DAY 10 : I Will Go
Back to the Altar — Empowered to Finish the Work
Worshipers Go
Who is willing to go? That’s the question God asked Isaiah when he caught a life-altering vision of God. The moment was filled with amazing special effects. God was seated on a throne “high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1). His robe filled the temple as six-winged angels serenaded Him with a chorus of “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (verse 2). As God began to speak, the doorposts of the temple began to shake and smoke filled the house. The whole episode so “undid” Isaiah that he cried, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (verse 5). Can we blame him? Who can catch a glimpse of God and not be unmasked?
Isaiah was awed by the holiness and majesty of God, but God does not reveal Himself purely for our astonishment. God’s revelation of Himself is usually followed by a request. This was the case, for instance, when He gave John a revelation of Jesus Christ while exiled on the island of Patmos. John’s vision of the end of the world and the return of Christ was meant to be shared. Likewise, when God revealed Himself to Isaiah, He was looking for a messenger willing to spread His message of love and warning. Isaiah’s answer was one for the ages: “Here am I! Send me” (verse 8).
One on One
But God did something for Isaiah that led him to accept the call to go. When God took away his iniquity and purged his sin, Isaiah’s response to God’s grace was “I will go” (Isaiah 6:8). His decision to accept God’s mission was made during a private, devotional experience with God. The power he would wield in public for God was power that he gained in private with God. Anointed writer, faithful prophet, fearless proclaimer—all of Isaiah’s outward identities were but a reflection of who he was on the inside. He had been to the altar with God!
As we end our 10 Days of Prayer experience, it is our prayer that you have begun to rebuild your personal altar of daily worship. It is our hope that your family has covenanted to meet God each morning and evening. But more than that, we pray that you will accept God’s special invitation to go. In so doing you will be touched, and “To those who make so full a consecration that the Lord can place His touch upon their lips, the word is spoken, Go forth into the harvest-field. I will cooperate with you” (Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 23).
Let’s pray together.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — Isaiah 6:8
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
“Whom Shall I Send . . . ?”
God, the fact that You have to ask this question is rebuke enough to us. We have not heeded the call to serve and proclaim You. At times we feel overwhelmed by the seemingly impossible task of world evangelism. Other times we simply get too busy with our own lives, our own agendas and desires. We are sorry, Lord. Forgive us, and use us in Your vineyard, we pray. Amen.
“Here Am I!”
Beautiful Jesus, You have called, and now I answer. Here am I. I don’t have much to bring, but knowing that You are by my side is all I need to know, for those You send, You will also enable to do the works of Jesus. So, here am I, Lord. Take this man/woman/child and glorify Yourself through my life. Amen.
“Send Me.”
God, we realize that the purpose of our lives is to reveal Your character of love to this world. Please send us into Your mission field. Show us where You are at work so that we can join Your Spirit’s moving. Direct our ideas and projects, our friendships, and mission efforts. We want to shine for You, Jesus. Send us! Send me. I will Go! Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go (#573); Take My Life and Let It Be (#330); So Send I You (#578); Stand Up! Stand Up for Jesus! (#618)
Other Songs: Father, I Adore You; Pass It On; This Little Light of Mine; Make Me a Servant
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 9 : Don't Lose Your Mind
Back to the Altar — Worship Keeps the Mind
Heart of the Matter
The unregenerate human heart is something to behold. If you watch the news from day to day, you will see human beings acting in ways that make us question their humanity. Wonderful acts of love and kindness happen around the globe each moment of the day, but there is no doubt that evil is likewise manifested wherever we look. While we rightly obsess about unending wars, political corruption, and senseless violence on a mass scale, we must also acknowledge that wherever dastardly deeds are done, deranged human hearts are at work.
