40 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2006 - Day 2

Focus: Living Sacrifice
By John Hensman, IOC

Scripture Reference:
As Christians, we're called to give ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. The Apostle Paul helps us understand this truth in his letter to the believers in Rome:

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

Devotional:
Some might ask -- Why would God be interested in my body? Our bodies are overweight, wrinkled, blotchy, achy, impulsive, unattractive, awkward, hard-of-hearing, and certainly getting older minute by minute as we read through this devotional. What kind of sacrifice is that…especially when the Old Testament demanded a flawless sheep? For most of us, we certainly don't measure up through our eyes. Scripture can’t be analyzed by looking into Webster’s Dictionary or even our bathroom mirror; if we do so, we will only formulate a wrong definition. God looks at the heart of His servant to define what characterizes a living sacrifice; but that heart attitude must embody the whole person, not just a specific part. Being a living sacrifice can be difficult and unpleasant at times; when it comes right down to it, the primary problem with most living sacrifices is, we tend to want to crawl off the altar during tough times.

It has taken Mercy Ships some 28+ years to get to this very special point in time. Since 1978, we have commissioned and retired a number of ships. Certainly our attitude has been one of placing others first and expecting nothing in return; thus He has allowed us continually to be a living sacrifice. As we look to the commissioning dedication and the first outreach of the Africa Mercy, we all need to consider our daily task in light of being that living sacrifice. We certainly have a great history; a track record that has been built on a strong foundation of sacrifice. Sacrifices of the past only serve to strengthen us, but we must continue to focus on why we are here and what a true living sacrifice represents. It is not about us…it is all about Him! Remember, service, commitment and self-sacrifice come in many different forms; i.e. please, thank you, and even better words are acceptable sacrifices to the One who looks at the heart, not the definition.

So, when you get frustrated, believing you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, consider what God has offered you; the opportunity to be a living sacrifice.

Prayer Points:

* Pray that as tensions increase and tasks multiply, we view each task as a team effort; this type of sacrifice will allow us to keep rowing forward.

* Pray that we never forget why we are here and what it represents to those who have no hope.

* Pray that as crew step off the Anastasis, as we did with the Caribbean Mercy, we take with us God’s love; knowing that He will accept our past sacrifices to help develop those of tomorrow.