How to Build a Godly Altar in 7 Steps
Through the numerous examples we have explored so far in these previous 11 lessons in this science of altars teaching series we have already established the fact that:
In the Bible, altars were significant places of spiritual encounter and transformation where people met with God, offered sacrifices, and established covenants.
But how does this ancient concept apply to us today?
How can we, as modern believers, build a godly altar that invites God’s presence and power into our lives?
This blog post outlines seven key steps for building a godly altar.
#1 – Identify Your Altar
In biblical times, altars were often built after an encounter with God or in response to a divine command as seen in these moments of:
- Abraham built an altar in Genesis 12 after God called him to leave his home and promised to make him a great nation.
- Jacob built an altar in Genesis 35 at Bethel after God reminded him of His covenant.
- Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18, leading to a powerful display of God’s presence through fire.
Each of these examples shows that the altar was tied to a personal or national need, desire, or calling.
The first step in building your altar is to identify the area of your life that needs divine intervention.
- Is it your walk with God—where you’ve felt distant or stagnant in your spiritual growth?
- Perhaps it’s your family’s spiritual health—where you’re seeking unity and peace?
- Or maybe you’re feeling a burden for your community and are yearning to see transformation in a specific area like justice, healing, or revival.
- Whether it was a need for direction, provision, or repentance, the altar is the place where such needs are met with divine encounters.
Take a moment to read this blog post on The Types of Godly Altars to be able to identify the area where you want God to move in your life.
#2 – Consecrate a Space
Throughout Scripture, we see that God’s glory and presence are often associated with specific places that are intentionally set apart and constructed to reflect/mirror elements of His dimensions/realms, such as holiness and light.
- The Tabernacle: God instructed Moses to build a portable sanctuary in the wilderness [Exodus 25:8-9].
- Solomon’s Temple: A permanent dwelling place for God’s presence among His people [1 Kings 8:10-11].
- Jesus’ teachings: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen” [Matthew 6:6].
These biblical examples underscore several important principles:
- While God is omnipresent, He often chooses to manifest His presence in specific, consecrated places.
- These spaces were carefully prepared according to God’s instructions, highlighting the importance of intentionality in creating sacred spaces.
- The approach to these spaces was always marked by deep reverence and careful obedience to God’s commands.
- These spaces were created not as ends in themselves, but as means to facilitate profound encounters with the living God.
- In these consecrated spaces, people’s lives were changed as they met with God.
While we no longer need a physical temple to approach God, thanks to Christ’s work [John 4:21-24], the principle of setting apart a space for encountering God remains valuable in our fast-paced, distraction-filled world.
You don’t need to build an elaborate altar of wood or stone, but you can create a symbolic place where you meet God regularly, such as:
- A corner of your room dedicated to prayer and reflection.
- A specific chair or spot where you read your Bible.
- A shelf or table where you place meaningful items like candles, a cross, or a journal.
Consecrating a space is more than just designating a physical area; it’s about creating your personal “Holy of Holies” – a designated meeting place between you and God.
Therefore, even if your consecrated space is small or simple, let it serve as a powerful reminder that you’re stepping into God’s presence.
- In Genesis 28:17, after his profound encounter with God, Jacob exclaimed: “How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
- The word “dreadful” here can also be translated as “fearsome.”
- Jacob recognized that any place where God’s presence dwells becomes a place of holy fear and reverence.
- It’s not a place to be approached casually or carelessly.
Throughout Scripture, we see examples of individuals who failed to recognize the gravity of God’s presence, and their actions attracted dire consequences:
- Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit in church – the house of God. This teaches us that in God’s presence sin ceases to be a moral issue and becomes a legal issue attracting immediate judgment [Acts 5:1-11].
- Uzzah was struck dead for his presumptuous action. The lesson is that even well-intentioned actions can be dangerous if they disregard and violate God’s instructions [2 Samuel 6:6-7].
- Achan’s actions brought defeat to Israel and judgment upon himself and his family. In this story, we learn that disrespecting what God has set apart as holy can have far-reaching consequences [Joshua 7]:.
- Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire from the Lord for their presumptuous worship. The lesson here is that God’s instructions for worship and approaching His presence must be followed precisely [Leviticus 10:1-2].
While these examples might seem intimidating, remember that through Christ, we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence [Hebrews 4:16].
The key is to balance holy fear with the intimacy God desires through:
- Avoiding Presumption: Never take God’s presence for granted or approach it casually.
- Preparation: Take time to prepare your heart before entering your sacred space.
- Fear of the Lord: Cultivate a deep reverence for God’s holiness and power.
- Careful Obedience: Follow God’s instructions for worship and living with diligence.
- Childlike Trust: Approach God as a loving Father, with confidence in His grace.