Quite frankly, the Bible does not have much good to say about human hearts that are un-surrendered to Jesus Christ. God states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). The heart to which God refers here is not so much the “ticker” in our chest but our “brain heart”—the seat of our thinking, the center of our intellectual and moral being, the fount from whence our desires flow. Jesus made the point even clearer when He observed, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
With the Mind We Worship
Ellen White wrote the following about the importance of the human mind: “The mind controls the whole man. All our actions, good or bad, have their source in the mind. It is the mind that worships God and allies us to heavenly beings” (Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, p. 72). It is the mind that God seeks to enlist in the Battle against self and evil. Commenting on the power of the Bible to educate and strengthen the mind, Ellen White also observed, “Nothing will so impart vigor to all the faculties as requiring students to grasp the stupendous truths of revelation. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 24). What a blessing it is to know that our minds can be reshaped by God’s healing Word!
Keep Thy Heart
Human minds must be kept, tended, and guarded, as Solomon encouraged in Proverbs 4:23. Like King David we must ask God to create in us clean hearts and minds (Psalm 51:10), but we must guard this gift with all diligence. Regular seasons of personal time spent in praise, prayer, Bible study, and witnessing will do more to guard our minds in Christ Jesus than anything else we can do each day: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). Keep your mind, even when everyone else is losing theirs.
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — Proverbs 4:23
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
“Keep Your Heart”
Jesus, in this world of distractions and the constant bombardment of information, we struggle to focus on You. We recognize our total dependance upon You and ask You to enable us to keep our hearts. Help us to make the right choices every day to keep ourselves pure from the attacks of the evil one. Amen.
“With All Diligence”
Precious Savior, thank You for Your commitment to us. Thank You for exemplifying what true love and commitment look like. You know how we at times lack proper commitment to You and Your cause. And we are so quick to teach others, while not taking to heart our own lessons. Forgive our hypocrisy and guide us into a life of diligent faithfulness. Amen.
“Out of It Spring the Issues of Life”
God, we often forget how precious, delicate, and important our heart is, and so we mistreat it by allowing certain influences into our lives. We may not realize how all things shape who we are and what we believe about You. Teach us to be on guard and to allow only holy influences in our lives. You enter in, Lord, and live out Your life within us. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: I’d Rather Have Jesus (#327); I Would Be Like Jesus (#311); Take Time to Be Holy (#500)
Other Songs: Seek Ye First; Create in Me a Clean Heart; All in All
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 8 : Worship and the Three Angels' Messages
Back to the Altar — Devotional Life and the End-time Message
The First and Second Angels’ Messages
As Seventh-day Adventists, we are called to proclaim an end-time message of so much importance that nothing else should divert our attention (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 302). We preach the message of the first angel “flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 14:6), urging all to fear God, give Him glory, and “worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (verse 7). These verses remind us that humanity’s origin is divine, not evolutionary. We possess the “everlasting gospel”—timely and timeless, essential and eternal, needful and never-ending!
We also share the message of the second angel found in Revelation 14:8: “Babylon is fallen”! This sacred message calls all true followers of God to reject all humanly originated forms of worship and belief not based on God’s Word. It calls us away from randomly assembled beliefs which are not based in Scripture nor supported by the Spirit of Prophecy. Come out of Babylon that you be not partaker of her sins nor of her plagues, the angel of Revelation 18:4 would later command. This sacred message is a call to stand apart in our true worship of God!
The Third Angel’s Message
But, Friends, if the first two messages were powerful, Ellen White says something quite startling about the message of the third angel. Ellen White writes in her Letter 209: “The power of the proclamation of the first and second angels’ messages is to be concentrated in the third” (1899). How so? Because the third angel’s message captures the everlasting gospel of the first message and its call to worship! It embraces the second angel’s call for separation from false worship. But the proclamation of this third message is unlike the first two in that it delivers a fearsome warning: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation” (Revelation 14:9). This message reveals earth’s marked-up beast-worshipers and heaven’s sealed-up God-worshipers!
“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). Of this message Ellen White further notes, “It is present truth. This message is to go forth with great distinctness and power. It is not to be clouded by human theories and sophistries” (Letter 20, 1900). As we pray today, let us ask God to empower our worship that we might powerfully proclaim His end-time message to a perishing world.
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — Revelation 14:7
“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
“Fear God and Give Glory to Him”
Our mighty Creator God, King of the Universe, we want to humble ourselves in Your presence. You are our God, the only God, and You are worthy of our praise, our devotion, and a life of consecration to Your will. You are wonderful, beautiful, powerful, and amazing. We ask that You will fulfill Your promise and fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that our lives become a reflection of Your perfect character of love. Glorify and reveal Yourself through us we pray. Amen.
