Tag Archives: Intimacy with God

Prayers

True Prayer and the Cross

Crawling onto the Altar of Surrender

Beloved, hear me: true prayer does not begin with words. It begins when the soul bends low and the heart breaks open before the Lord.

Many pray, but few surrender. We talk much. We ask much. But the kind of prayer that moves Heaven is the kind that empties the self. It is not polished. It is not always eloquent. But it is raw, real, and costly. True prayer is born at the foot of the Cross. And it demands something of you.

When Yeshua said, “If anyone wishes to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23 NASB), He was not inviting you into comfort. He was calling you to die. Not once, but daily. He was calling you to the altar.

This is where true prayer and the cross meet.

You must crawl up on your own cross. Not just to endure hardship, but to lay down your will. To crucify the flesh, silence your striving, and say with Yeshua in the garden, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42 NASB). This is the language of true prayer.

We don’t often speak of the cross like this. We prefer victories, blessings, open doors. But the Cross is the door. And the way into the presence of El Shaddai is paved with surrender.

Have you crawled up there lately? Have you died again today?

True prayer sounds less like petitions and more like groans. It is the Spirit interceding for you “with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26 AMP). When you run out of things to say, you begin to pray rightly. The altar of your heart catches fire when the wood of your pride is broken.

This is where Heaven leans in.

Prayer is not for the strong. It is for the weak. The weary. The ones who have tried everything else and found it lacking. Prayer is the cry of the desperate soul. It is not a technique, but a surrender. Not a ritual, but a sacrifice. When you offer up your reputation, your plans, your comfort—He meets you there.

God honors the altar. Always.

Your tears become incense (Revelation 5:8). Your silence becomes worship. Your groan becomes thunder in the throne room. And the Father—who sees in secret—draws near to the broken and contrite (Psalm 51:17 AMP).

If you are wondering why you feel distant from Him, ask yourself: have you died today? Have you laid it all down? Or are you still clutching your own will, your own strength, your own script?

Beloved, crawl up again. Let it all go. And meet Him there.

He does not ask for perfect words. He asks for a laid-down life. The Cross is not just where Yeshua died—it is where you must die so that He might live in you.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 NASB).

This is not a metaphor. It is your invitation. True prayer is your cross. And the fire falls on sacrifice.

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Upon the altar still I lay,
My pride now ashes swept away.
No crown I wear, no boast I bring—
Just thirsting for my risen King.

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Closing Prayer:

Father, teach me to pray by way of the Cross. Let me not come with empty words, but with emptied hands. I crawl up on the altar again. Not with fear, but with longing. Burn away all that is false. Strip me of self. Let my groans rise like incense. Let Your Spirit pray through me. I do not want a form of godliness without power. I want You. All of You. More of You and less of me. Meet me on the Cross. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

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See Also

Devotion to God

Return to the Garden

“My beloved responded and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come away.’”
—Song of Songs 2:10 (AMP)

You were not made for the wilderness of striving or the bitterness of regret.

You were not formed to dwell among thorns, away from the voice that once called you by name.

You were made for the garden—a place of intimacy, communion, and holy delight.

And the Lord is calling you once more: Return to the garden.

He has not moved. He has not forgotten.

Your Beloved still walks in the cool of the day, waiting for you to meet Him among the lilies.

But your heart, weighed down by shame or dulled by distraction, lingers outside the gate.

Still, His voice breaks through: “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22, AMP)

The garden is not a place; it is a Person.

It is where your heart is fully alive in the presence of El Shaddai, the Almighty God.

It is where He speaks, and your soul awakens.

Where His Word is not just read but received like kisses on the lips of your spirit.

It is where your tears are caught and your laughter is holy.

Have you forgotten what it feels like to be near Him?

To walk without fear? To sing without shame?

To let Him call you “Mine”—not because you are worthy, but because He is merciful?