In summary, never forget that:
- Your consecrated space, however humble, becomes a “dreadful” place in the biblical sense – full of awe, wonder, and holy fear.
- Therefore, approach it with reverence, obedience, and careful preparation, knowing that the God you seek is both terrifyingly holy and infinitely loving.
#3 – Establish a Rhythm
Consistency is the backbone of any relationship.
It’s about creating a rhythm that keeps us connected to God in the midst of life’s busyness.
The Bible is full of men and women who established regular times to meet with God, such as:
- Daniel prayed three times a day, no matter the circumstances [Daniel 6:10].
- The Israelites were instructed to offer sacrifices daily, symbolizing the need for ongoing fellowship with God [Numbers 28:3-4].
- Jesus had a habit of withdrawing to solitary places to pray [Luke 5:16], showing us the value of regular, intentional communion with the Father.
Whether it’s daily personal prayer, weekly family devotions, or monthly community gatherings, the important thing is to establish a regular pattern of meeting with God.
- Maybe you start by setting aside 15 minutes each morning for Bible reading and prayer.
- Or perhaps you schedule one day a week to fast and pray for a specific need.
- Over time, your rhythm of worship will become as natural as breathing.
- Don’t be discouraged if it’s not perfect.
- The goal is not perfection but persistence, for God does not call the perfect but the present.
#4 – Offer Your Sacrifice
In biblical times, sacrifices were animals, grain offerings, or other gifts that represented worship, repentance, or thanksgiving.
Today, we’re not asked to offer burnt offerings, but God still calls us to offer spiritual sacrifices [Romans 12:1], such as:
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Time
- Daily Devotions: Setting aside consistent time for prayer and Bible study.
- Sabbath Observance: Dedicating a day to rest and worship, resisting the urge to work or be productive.
- Service: Volunteering in church or community, sacrificing leisure time for others.
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Habits and Comforts
- Fasting: Abstaining from food, media, or other comforts for spiritual focus.
- Breaking Addictions: Surrendering harmful habits to God, relying on His strength.
- Simplifying Lifestyle: Choosing to live with less to focus more on spiritual growth.
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Dreams and Ambitions
- Career Choices: Choosing a path that aligns with God’s call over personal ambition.
- Relationships: Surrendering the desire for a relationship or letting go of unhealthy ones.
- Location: Being willing to move or stay put based on God’s leading, not personal preference.
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Resources
- Tithing and Giving: Offering financial resources to support God’s work.
- Talents and Skills: Using your abilities for God’s kingdom rather than personal gain.
- Possessions: Being willing to share or give away material goods as God directs.
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Comfort Zone
- Evangelism: Stepping out to share your faith despite discomfort.
- Reconciliation: Initiating difficult conversations to restore relationships.
- New Ministries: Taking on challenges that stretch your faith and abilities.
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Pride and Self-Will
- Submission to Authority: Yielding to godly leadership even when it’s difficult.
- Confession: Admitting faults and sins, sacrificing pride for authenticity.
- Forgiveness: Letting go of resentment and choosing to forgive, even when undeserved.
In the end, any sacrifice we make pales in comparison to the sacrifice Christ made for us.
Therefore, the most reasonable response to His love is that we offer ourselves fully to Him [Romans 12:1].
Jesus taught that true discipleship involves counting the cost [Luke 14:25-33].
On one hand, a sacrifice will cost us something [2 Samuel 24:24] for it often involves:
- Discomfort
- Inconvenience
- Financial implications
- Emotional challenges
- Social misunderstanding
On the other hand, sacrifices also position us to receive the following from God:
- Deeper intimacy with Him
- Spiritual growth and maturity
- Alignment with God’s purposes
- Increased faith and trust
- Eternal rewards
As you build your spiritual altar, remember to:
- Pray for Guidance: Ask God to reveal what He wants you to offer.
- Start Small: Begin with manageable sacrifices to build your spiritual muscles.
- Be Consistent: Regular, small sacrifices often have more impact than rare, large ones.
- Submit to Accountability: Share your commitment with a trusted friend or mentor.
- Journal: Record your journey, noting the challenges and blessings of your sacrifices.
- Review and Adjust: Periodically assess your sacrifices, ensuring they remain meaningful and God-directed.
#5 – Tarry with Expectation
To “tarry” means to wait or linger in expectation.
Tarrying is not passive; it is an active and expectant waiting for God’s presence like the:
- Disciples who waited in Jerusalem with one accord in prayer and supplication as commanded by Jesus until they were empowered from on high [Luke 24:49; Acts 1:14].
- Temple priest continually attended to the temple flame, which was never allowed to go out.
This is the principle of tarrying: waiting in faith and persistence, believing that God rewards those who diligently seek Him [Hebrews 11:6].