“For the Hour of His Judgment Has Come”
Jesus, the prophetic word of the book of Daniel and Revelation is clear: We are living in the judgment hour of earth’s history. Thank You that we can have confidence in the sufficiency of Your righteousness, which is ours by faith, and which provides us with assurance of salvation as we face judgment. Help us, by Your grace, to live lives of useful, mission-focused service, honoring You in all we do. Amen.
“And Worship Him Who Made Heaven and Earth”
Oh Jesus, when we look upon this world and the universe, we are in awe of the beauty of Your handiwork. Despite sin’s effect on it all, we can still see that You are the Master Artist who put so much beauty and intentionality into Your craftmanship. We would not exist without You. Thank You for sharing Your life and creating us not only to exist for ourselves but to live in eternal fellowship with You, our Creator. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: Seeking the Lost (#373); Rescue the Perishing (#367); Lift Up the Trumpet (#213)
Other Songs: For God So Loved the World; I Will Make You Fishers of Men
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 7 : A Church That Worships
Back to the Altar — Our Most Urgent Need
(Un)regular Worship
A 2018 worldwide survey of Seventh-day Adventists found that only 34 percent of Adventist homes are engaging in regular morning and evening worship, and only 52 percent of church members have any personal devotions at all. Can a church with an end-time message centered on worship—the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12—deliver this solemn message if its members are not faithfully engaged in personal and family worship? In other words, can we proclaim effectively what many of us are not doing daily?
Ellen White comments, “There is nothing more needed in the work [of God] than the practical results of communion with God” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 47). Elsewhere she writes, “Like the patriarchs of old, those who profess to love God should erect an altar to the Lord wherever they pitch their tent. . . . Fathers and mothers should often lift up their hearts to God in humble supplication for themselves and their children. Let the father, as priest of the household, lay upon the altar of God the morning and evening sacrifice, while the wife and children unite in prayer and praise. In such a household Jesus will love to tarry” (Child Guidance, pp. 518, 519)
Our Most Urgent Need
The restoration of personal and family worship among Seventh-day Adventists is perhaps the most pressing need of our time. But it will not be easy. Today we face the challenge of technology that increasingly occupies our time and alters our minds. Our addiction to media, especially social media, has left us anxious, irritable, lonely, stressed, depressed, sleepless, and unhappy with our station in life.
Ironically, personal and family worship have the opposite effect. Worship calms our minds, decreases loneliness, reduces stress, increases peace, fulfills our emotional needs, and teaches us contentment. Might the altar be the antidote to our frazzled minds and restless hearts?
Now more than ever, God is calling us back to His heart, to consistent times of refreshing in His presence. It is for this reason that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has launched the “Back the Altar” initiative, a landmark effort to rebuild the broken personal and family altars in God’s church. By 2027 we hope to see at least 70 percent of Adventist members engaged morning and evening in personal and family worship. You will hear more about this initiative in the days ahead, but we can all begin now to worship God faithfully and consistently. If we go back to the altar with God, we will be transformed into His image and empowered to finish His work!
Today let us ask God for a special outpouring of His Holy Spirit on our worship experiences with Him. Now more than ever, we need the precious blessing of communion with God.
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — Psalm 95:6
“Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
“Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down”
God, how often we have failed to realize how truly great and awesome and beyond human comprehension You are. The vastness of the universe cannot contain You, and yet we too often do not honor or worship You accordingly and with deep reverence. Give us a glimpse of Your glory and help us realize how You deserve all honor, glory, and adoration. Remind us to approach You with reverence and respect, acknowledging You as our mighty God. Amen.