The Gardener Still Waits

“I went down to the orchard of nut trees to see the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded or the pomegranates had bloomed.”
—Song of Songs 6:11 (NASB)

He is the Gardener of your soul.

And though the soil may feel dry and the branches bare, He still walks among the rows of your life looking for fruit.

He prunes, not to punish, but to prepare.

He digs, not to destroy, but to plant something beautiful again.

You have wandered in deserts long enough.

You have fed on crumbs and called them enough.

But now, return to the garden.

Return to the place of His delight in you.

Return to the One whose love is stronger than death, whose jealousy is unyielding as Sheol. (Song of Songs 8:6)

He Has Never Stopped Loving You

You may feel like you’ve gone too far.

But listen: you cannot outpace the love of Yeshua.

His love has followed you through every shadow, through every night you cried yourself to sleep.

He remembers the days you sang to Him when no one else saw.

He remembers the vows you made in your youth.

He does not forget.

He says to you, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NASB)

This is your invitation.

To lay aside the shame and the striving.

To stop pretending and start abiding.

To leave the camp and come to the garden.

Where He waits with eyes full of fire and arms open wide.

Return, Beloved

The winds are shifting. The fig tree is blooming.

He stands behind your wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. (Song of Songs 2:9)

He is not a memory. He is not a myth.

He is alive, and He is calling you to come away with Him.

Return to the garden.

Return to love that never lets go.

Return to the only One who has ever truly known you, and yet still calls you beautiful.

Come back not just for comfort, but for communion.

Not for safety, but for surrender.

He is not angry—He is eager.

He is not condemning—He is crying out.

The thorns that pierced His brow have opened the gate again.

Now is the time. This is the hour.

Return to the garden.

Prayer

O my Beloved,

I have wandered far, yet You have never turned Your face from me.

You have stood in the garden of my soul, whispering my name while I ran from Your gaze.

But today, I return. Not to earn, not to strive—but to rest in Your love.

Let me hear Your voice again. Let me feel the nearness of Your Spirit.

Remove every vine of fear and shame.

Plant again the seeds of joy and wonder in me.

I am Yours, fully and forever.

Lead me back to the garden.

Amen.

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See Also

Intimacy

Radiant with God’s Presence

When Moses descended from Mount Sinai, Scripture says, “he was not aware that the skin of his face was shining [with a unique radiance] because he had been speaking with God”(Exodus 34:29, AMP). His glow was not cosmetic, nor was it a symbol of status. It was the natural consequence of prolonged communion with the Almighty, making him radiant with God’s presence. And though his lips were silent in that moment, his face preached holiness with unmistakable power.

So it is with all who dwell in the secret place of the Most High. They become radiant—not with ego or charisma—but with the nearness of God. They do not strive to be seen, yet the atmosphere around them burns with conviction, and they shine radiant with God’s presence. The prophets had it. The apostles carried it. That sacred aura that silences the room and draws the soul to repentance.

When Peter stood before the Sanhedrin, they perceived something unusual. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John… they were amazed, and began to recognize them [as] having been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13, NASB). Do you see it? Their authority did not come from education, but from proximity to the Savior. They had been with Him, radiant with God’s presence. That was the difference.

Even Paul, who had training under Gamaliel, counted it all as loss. He longed to “know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person]” (Philippians 3:10, AMP). For it is not head knowledge that changes the world, but the fire of God resting upon a surrendered vessel.

Have you ever met someone like that—someone whose life testified louder than their lips? They don’t parade their spirituality. They don’t declare themselves prophets. But when you sit in their presence, your heart begins to tremble. Sin rises to the surface. Holiness pierces your conscience. Why? Because they are radiant with God’s presence.

This is more than charisma. It is conviction wrapped in humility. This is what made Elijah feared by kings. It is why Elisha’s bones raised the dead. It is why John, even in exile on Patmos, heard the voice like a trumpet and saw the risen Christ with eyes like blazing fire (Revelation 1:10–14). These men carried the presence. They bore the weight of glory, and it showed.

