CONSECRATION

Sometime last year, the Lord began to highlight 2 things to me: Obedience and Consecration

I remember in one of those conversations in November, we were in Abuja for Samson’s wedding.

I was having a conversation with Bukky and Precious while in the bathroom when all of a sudden, I stopped hearing them.

Then I heard the Lord ask me:

What are the things I’ve shown you about your journey?

Everything I’ve shown and told you, get home and write them out but first list them to me.

I first sat down on the floor in the bathroom because I knew it was about to be a long one. 😂😂😂

When I was done listing these Glorious things, the Lord asked me to list out patriarchs of Faith in the Bible that were called to special purposes and ‘glory.’

With Joy, I started calling names of men who have walked this God path. I was remembering them and in awe as I did the listing:

●      Abraham

●      Daniel

●      Peter 

●      Ayo Babalola

●      EA Adeboye

●      Kathryn Kulman,

And so on.

I began to think of these people and all they achieved; all they did in the name of God.

Then the Lord asked me a question:

Look at them, 2 things are common for all of them: their obedience and consecration. Do you think you walk in the level of consecration and obedience required for the Glory I’ve shown you?

I’d probably have responded that I do usually obey o and I’m consecrated 😂 but you see, when God brings thing like this to you, you pause right there and take it in. Wherever you think you are, whatever you think you already know, you first pause and take it in. 

Fast forward to January during my personal retreat, I heard those 2 words again, but this time for the body.

For each and every one of us!

A lot of things will happen this year;

A window of exploits open,

So many people will finally be setting their feet inside destiny,

Things that looked so far off, it is almost time 

But…

What will carry us into it and sustain us is Obedience and Consecration.

I taught on the first part; Obedience some weeks ago

Obedience and Consecration

It is how we will navigate the seasons ahead,

It is what will bring us into promises,

Our passcodes for inheritance,

It will deliver your lot to you,

It will fast-pace things that have been delayed,

But,

Nothing will happen outside these 2 things

 

What then is consecration?

Ayodele: It means to dedicate oneself to something. It's like going one step beyond the basic requirement to commit fully to something.

Samson: Means being separated from the general for a special use. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

Teemah: It’s an act of being intentionally devoted to someone(thing)

Sis Olubunmi: Intentionally setting someone/thing apart as holy

Amaka: In this context, I will say it's giving yourself to the Lord to become a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1)

Omolola: Separating and setting aside your self, will and life for God to use

Blessing: To set aside for a purpose or cause

Ruth: Total yieldedness to a particular cause

 

1. To consecrate something is to set it apart.

To be consecrated is to be devoted to something/someone (higher than us)

Now when you set something apart, there is always a use to it. 

So to consecrate is to set apart to God

To set aside for a purpose or cause 

And this time, the cause is God Himself 

”For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.“ Philippians 1:21 NKJV

Consecration is perfect submission

One thing I’ve seen with believers is our focus on the promise, on the glory, more than the God of the promise. 

Forgetting that what brings results is the consecration not even the items. 

Not your gifts, not your person, not how good you are, but your consecration to God and ultimately His cause.

Let’s travel a bit to the Old Testament

We see how the tabernacle furniture was made from earthly items; wood, bronze, gold, stone etc. The people allowed inside the tabernacle also were men born like every other person, wore linen clothes and used water to bath. Yet, we see how all these earthly elements somehow had extraordinary and glorious significance.

Fire was literally falling from heaven through their use.

The ark of covenant was built with earthly materials yet it carried so much power that it could kill those not adhering to its manual. 

Through the use of these earthly materials, God was revealed to men in different ways.

So our question then will be:

What made these wood, bronze, priests, etc, become extraordinary?

What was the extra?

What championed the quick results?

The extra is Consecration

All of these things were consecrated to God

Set apart to and for Him!

Not committed to self or any other purpose but God’s.

What changed all of these things from ordinary to whatever glory we perceive of them is that they were consecrated.

And this is the mistake we make, we are busy trying to attain glory/purpose shown to us by God forgetting that nothing used by God can be unconsecrated.

There is no effective actualization of the purpose of God in a man’s life that doesn’t start from consecration.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”  I Peter 2:9 NKJV

[9] But you are God’s chosen treasure —priests who are kings,  a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. 1 Peter 2:9 TPT

[9] But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 ERV

[9-10] But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. 1 Peter 2:9-10MSG

For every great and glorious vision a man has,

The first realization of it is that it is God who owns visions. He only shares them with us.

We are mere instruments for His purpose and vision, so we will belong to Him.

Not belonging in terms of believing and being a part of the body of Christ but;

Belonging to Him completely, 

Not having a life of our own 

Because your own life will not run that vision.