“Let Us Kneel Before the Lord our Maker”
Creator God, You are the ultimate Master Artist. All things You have made are beautiful and perfect. Your love is written on every opening bud and every leaf. You are also our true Father, the One who made us, desired us, and created us in Your image. How can we ever fully realize the honor You have bestowed upon us to be called Your children? We praise You and worship You, our Maker! Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: I Need Thee Every Hour (#483); Be Thou My Vision (#547); Spirit of the Living God (#672)
Other Songs: Unto Thee, O Lord; Surely the Presence of the Lord
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 6 : The All-Night Prayer Warrior
Back to the Altar — Ending the Day with God
An Example for Us
Jesus was known to spend whole nights in prayer, as He did on the night before selecting a team of 12 disciples who would one day take the gospel to the world (Luke 6:12, 13). You might be inclined to stay awake all night too if you had a world to save with the help of 12 unqualified sinners. The responsibility was so heavy. Here is how Ellen White describes Jesus, the all-night Prayer Warrior:
The Majesty of heaven, while engaged in His earthly ministry, prayed much to His Father. He was frequently bowed all night in prayer. His spirit was often sorrowful as He felt the powers of the darkness of this world, and He left the busy city and the noisy throng, to seek a retired place to make His intercessions. The Mount of Olives was the favorite resort of the Son of God for His devotions. Frequently after the multitude had left Him for the retirement of the night, He rested not, though weary with the labors of the day. . . . While the city was hushed in silence, and the disciples had returned to their homes to obtain refreshment in sleep, Jesus slept not. His divine pleadings were ascending to His Father from the Mount of Olives that His disciples might be kept from the evil influences which they would daily encounter in the world, and that His own soul might be strengthened and braced for the duties and trials of the coming day. All night, while His followers were sleeping, was their divine Teacher praying. . . . His example is left for His followers. (Homeward Bound, p. 169)
Understanding the Stakes
While some Christians start their day with God, due in part to the fear of what awaits them once they leave their home, many rarely end it in His presence. Having received what they needed to get them through the day, they barely pause to thank God for His provision and protection over their lives. Tired and worn, they drop into bed with little thought of seeking Him for power to face tomorrow’s trials. They rarely even thank Him.
Jesus understood the high-stakes spiritual reality that greeted Him each day. He had a keen awareness of the spiritual danger that His disciples faced, even when they had not a clue (Luke 22:32). Today—and every day—let us never miss the opportunity to end our day with hearts lifted to God in prayer and praise. Let us pray earnestly for each other that God might keep us faithful as we near the return of Jesus Christ.
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — Luke 6:12
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
“He Went Out to the Mountain to Pray”
Jesus, we are so thankful for Your example to us. Your life is the great pattern we follow, and we pray that You will live out Your life within us. Lord, we recognize our need for private time with You. Help us today to carve out special quiet times for prayer. Show us the “mountain” that is available to us—a place where we can commune with You and learn to hear Your voice more clearly. Amen.
“And Continued All Night”
God, most of us have never prayed an entire night. Some of us struggle to pray more than 30 seconds. And while the length of prayer does not determine whether You hear us, we do realize that more time with You would result in so many more blessings for us. It is in communion with You that we are strengthened, helped, led, convicted, guided, and blessed. God, please teach us to pray and to make this holy time with You a priority, both individually and as a church body. May we come to the point where our time in prayer is longer than the time we spend on our phones, in front of our TVs, or focused on other distractions. Make us prayer warriors. Amen.
“In Prayer to God”
Our loving God, with shame we must admit that for many challenges we do not turn first to You but to other sources which are not from You. Often we don’t even realize that we have turned so many things or experiences into idols. Please forgive us. Show us where we have sought the things of this world instead of seeking You. You are the all-powerful, almighty God of the universe. We want to seek You only. To You only we pray. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: Abide With Me (#50); Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (#469); Be Still, My Soul (#461); It Is Well With My Soul (#530)
Other Songs: His Sheep Am I; In Moments Like These; My Peace I Give Unto You
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 5 : Jesus, the Early Riser
Back to the Altar — Early Will I Seek Thee
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23).
The Altar Truth
There is an “altar truth” in the life of Jesus that no Christian should miss. During the past few days we have reflected much on altars in Scripture and on the lives of those who built them. The altar is a metaphor for a place and time of worship to the true and living God. One need not possess a physical altar in order to worship God. In fact, if a follower of Jesus lives in consistent, earnest, Bible-bathed communion with God, he or she has already erected an altar as real as the one that Elijah rebuilt on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18).