God in the Fire

And now the question must come to you, dear reader: Do you shine with the light of His presence, or merely reflect the ideas of religion? Do people leave your company entertained or changed? Are your prayers heavy with heaven or empty with habit?

God is calling us higher. Not to perform, but to behold. Not to be impressive, but to be possessed—by His Spirit. As Paul wrote, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed… from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB).

If you want the radiance of Moses, you must climb the mountain, just as he became radiant with God’s presence. If you want the power of Peter, you must wait in the upper room. If you want the conviction of Elijah, you must kneel with your face between your knees and pray until heaven answers.

The world does not need louder preachers. It needs holier ones. It needs burning ones. Ones who carry the fragrance of Yeshua and walk with the weight of His presence. This is the hour. Will you come away? Will you ascend the hill of the LORD with clean hands and a pure heart? Will you shine—not for applause—but because you have been with Him?

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Let us pray:

Abba, we do not seek to be seen. We seek to be changed. Let us dwell so near Your throne that Your radiance marks us. Make us holy vessels that carry the awe of heaven and the light of Christ. May our countenance testify of our secret place. May conviction flow from our presence because we have been with You. Give us clean hands, a pure heart, and the courage to ascend. Let us be radiant with Your presence, for Your glory alone. In the name of Yeshua, the Lamb and the Light, Amen.

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See Also

Personal Holiness

Call to Holiness

The Path Back to the Garden

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
— Hebrews 12:14, AMP

Beloved, this is not a gentle suggestion—it is a holy command: without holiness, no one will see the Lord. The words burn with heavenly urgency. It is a call to the deepest part of your soul. It is a call to return to holiness.

In a world that waters down truth and trades purity for popularity, this verse stands like a flaming sword at the gates of Eden. For holiness is not just a command to obey—it is a memory your spirit longs to recover. Holiness is your spirit remembering how it was originally created in the Garden—unclothed by shame, unclouded by sin, walking with God in the cool of the day. You were formed for this. You were made for Him.

The Holiness of God: Our Pattern and Pursuit

The word holy is not merely religious—it is royal. It is the highest adjective ascribed to God throughout Scripture: Holy Ghost, Holy Lord, Holy One of Israel, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. The seraphim do not cry loving, loving, loving, though God is love. They cry holy. They veil their faces, trembling in worship before the God who dwells in unapproachable light.

Holiness is the essence of God’s character, the very atmosphere of heaven. It is said that heaven is a holy place, and no unclean thing may enter it (Revelation 21:27). The angels who surround His throne are called holy ones, the watchers who behold His glory. Even they, created without sin, only partake of His holiness in a relative sense. But you, child of dust, are called higher still—not to observe holiness, but to wear it as you return to holiness.

The Call to Holiness Is a Call to See God

If you do not pursue holiness, you will not see God. This is the plain meaning of Hebrews 12:14. And this should disturb us. The absence of holiness obstructs our spiritual vision. It dulls the soul. It numbs the conscience. It closes our ears to His whisper. Many cry for revival but carry hearts untouched by repentance. They ask for fire but bring no altar.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8, NASB). And again, “Be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16, NASB). Holiness is not legalism. It is not perfection in the flesh. It is separation unto God—a life set apart, burning with desire for the One who is worthy.

Holiness Is the Journey of Intimacy

Holiness is not a burden—it is your birthright. It is not about sterile religion, but passionate relationship. Holiness is the path back to the presence of God. It is the undoing of everything that separated us from Him in Eden. To walk in holiness is to walk in the Spirit, to live as Adam once lived—clothed in glory, not garments, as you return to holiness.

When you yield to the Holy Spirit, He begins to restore you. He purifies your thoughts. He transforms your desires. Holiness is your spirit remembering Eden and longing to return. And in Christ, the way is open. The veil is torn. The blood speaks a better word. Do not resist the Spirit’s call. Do not cling to your chains. Listen to the call and return to holiness for true intimacy with God.