How does Consecration play out for us?

What is your why?

What is the sponsoring thought for everything that you do?

No man set apart to God has a purpose of himself.

He literally lives to ensure the purpose of the Lord is birth (from his own capacity) 

He lives and breathes the purpose of God

His why is always God! 

To navigate life in this season, we must move away from selfish decisions and purposes.

We must come higher to a place where our Why is God.

Break down everything you plan to do and then ask, how does this serve the purpose of God? 

Then ask a second question:

Is this what God desires of me to serve His purpose?

Ask this across board, every area.

2. Consecration is us being given to God’s Priorities

What is most important in the heart of God? 

What does God prioritize? 

List them for yourself 

I will share some too:

- God prioritizes time. Yes, your time! 

- God prioritizes kingdom (Matth 6: 33)

- ⁠God prioritizes man

3. Consecration is God becoming priority

You cannot prioritize the things of God when you have not prioritized God. 

For the priests in the Old Testament who were set apart for God, their only duty was God. 

We sing this song:

I put you in front…

You are all that matters 

But in reality, for most of us, He is not even first talk more of ALL.

On a scale of importance, where does God stand?

4. Consecration is yieldedness to God’s Process

If you are set apart for God’s purpose and its ensuing Glory, you must submit to the process that births it.

With God, you cannot bypass process. 

Christ could not jump pass the process of beatings, the pain of carrying the weight of our sin on the cross.

He bore it all.

He had to bear it all!

That is the mark of a consecrated life.

So even in pain, we submit to the process of God.

We are not cutting corners, we are not rushing and trying to get to the end that God has shown us.

And it is not just enduring the process, we must glory in it.

We must rejoice in it!

5. Consecration is Sacrificial and the sacrifice is your life

And when I say the sacrifice is your life, I do not mean you should carry knife and unalive yourself 🌚🌚🌚. 

I do not mean die for God in the literal meaning of death.

Die to self and live for God in your daily decisions.

Abraham lived this life.

From the very first “Leave your father’s land to a land I will show you”

Do we even think about it that Abraham most likely had investments in that land?

A running business?

He had things going on for him

His first sacrifice wasn’t even Isaac

Another perfect example is Christ

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 NIV 

Greater love has no one than this!

Another example is Hannah

She prayed for years for a child and gave up that child to God.

The Levites are also perfect examples;

For them, no allotment from the lands. Their devotion was to God alone. Their lot was God and they were fine with it

I’d like to end with this:

Our destinies are preserved inside of our consecration

Consecration is not just God trying to make us live for Him or do things a certain way.

It is not a scheme to keep us under control because God is overbearing and likes to be in charge. 

Consecration is the pathway to destiny

It is how God ensures we get to destiny

Nobody who plans to arrive at destiny chooses to ignore this.

Only men set apart arrive!

For everything God has shown you, it is first His agenda, so there is no way you will get there outside of Him.

Daniel’s journey in the palace is an example for us too.

Consecration is Yes to God at every point

When it makes sense and when it doesn’t.

Again, this is that season that every Yes to God matters.

Every yes is an opening of a layer towards where we are headed.

 

And it is my prayer for everyone 

That as we walk this year and season

We receive Grace to walk with God

We stay apart even as we’ve been set apart

We are yielded to the Lord, to His every leading and nudging

We do nothing outside of Him

God is our priority 

In Jesus name

Amen

 

Aliceson: My question is with respect to this. How does one change their “Why”? For clarity, let me explain what I mean. If my reasons for doing stuff, for the longest time, has been success or fulfillment, for example, how do I truly change my perspective and make God’s purpose my Why? Is it just by telling myself “I’m doing this for God,” or…?

Adebolanle: Amen. Such a timely word for the season. Just to add, in the place or journey of consecration, there is growth, most times uncomfortable one. You will most likely have to let go of old ways and create new ways for new things. Things you used to do before, sometimes you’d have to stop or at the very least refine. A breaking down to rebuild sometimes. Sometimes you’d even have to let go of old friends or take them out of your inner circle. 

I’m sure you’re thinking why, it’s because you’re setting yourself apart for a purpose, for God. We’re not perfect, there’s no way something is not an hindrance in that process. Except you’ve truly and fully prioritised God already and then glory to Jesus for you. I rejoice and celebrate you. 

And it’s also not a one size fits all, what God may want to remove or change from your life may not be the same thing he wants to change from the next person. Therefore, we just continue to stay with him and hear what he has for us. May God grant us the grace to stay and trust the process and live a life of consecration and obedience to Him, to live a life for His purpose. Amen!