We see such an “altar” in the life of Jesus. Amid a busy life of daily ministry, constant threats, and withering assaults from the devil, Jesus made time for long seasons of prayer and worship. He who was equal with the Father (Philippians 2:6) still thought it important to “be still and know” that God is God (Psalm 46:10). Jesus understood from an early age that His calling required constant connection with His Father. This was the only way to carry the sins of the world to the cross.
Early Seekers Wanted
In Mark 1:35 Jesus rose “a long while before daylight” and found a quiet, solitary place to talk—and listen—to His Father. The previous day had been spent in full-on ministry—healing the sick, casting out demons, and redeeming the lost. When the disciples awoke, they noticed Jesus was gone and went in search of Him. “When they found Him, they said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You’” (Mark 1:37). Jesus’ answer is a powerful reminder of the blessing that awaits all who tend their morning and evening altar.
“Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth,” Jesus remarked (Mark 1:38). Did you get that? Jesus was faced with a powerful dilemma. Stay in the place where He was—Peter’s home—and continue fruitful ministry there. Or, leave that place for new, untested ministry territories. Few Christians today would give up a fertile ministry moment for an unknown one. Yet, Jesus did exactly that with no hesitation. How did He make the right decision? God the Father had revealed the plans for that day to Jesus during His private devotional time. The Father affirmed Jesus’ purpose as He prayed and waited in His presence.
Friends, when we fail to seek God early in worship and prayer, we miss God’s plans for our day and His affirmation of our purpose. Today let us pray for the commitment to rise early and spend time with God that He might ready us to fulfill His purpose for our day and our lives.
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — John 4:23
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
“True Worshipers”
Father, teach us in our everyday activities, in both the important and the mundane aspects of our lives, how to worship You. May we no more compartmentalize our faith, may we no more think of worship as only a Sabbath event, but truly see it as the happiest way of life. May we be continually connected to You and live as true worshipers of the only true God. Amen.
“Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth”
Thank You, God, that we can worship You from wherever we are and whenever we want to. You hear us whether we are at home, at work, at church, or traveling. We give You praise for this 24/7 availability to Your children. Lord, guide us into all truth through Your Holy Spirit so that our worship, yes, our lives, will be in harmony with all truth. Thank You, God, for leading us into a true worship experience. Amen.
“The Father is Seeking Such”
Gracious Father, Your love for us is beyond comprehension. You desire us to be close to You. You actively seek us out and are so eager to become everything to us. Forgive us when we have ignored You and not spent much, or any, daily time with You. We know You don’t force Yourself upon us. Thank You for the assurance that if we invite You to commune with us, You will be among us. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: Give Me Jesus (#305); In the Garden (#487); I Will Early Seek the Savior (#539); Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (#290)
Other Songs: Give Me Oil in My Lamp; He’s Able; Into My Heart; Thy Word Is a Lamp Unto My Feet
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 4 : What Brings God Back
Back to the Altar — Rebuild It and He Will Come — Again!
When the Rains Stopped
The atmosphere that fateful day was charged, though an eerie silence had engulfed Mount Carmel. In previous times this wooded mount was lush, green, and beautiful. It received plenty of rainfall and was considered a holy place, a place of blessing and fertility (Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 144). But all that had changed. What used to be green was now burnt and bare, the result of a painful, three-and-a-half-year drought (1 Kings 17:1; 18:1; James 5:17). Here’s how Ellen White describes Israel at this time:
The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived. Streams dry up, and lowing herds and bleating flocks wander hither and thither in distress. Once-flourishing fields have become like burning desert sands, a desolate waste. . . . Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality. Famine, with all its horror, comes closer and still closer. (Prophets and Kings, pp. 124, 125)
The Drought Within
Perhaps greater than the physical drought that gripped the nation was the spiritual drought that left God’s people soul-thirsty and faith-depleted. Israel was ruled by the evil King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. Ahab’s Sidonian bride had helped weaken his allegiance to God. It was into this catastrophic spiritual apostasy that God called the prophet Elijah. Of Elijah, Ellen White writes, “there dwelt in the days of Ahab a man of faith and prayer whose fearless ministry was destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel” (Prophets and Kings, p. 119).