The Apostle James wrote, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, NASB). Let that cleansing begin now. Not tomorrow. Not when it’s convenient. Now.

The Spirit Makes Us Holy

You are not left to purify yourself. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of holiness, and He dwells within you to empower what your flesh could never accomplish. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NASB).

Ask Him to burn away every impurity, to renew the Eden-vision in your heart. The blood of Yeshua is not weak. It cleanses fully. It restores completely. And the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will sanctify you if you let Him.

This is the call to holiness. It is a call to return to the original purity. A call to intimacy. A call to see God.

Prayer

O Holy One, I have heard Your call. Cleanse me from every sin that clouds my soul. Strip away all compromise, all idolatry, all hidden pride. Return me to the purity for which I was created. Let my spirit remember Eden and burn to walk with You again. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and teach me to walk in holiness all the days of my life. I long to see Your face. Let nothing stand in the way. Help me return to holiness. In the name of Yeshua, Amen.

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See Also

Personal Holiness

Be Holy, for He Is Holy

A Call to Purity from the Heart of God

Beloved, hear the call that has echoed through eternity: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16, AMP). This is not a suggestion or a poetic phrase for the spiritually elite. This is the voice of our holy God, spoken in love, spoken with fire, and written with His own hand across the pages of His Word.

I write to you, not with new revelation, but with the Word we heard from the beginning—that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5, AMP). If we claim to walk with Him and yet live in hidden sin, we deceive ourselves. This call to holiness is not external only; it is inward—down to the roots of desire, down to the meditations of the heart, down to the willingness of the soul. God does not call you to appear holy. He calls you to be holy.

The fire of God’s holiness cannot dwell in a heart that clings to what is unclean. And yet, how many of us come into His presence, lifting stained hands while asking for His nearness? How many songs have we sung that plead, “Draw me nearer,” while we have not repented in months—or years? We cry for revival, for intimacy, for revelation—but the Holy One will not fully manifest Himself to the impure.

Tozer was right: “A holy God cannot show Himself in full communion to an unholy Christian.” The Spirit is called Holy, not merely as a title but as a description of His very essence. If we are to be filled with the Spirit, then holiness must be our dwelling place—not just our aspiration. This is the call to holiness: a call to live set apart, sanctified, wholly surrendered, and burning with purity.

Let the Word pierce us:

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will [ever] see the Lord”(Hebrews 12:14, AMP).

“Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord, “and do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you” (2 Corinthians 6:17, NASB).

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, AMP).

This is not legalism. This is love. This is the purifying fire of a Father who longs to dwell with His children. Holiness is not the price of His affection—it is the pathway to His presence. You cannot live for the world Monday through Saturday and expect to encounter the glory of the King on Sunday. God is not mocked. The same God who struck down Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) is the God who still searches hearts and minds (Revelation 2:23).

So what must we do?

We must repent—not with shallow words, but with torn hearts. We must flee what defiles the soul, and run to the One who washes whiter than snow. The blood of Yeshua is not just forgiveness—it is cleansing. It removes the stain and restores the soul. And if you will humble yourself, He will lift you into His presence.

Let me urge you, as one who has seen the fire in His eyes: Do not settle for a compromised life. Let the Holy Spirit sanctify every desire, every hidden thought, every motive. There is no joy like the joy of walking with a clean heart. There is no power like the power of a consecrated vessel.

God is holy. Yeshua is holy. The Spirit is holy. Shall we be content with casual faith, when we are called to commune with consuming fire?

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Burn every shadow, O Flame of Grace,
Strip every idol from its place.
Make me a vessel, pure and true—
A house of holiness for You.

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Prayer of Consecration

Holy Father, I return to You. Cleanse me of every stain. I bring You not just my actions but my affections. Sanctify my thoughts, my motives, and my desires. I long to see Your face, but I know that only the pure in heart shall see You. So purify me, O God. Let the fire of Your holiness consume all that is unworthy. Make me holy as You are holy. Dwell in me, and walk with me. I surrender all. In the name of Yeshua, Amen.

