plan for Your Life.]

Faith IN ACTION

A Prayer of Commitment

Pray the following from your heart:

Lord, I present myself to You. May Your will be done in my life. May I never forget that I have surrendered all I am to You.

I commit myself to be one whom You can use—consecrated and separated to Your purposes. I will pay the price by denying the flesh. If You call me in the nighttime, I’ll get on my knees and pray. If people never see me and if I am always behind the scenes, I will be faithful.

I lay aside all personal ambition. I will walk in the Spirit and in Your perfect will. In Jesus’ Name, Your will shall be done in my heart, in my life, and in my ministry.



Author

  • Kenneth E. Hagin

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