Elijah Rebuilds the Altar
After the prophets of Baal and Asherah failed to get their gods to send fire, it was “at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice” (1 Kings 18:36) that Elijah called the people near and rebuilt the broken altar to the true God. In a very real sense, Elijah was not just calling the nation back to the altar of true worship; rather, he was calling the nation back to the altar of regular, systematic worship of the true God! Israel’s corporate worship altar was broken, but Israel’s personal and family altars had been broken long before.
What Brings God Back
It was the restoration of true, heartfelt worship that moved God to respond at Carmel. Elijah’s first act of national spiritual revival was to rebuild the broken altar. If your personal or family worship altar is broken, rebuild it, and let the fire of God’s presence consume all who gather to worship Him!
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — 1 Kings 18:30
“So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.”
“The People Came Near to Him”
Jesus, it was Your Holy Spirit that convicted the hearts of the Israelites on Mount Carmel as Elijah rebuilt the altar. In the same way, we ask that You will convict our hearts today. Show us our sins, so we may find forgiveness and grace to overcome in Jesus. Draw us close to You, reveal the beauty of Your holiness to our hearts, and give us a longing for You like we have never had before. Amen.
“He Repaired the Altar of the Lord”
Our Father, we are guilty of neglecting regular time with You—regular worship—whether individually or as a family unit. Give us a new heart, a new mindset, and lead us to reestablish regular times of worship and devotion with You. Help us to be intentional and consistent. Invigorate our faith so we may live out true religion through Your presence in us. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: Come, Holy Spirit (#269); Nothing Between (#322); Trust and Obey (#500)
Other Songs: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus; I Shall Not Be Moved
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 3 : Morning and Evening
Back to the Altar — The Cadence of Life
Life with God
A reading of 1 Chronicles 23 reveals that God commanded the Levites—those who cared for the ancient Jewish temple and its services—to stand in His presence, lifting their voices in thanksgiving and praise to Him every morning and every evening. This devotional exercise originated in another imperative that God gave Moses when He asked the Israelites to “make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). God further enjoined, “One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight” (Exodus 29:39).
Life in Between
Israelite life was meant to be lived between two daily, foundational spiritual experiences. God’s people were to begin and end each day with Him. They were never to take His saving grace for granted. They needed God’s power to protect them from outward threats as they traversed a hostile wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. They needed to be guarded against temptations from within—the desire to practice Egyptian values and Egyptian spirituality and Egyptian attitudes learned in captivity. The morning and evening sacrifices were God’s way of laying down a devotional pattern for Israelite individuals and families to follow, a way of keeping them in right relationship with Him. Here is how Ellen White describes this sacred, solemn, daily experience:
“As the priests morning and evening entered the holy place at the time of incense, the daily sacrifice was ready to be offered upon the altar in the court without. This was a time of intense interest to the worshipers who assembled at the tabernacle. Before entering into the presence of God through the ministration of the priest, they were to engage in earnest searching of heart and confession of sin. They united in silent prayer, with their faces toward the holy place. Thus their petitions ascended with the cloud of incense, while faith laid hold upon the merits of the promised Savior prefigured by the atoning sacrifice. The hours appointed for the morning and the evening sacrifice were regarded as sacred, and they came to be observed as the set time for worship throughout the Jewish nation. And when in later times the Jews were scattered as captives in distant lands, they still at the appointed hour turned their faces toward Jerusalem and offered up their petitions to the God of Israel. In this custom Christians have an example for morning and evening prayer. While God condemns a mere round of ceremonies, without the spirit of worship, He looks with great pleasure upon those who love Him, bowing morning and evening to seek pardon for sins committed and to present their requests for needed blessings.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 353, 354)
If your devotional life has lost its cadence, ask God now to renew your commitment to morning and evening worship today.
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — 1 Chronicles 23:30
“Stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening.”