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See Also

Holy Spirit

A Sound, Then a Voice, Then a Word

Hearing the Spirit Speak is central to our faith journey.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].” — Psalm 91:1 (AMP)

Beloved, you who are called by the name of Yeshua, come now and sit still before the Lord. Set aside the frantic pace of the world and every noise that would crowd your soul. Draw near. For it is in stillness, in the secret place, that God speaks and we engage in hearing the Spirit speak.

In the beginning, God walked in the garden in the cool of the day, and man heard a sound—a Presence moving among the trees. Even now, when you quiet your soul before Him, the Spirit comes near, and the first sign is often this: a sound. Not yet a word. Not yet a revelation. But something holy draws near, and your heart begins to burn.

This is the path of hearing the Spirit speak.

First, the rustling Presence, like wind through leaves or the gentle stirring of water. Then, as your spirit grows still and attentive, you begin to discern a voice—not audible, but unmistakable. The Holy Spirit speaks not to your ears, but to your inner man. At first, it is vague, a whisper barely formed. But you press in.

You open the Scriptures.

And then comes the miracle: the Word. Not ink on a page, but fire to your bones. What was once a verse becomes a personal Word—warm, clear, intimate. The breath of God fills it. It pierces, it comforts, it reveals the Son. The Spirit illuminates, and the Word becomes life.

This is not a formula, dear one. This is fellowship. The Spirit of God draws near to those who draw near to Him. He longs to lead you not just to knowledge, but to intimacy. Not just to discipline, but to delight. And the pathway begins with a choice—to be still.

John, the beloved, once leaned upon Yeshua’s chest and heard the heartbeat of God. He wrote, “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth… the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things…” (1 John 2:20, 27, NASB). The same Spirit that taught John now lives in you. Embrace hearing the Spirit speak within you.

So do not rush past the sound. Do not fear the silence. God is near.

He speaks still.

But will you listen?

Will you let the Spirit turn sounds into voice, and voice into Word?

Will you allow the Word to turn your heart toward the Lamb of God again?

You are not just invited into truth—you are invited into fellowship with the Truth Himself.And every time you enter that secret place with an open Bible and a yielded heart, heaven leans in.

“Behold, I stand at the door and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” — Revelation 3:20 (AMP)

So today, beloved, turn down every other voice. Open the door. Embrace the sound, the voice, and the Word. Through hearing the Spirit speak, the Word will become flesh again in your life, and with it, life and light and rest.

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In silence You entered, a whisper at first,
Then thunder of mercy quenched all my thirst.
The Word became fire, it burned through my night,
Now I see You, my Savior, in fullness of light.

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Prayer:

Holy Spirit, I wait on You now. Still my thoughts, quiet my soul. Let me hear the sound of Your nearness. Let me recognize Your voice. Illuminate Your Word to me today until it becomes life and light. Let me see and embrace Yeshua more clearly, more dearly. Let my fellowship with Him be unbroken and full of joy. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. In the name of Jesus, amen.

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See Also

Return

Return to the Ancient Path

Rediscovering Holiness in a Corrupt Generation

There is a cry rising from the depths of weary hearts—a cry for holiness, for purity, for God. In a culture that has abandoned truth and traded reverence for entertainment, many believers feel a sacred ache. It’s not for the past, but for something eternal. We long for the simplicity of walking with God, for the fear of the Lord to return to the house of God, and for lives that are marked by the power of His presence.

What Is the Ancient Path?

This is the voice of the Lord. He is not calling you backward—He is calling you deeper.The ancient path is not tied to culture or nostalgia—it is the path of holiness, obedience, and intimacy with God. It is the way of righteousness, where God walks with man and speaks in the stillness of surrendered hearts.

