12/27/2024
THE LACK OF CONSECRATION IN BELIEVERS - Kenneth E Hagin
There seems to be a lack of deep consecration to do God’s will among some Christians today. Recently, I was thinking about the difference between my experiences in Full Gospel circles fifty years ago and today. As I compared Full Gospel believers then and now, I realized there wasn’t nearly as much sickness among Spirit-filled Christians fifty years ago as there is today.
I remembered the great manifestations of the Holy Spirit we used to experience in our meetings. The move of the Holy Ghost was also much greater and in more consistent demonstration back then than it is today. As I was thinking about this, the Spirit of God said to my spirit, “Yes, and the consecration of My people was greater too.”
Let that soak in! Whether we choose to consecrate ourselves to obey God or choose not to obey God, it affects every other area of our lives as well!
I’m thoroughly convinced of the truth of what the Lord said to me. The consecration of believers was much deeper fifty years ago than it is today. Believers’ appreciation and reverence for the things of God and the move of the Holy Spirit was much deeper too. And as a result, God honored that depth of consecration and reverence by giving His people great manifestations of the Holy Ghost.
Believers today need greater consecration and dedication to God. In the churches I pastored in the 1940s, we used to gather around the altar and pray at the end of nearly every service. We often sang the old hymn, “Is Your All on the Altar of Sacrifice Laid?”[1]We don’t sing hymns like that much anymore, but many folks today need to heed the message of some of those old scriptural hymns.
It seems that many believers are willing to lay some things on the altar, but not all! But God’s plan for their lives is hindered and many of His blessings are withheld because they haven’t totally consecrated themselves to do God’s will instead of their own.
Ministers need to teach about consecration so people’s hearts will be stirred to surrender everything to God and to consecrate themselves wholly to follow God’s plan for their lives.
Consider your own consecration to the Lord. Consider whether or not you are able to say from your heart, “Lord, I’ll do whatever You ask me to do. I’ll go anywhere You want me to go. And I’ll stay where I am if You tell me to stay. No matter where You lead me, I’ll carry the good news of Jesus Christ to others.”
You see, you need to be willing to do anything God wants you to do. You need to commit yourself to obey God and do His will every day for the rest of your life.
Since I was first born again at the age of sixteen, I’ve understood the importance of total consecration to the Lord. I’ve been a Christian more than half a century, and I’m still praying the same prayer of consecration I prayed more than fifty years ago. I’m still praying, “Lord, I’ll go where You want me to go. If You want me to go to Africa, I’ll go. If You want me to stay where I am, I’ll stay. I’ll do what You want me to do.”
Also, notice Jesus didn’t just pray this prayer one time. He prayed virtually the same prayer three times (Matt. 26:39,42,44).
You see, the prayer of consecration is not a one-time prayer, as is the prayer of faith. The prayer of consecration is a prayer you pray throughout your life. You will only be able to follow God’s plan for your life if you constantly maintain an attitude of consecration and surrender to the Lord’s will, whatever it might be.
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