“Every Morning”
Jesus, we want to start our days with You. Please do wake us up so we may enjoy communion in Your presence. Help us to make this a daily habit and not to rush it or put it off. Help us to make You truly first and foremost in our thoughts each and every day. Amen.
“Thank and Praise the Lord”
Father, we are quick to bring before You our various requests, complaints, and wishes, sometimes forgetting that You are a Person, not a vending machine. Remind us of all the aspects of Your character, all the small and big things You have done and are doing for us, so we can thank and praise You for them. Right now, bring to our minds reasons to praise You. Amen.
“Likewise at Evening”
God, we not only desire to start our day with You but to end it with You also. As we reflect upon the hours You gave us, may You bring to our minds the many times we have seen Your faithfulness throughout the day. Let us fall asleep with praise on our lips, for You are our everlasting Savior. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: Father, Lead Me Day by Day (#482); I Surrender All (#309); Draw Me Nearer (#306)
Other Songs: Whisper a Prayer; Open My Eyes, LordPublished by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 2: Consecration and Commemoration
Back to the Altar — A Place for Remembering
Consecration and Commemoration
In the Bible, altars always represent places of consecration and commemoration. They are an outward symbol of one’s personal connection to God, of one’s acknowledgment and worship of the true and living God. Altars were often built to commemorate encounters with God that had a profound impact on someone’s life. When God did something “super-normal,” “supernatural,” or “super-special,” the recipients of God’s mighty act often did not want to forget it, so they would build an altar—a place for remembering—on the spot where they had seen God move.
When God told Abram in Genesis 12:7 that He would give the land of Canaan to his descendants, Abram built an altar there because his encounter with God was “super-normal.” In that moment God promised to transcend everything normal in Abram’s life and make from his seed a great and mighty people. When Isaac was wandering the desert of Gerar and fighting the locals over well-water, God appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants” (Genesis 26:24). Isaac commemorated this divine encounter by building an altar on that very spot because his encounter with God was “supernatural.” God had broken through the natural order of Isaac’s life to affirm that His promise to Isaac’s father was now Isaac’s promise also. Isaac’s son Jacob traveled to a place called Bethel (Genesis 35:3) and built an altar in honor of God, who had appeared to him during his flight from Esau. Because that encounter with God was “super-special,” Jacob built an altar there. A fearful Gideon was pleasantly surprised when God appeared to him in peace and called him to lead the nation to victory. Gideon was so moved that he built an altar on the spot and called it “Jehovah is Peace” (Judges 6:24) because his encounter with God was “super-peaceful”!
Never Forget
While many see God’s mighty acts in their lives as mere moments of coincidence or chance, others recognize the moving of God and do all within their power to never forget what He has done. And there is an added benefit to their efforts: future travelers along life’s journey are blessed by the altars set up by believers. Ellen White notes, “Abraham set us a worthy example. His was a life of prayer. Wherever he pitched his tent, close beside was set up his altar, calling all within his encampment to the morning and evening sacrifice. When his tent was removed, the altar remained. Roving Canaanites received instruction from Abraham, and wherever one of these came to that altar, he there worshiped the living God” (From Eternity Past, p. 76).
What heavenly blessings do you want to remember in the future? And what altar to God will you build today?
Let’s talk to our God.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
Praying God’s Word — Genesis 12:7
“And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”
“He Built an Altar”
God, on this day I want to remember what You have done in my life, how You have intervened when I was on the wrong path, how You rescued me. I want to remember and praise You for Your loving grace toward me. I remember Your goodness, and in response will (re)consecrate my life to You. Amen.
“To the Lord”
Lord God, You and You alone deserve our praise, our worship, and our consecration. There is no other god like You: so loving, so kind, so patient, so merciful, so powerful, and so willing to save and help. Our eyes are on You, Lord. Our hearts are Yours. Our adoration and praise are for You alone, for You are worthy! Amen.
“Who Had Appeared to Him”
Father, Your presence always surrounds us—yes, closer than we realize. You have made Yourself known, whether through the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, a sermon, a prayer, or another person, and we thank You for revealing Yourself. We rejoice in the reality of Your all-permeating presence through Your Holy Spirit, and we invite You to inhabit our bodies as living vessels. Glorify Yourself through us. Show us how to love people around us and lead them to Your truth. Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: I Will Sing of My Redeemer (#343); O Worship the King (#83); Come Thou Fount (#334)
Other Songs: Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart; Count Your Blessings
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
DAY 1: Where Are You?