The ancient path is not hidden. It is the way God has always desired His people to walk:
humble before Him, holy in conduct, and wholly devoted to His will.

“He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NASB)

The ancient path was walked by Abraham when he obeyed without hesitation. It was walked by Moses when he met with God on the mountain. It was walked by David when he danced with abandon before the ark. It was walked by the prophets who wept for a wayward nation. It was walked by Yeshua, our Messiah, who fulfilled every step in righteousness, truth, and love.

This is not a call to ritual or rules. It is a call to relationship, reverence, and right living. It is the place where God’s fire falls, not on performance, but on purity.

Why We Stray—and Why We Must Return

The noise of this world drowns the whispers of God. We are bombarded with compromise dressed as wisdom and tolerance masquerading as love. Even within the church, the fear of man often outweighs the fear of God. But “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”(Proverbs 9:10, NASB), and without it, we are blind.

When we stray from the ancient path, our souls become restless. We chase peace, but it eludes us. We pursue success, but it leaves us hollow. Why? Because only God can satisfy the soul He created.

“For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living waters, to carve out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that do not hold water.”(Jeremiah 2:13, NASB)

We must return. Not just to church services or better behavior—but to God Himself.

The Promise of Rest

The ancient path is narrow, but it leads to life. It is hard, but it is filled with the presence of God. And it carries a promise: “you will find rest for your souls.”

Yeshua echoed this in Matthew 11:28–29 (NASB): “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

There is no rest apart from Him. There is no peace in the broad road. But when we return—when we turn off the noise, repent of compromise, and bow before Him again—we find what we were always meant to have: communion with our Creator.

How to Return to the Ancient Path

  1. Stop and Look. Don’t rush. Stand still before God. Ask Him to reveal the path you’ve strayed from.
  2. Ask for the Ancient Path. Pray like David: “Search me, God, and know my heart… See if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23–24, NASB)
  3. Walk in It. Don’t just feel conviction—obey. Let holiness be your pursuit, not just your doctrine.
  4. Guard Your Heart. “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23, NASB)

The Time Is Now

You were not born for this hour by accident. You are part of a remnant being called out of compromise into consecration. You are being invited into a deeper place, where the things of this world grow dim and the glory of God becomes your light.

Return to the ancient path. Return to the altar. Return to the Lord your God.

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Prayer:

Lord God, I have heard Your call. I no longer want to walk in the ways of the world. I want the good and ancient path—the path where You are my only pursuit, my highest joy, and my deepest peace. Cleanse me. Lead me back. Teach me to walk in Your truth again. Let my heart burn for holiness and my life shine with Your presence. In the name of Yeshua, Amen.

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See Also

Personal Holiness

LAY IT DOWN: A Plea for Radical Surrender

Beloved brethren, I beseech you by the mercies of God: Lay it down! Lay down every hindrance, every weight, every sin that so easily entangles your soul! For what fellowship has light with darkness? What union has Christ with idols? The Spirit cries out within you — “Come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord, “and do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you” (2 Corinthians 6:17, NASB). Let us lay it down for God and His glory.

Why do you cling to what profits you nothing? Why do you hold fast to that which weighs down your race toward the prize? The Lord of Glory has purchased you with His own blood; therefore, you are not your own. You have been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20, NASB). Shall we then offer polluted sacrifices upon His altar — the remnants of divided affections, the spoiled fruit of worldly compromise? God forbid! He is a jealous God, burning with love for His people. He will not share His throne with another. Lay it down! Every secret idol, every hidden affection, every unclean thing must be cast away as dung if we are to know the surpassing riches of Christ. Truly, we must lay it down for God.

Hear me, beloved: the call to radical amputation is not cruelty; it is mercy. Our Lord said with holy fire, “If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away… If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:29-30, NASB). These are not the words of a harsh Master, but the plea of the Lover of your soul, warning you of the eternal ruin that unrepented sin brings. Sin must not merely be managed; it must be killed. It must be uprooted, severed, cast far from you, that you may be free to run the race set before you.

