I was praying this morning and all of a sudden I had a moment of clarity. The words of Romans 12:1-2 were on my lips when I was stopped as realization of the words hit me. It was not that I haven't ever prayed these verses, I have. It was not that I haven't considered these verses and their meaning, I have. It was not that I haven't prayed these verses with conviction and passion, I have. What stopped me was the realization that this time I was praying these verses without consciously considering what I was doing. I was offering myself to God as a living sacrifice by memory instead of conviction and passion. I then considered what I was doing, hushed the fear of this simple prayer's implication, sang a simple song I learned at some point that goes something like:
Make my life ...........a living sacrifice
Pure and holy .......... just and true
With thanksgiving ..... I'll be a living
Sanctuary ................. for You
and then I consciously offered myself to God as a living sacrifice.
So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God, what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect. (Ro 12:1-2 GNB)
Notice this doesn't say we are to make a sacrifice every now and then.....we are the sacrifice.