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Back to the Altar — Praying for a Reconnected Heart
The Most Important Question
Is there a more searching question than the one God directed at the newly-fallen Adam? God, of course, knew exactly where Adam and Eve were. He is omniscient—all-knowing—after all, so God was really asking, Adam, do you know where you are? Adam and Eve had disobeyed God (Genesis 3, 4), and their disobedience created a breach, a break in what had heretofore been a perfect relationship between God and His crowning creation. The place where God had met them on every previous day was empty on this day. The first faces ever created bore no smile for their Creator that day. Arms He had fashioned from clay did not enfold Him that day. Hearts whose beats had often synchronized with His own were strangely distant, almost silent that day.
Not Enough
Ellen White comments, “Satan represented to the holy pair that they would be gainers by breaking the law of God. Do we not today hear similar reasoning?” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 54). Adam and Eve made the mistake of listening to the devil, and he convinced them that what God offered them was not enough, that communion with God in a close, trusting relationship was not enough. In an instant the mild, balmy climes of Eden now “seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul. The robe of light which had enshrouded them now disappeared, and to supply its place they endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels” (p. 57). Sin had changed the spiritual condition of the only creatures in Eden with whom God had shared His very image. Indeed, it had shattered God’s image in them.
A Time to Pray
From Adam and Eve’s broken relationship with God to the present flood of severed ties that we see etched on faces around the globe, perhaps there is nothing more important for which to pray than for a return to the place where God waits for us. Millennia may have passed, but the lies that felled Adam and Eve have not changed. Satan still claims that God is withholding something from us, that He cannot be trusted, that He is not enough. This message is especially alluring in a tech-obsessed, digital age in which more gadgets and connectedness promise a type of spiritual nirvana, a higher state in which we control our fate instead of bowing to the God who made us. Now is the time to reject Satan’s lies and go back to the One who has loved us with an everlasting love, back to the One who is drawing us to His side with lovingkindness (Jeremiah 31:3)!
Let’s pray together.
Prayer Time (30–45 Minutes)
A Powerful Promise
“It is a wonderful thing that we can pray effectually; that unworthy, erring mortals possess the power of offering their requests to God. What higher power can man desire than this—to be linked with the infinite God? Feeble, sinful man has the privilege of speaking to his Maker. We may utter words that reach the throne of the Monarch of the universe. We may speak with Jesus as we walk by the way, and He says, I am at thy right hand” (Ellen G. White, Prayer, p. 7)
All prayer groups have different ways of praying together. We encourage you to spend the next 30-45 minutes in united prayer, in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads. Below are some examples of praying through Scripture. You may pray through other passages also. See the Leader’s Guide for other prayer ideas.
Praying God’s Word — Jeremiah 24:7
“I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.”
“I Will Be Their God”
God, thank You for coming to find us when we have done things to sever our relationship with You. Thank You for loving us with a love that lasts forever and for constantly, consistently, conspicuously drawing us to Your side each moment of every day. Thank You, God, for a love that still seeks sinners! Amen.
“With Their Whole Heart”
Precious Jesus, we thank You for the promise of a rekindled heart, a heart that seeks God and waits for Him in seasons of want and seasons of plenty. We ask You to fulfill Your promise of a new heart with a new affection for You. Amen.
“They Shall Be My People”
God, it boggles our minds that You would claim us as Your own after we have left You. Thank You for covering us with the perfect life of Jesus Christ and giving us a new name (Revelation 2:17). Amen.
More Prayer Suggestions
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
Song Suggestions
SDA Hymnal: Sweet Hour of Prayer (#478); Just as I Am (#313); What a Friend We Have in Jesus (#499); Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling (#287); Nearer, Still Nearer (#301)
Other Songs: Change My Heart, O God; I Love You, Lord
Published by the General Conference Ministerial Association
Daily Readings by Pr. Dwain Esmond