And I testify to you, not as one who speaks from theory, but as one who has walked this road. I found that my collection of rock and roll albums, though pleasing to the flesh, did not draw me closer to God but absorbed my time and dulled my spirit. Therefore, I gathered them — thousands of dollars’ worth of CDs — and I threw them away without regret, that my soul might be freed to worship El Elyon alone. I found that there was nothing Godly on Netflix; it was a net that caught my time and distracted my heart. I canceled it, counting it loss for the sake of gaining Christ. I found that I was watching too much news, filling my mind with the fears and troubles of the world instead of the Word of Life. So I exchanged those hours for time in the Scriptures, in prayer, and in the secret place with my God. I found that I was listening to audiobooks from Audible at night to fall asleep, but it fed my mind with many voices instead of drawing me into the presence of the Lord. So I laid them down as well, and now I fall asleep with worship music, my heart lifted up in praise to the Living God. Lay it down for God to work wonders in your life. And God is faithful — oh, He is faithful! — and He redeemed the time, and He drew me closer to Himself, deeper than I had ever known.

O saints of God, what are the idols of this present age that He is calling you to destroy? Sexual immorality, which prowls like a lion on every screen. Greed, cloaked as ambition. Pride, parading itself as self-importance. Bitterness, gnawing at the roots of your soul. Social media addictions, endless scrolling that drowns out the whisper of the Spirit. The love of pleasure more than the love of God. O saints, lay it down! Lay it down while there is yet time! Embrace the call to lay it down for God.

The Spirit is calling for a holy people, a pure Bride without spot or wrinkle. Shall we then trifle with that which nailed our Savior to the Cross? Shall we entertain what pierced His brow and ripped His flesh? God forbid! Let us rise up with the sword of the Spirit and slay every work of darkness that wages war against our soul. Let us run unburdened, with eyes fixed on Yeshua, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Lay it down — not with sorrow, but with songs of deliverance! Lay it down — not with fear, but with the boldness of a child returning home! For what awaits you is not loss but the fullness of Christ. He will pour His Spirit into the vessel emptied of self. He will clothe you in righteousness. He will crown you with His steadfast love. He will make your feet like hinds’ feet and set you on the heights of His glory! Lay it down for God, and receive His blessings.

I write to you as one who has suffered the loss of all things and counts them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ. Therefore, beloved, lay it down! Lay it down, and rise up in the power of the Spirit! Lay it down, and behold the beauty of the Lord! Lay it down, and run with joy into the arms of the King!

May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Yeshua Messiah (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NASB).

Amen and amen.

See Also

Worship

Answer the Call

A Lifestyle of Prayer and Worship

Beloved, hear the Spirit of God calling: return to the heart of true worship. Lay aside the noise of your busy days, silence the endless agendas, and come back to the one thing necessary—a lifestyle of prayer and worship.

“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness” (Psalm 29:2 NASB). We were made for this—to magnify the Name above every name. O Church, we have become rich in resources but poor in reverence. We have mastered meetings and perfected programs, but we have forgotten the cry that touches heaven: worship that rises like incense, pure and unceasing.

A lifestyle of prayer and worship is not an event or a performance. It is a daily dwelling. It is a heart posture that says, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” As we spend the week continually in prayer and worship, when we gather together, we explode into His presence because we have already been dwelling with Him all week. We do not come to start something—we come to overflow. We pray for what He wants us to pray. We seek to Honor Him. We seek His face, not His hand.

Jesus declared, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers” (John 4:23 NASB). The Father is seeking you. He is not looking for programs; He is searching for hearts ablaze with adoration. The prayer and worship of the saints is the fragrance that fills the throne room of heaven. It is written, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NASB)—this is not a burden, but the river of life flowing through every believer who longs for more of God.

O Spirit of God, come and awaken Your Bride! We cry like David, “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple” (Psalm 27:4 NASB). Let every sigh, every word, every labor be soaked in worship. Let our lives be a continual offering, a sweet aroma rising before Your throne. To know God is to worship God. To love Him is to fall before Him with reverence and awe.

“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29 NASB). Beloved, the time is short. The King is at the door. Will He find you living a lifestyle of prayer and worship? Will He find you pressing into His heart with relentless love?

Choose now. Answer the call. Cultivate the lifestyle of prayer and worship, and be made ready for His glory!

What Does This Look Like in My Daily Walk?

A lifestyle of prayer and worship is not confined to the sanctuary; it invades every part of your life. It looks like starting your morning with whispered adoration before your feet hit the floor. It looks like letting songs of praise rise on your commute and speaking to God in the secret places of your heart during the busyness of your day. It is choosing to respond to trials with prayer instead of panic, lifting up the Name of Yeshua when you are tempted to complain. It is walking in constant awareness that God is near, God is holy, and God is worthy.

What Is the Next Step I Can Take to Draw Closer?

Begin by setting aside a daily time to seek His face—not His hand. Start small if needed, but be faithful. Open the Word and let it ignite your worship; pray aloud, even if your words are halting at first. Commit to keeping a spirit of prayer throughout the day, turning your thoughts often toward God, thanking Him, honoring Him, and crying “Abba!” from deep within. Join with others who hunger for more of Him, gathering not out of obligation but to overflow His presence together.

Today is the day to answer His call. Today is the day to live a true lifestyle of prayer and worship.

⸻

See Also

The Pursuit

Walk Hand in Hand with God

Beloved, you have set your heart to seek the Face of God, and I tell you now, He sees you. He who is from the beginning, who holds the stars in His hand, bends low to meet the one who longs for Him. The Holy One is not far from you. He is near, nearer than your own breath.

Do not be troubled by the pace of men. Do not measure yourself by the steps of the crowd. For the Lord of Glory calls you to walk with Him, not behind Him, not ahead of Him, but hand in hand, heart to heart.

The frustration you feel is not your failure; it is the stirring of His Spirit within you, pulling you closer to the fullness of life in Him. You are not forsaken. You are not cast off. You are being drawn into the secret place where the Lamb walks with His own.

The world may race ahead to build kingdoms of dust. The churches may lag behind in sluggishness and doubt. But you, beloved, fix your eyes upon His Face. Set your heart to know Him as Moses did, who cried out, “Show me Your glory!” and was hidden in the cleft of the rock. So now you are hidden in Yeshua, sheltered by the blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Be still, and do not fear the aching within you. It is a holy yearning. It is the mark of His hand upon your soul.

The God who called you is faithful. He will not leave you longing. He will reveal Himself to the pure in heart.

Therefore, walk hand in hand with God.
When He moves, move with Him.
When He waits, wait with Him.
When He weeps, weep with Him.
When He rejoices, dance before Him.

Do not turn aside to the right or the left. Stay close. Stay low. Stay hungry.

“You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13, NASB).

This is the promise of the Everlasting God. This is your inheritance.

Let nothing steal it from you.

Walk hand in hand with God, beloved. Walk hand in hand with God.

Prayer

Father,

I long to walk hand in hand with You. Not ahead, not behind — but close, steady, faithful. Teach me to match my steps with Yours. Tune my heart to Your heartbeat. Make me sensitive to Your movements and stillness alike.

When I grow restless, anchor me in Your peace. When I grow weary, lift me with Your strength. When I am tempted to run or lag behind, draw me back by the whisper of Your love.

I seek not the works of Your hand, but the light of Your Face. Let Your nearness be my portion, and Your presence my delight.

Lead me on the ancient path where Your footsteps still echo, and cause me to walk it with joy and trembling.

I am Yours, Lord.

Hand in hand with You, forever.

In the name of Yeshua, Amen.

See Also