- Tarrying often involves travail—a deep, laborious effort to push through spiritual barriers.
- It is not always easy or convenient, but it is necessary.
- Satan’s goal is to discourage you from tarrying by creating distractions, sowing doubt, or making you feel as though your efforts are in vain.
- However, the enemy’s agenda is defeated through your perseverance.
- As Scripture reminds us, “The violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12).
- The spiritual victory is won not by giving up but by pressing through in faith.
In tarrying, you align yourself with God’s divine timing.
- Times and seasons were established in eternity, meaning they cannot be changed, and only God knows these times [Genesis 1:14; Acts 17:26; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Psalms 1:3; Acts 1:7].
- In other words, God’s timing is not the same as man’s timing.
- Though His visitation may not come immediately, it will come.
- Just as Elijah waited for the fire to fall on Mount Carmel, we must wait in faith for God’s appointed time.
- We too must commit to tarrying at our altars, patiently waiting for God’s appointed time to meet with us.
The price of tarrying is high—it requires patience, sacrifice, and unwavering faith—but the rewards are even greater: divine encounters, spiritual empowerment, and a deeper relationship with God.
- When you approach your altar with faith, expect God to move.
- Approach your altar with anticipation.
- Believe that, just as God responded to the altars of old, He will respond to your sacrifice.
- You may not see fire fall from heaven, but you can expect a transformation in your heart, your family, and your community.
- God honors faithfulness, and He delights in meeting with His people.
#6 – Perceive the Feedback
God is Spirit, and His response to our sacrifices and prayers will also be spirit-based.
- His response often comes in ways that are not immediately obvious to the natural mind.
- Many of us expect answers in clear, logical terms—like a set of instructions or a visible sign.
- However, about 70% of God’s communications are spiritual in nature, requiring discernment to interpret.
- These answers might not come in the form of keys, formulas, or direct messages but as signs, inner voices, impressions, or other spiritual signals.
The Bible is full of examples where people almost missed God’s communication because they couldn’t perceive His spiritual signals:
- As a young boy, Samuel heard God’s voice three times but thought it was Eli calling him. It wasn’t until Eli realized that it was the Lord that Samuel responded correctly [1 Samuel 3:4-10].
- After his dream of the ladder, Jacob woke and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” [Genesis 28:16].
- When God called Gideon to deliver Israel, Gideon was unsure and asked for multiple signs, almost missing God’s initial call [Judges 6:36-40].
- Elijah was discouraged and afraid, but God spoke to him not through the earthquake or fire, but through a still, small voice [1 Kings 19:11-13].
- When God appeared to Moses through the burning bush, Moses initially turned away, not perceiving the sacredness of the encounter [Exodus 3:1-5].
On the other hand, those who were spiritually alert and able to perceive God’s signals prevented tragedies or accomplished great things:
- In Esther 4:1, Mordecai perceived the wicked plan of Haman in the spirit, even before receiving any direct message from anyone.
- The entire book of Revelation is a testament to John’s ability to perceive God’s communication through visions and spiritual symbols [Revelation 1:10].
- Multiple times, Jesus perceived the thoughts and intentions of those around Him, including the Pharisees who plotted against Him [Matthew 9:4; Luke 6:8].
- In Acts 16:6-10, Paul perceived in the Spirit that God was redirecting him away from Asia to Macedonia through a vision.
- In Genesis 41, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, perceiving the spiritual significance behind it and thus saving Egypt from famine.
These examples emphasize the importance of spiritual sensitivity.
- If we are to build a lasting and powerful altar to God, we must train our spirits to recognize and respond to His feedback.
- It often requires a quiet, discerning heart and a readiness to act on His subtle yet powerful signals.
- Read this blog post on The Altar Spirit Feedback to understand the 3 main channels of divine communication: supernatural, spectacular, and spiritual.
#7 – Avoid These Hindrances
In Exodus 20:22-26 God taught the Israelites the protocols of setting up altars that He approves.
In this teaching, God addressed 5 main things that pollute the altar.
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Lack of Holiness
- In Exodus 20:24, God commanded that altars be made of earth.
- In the New Testament, the earth represents our bodies. As believers, we are called to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).
- However, the lack of holiness can be a major hindrance in setting up a personal altar. If our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit, are not consecrated and set apart for God, our spiritual sacrifices become defiled.
- Holiness means being distinct and separated from the world’s influences.
- When we compromise our bodies through sin, we pollute the altar, making it unfit for God’s presence.
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Lack of Consecration
- Exodus 20:25 teaches that altars were to be built using un-hewn stones—natural stones that had not been shaped by human tools.
- This represents consecration, the idea of allowing God to work in us without trying to “improve” or alter ourselves through human effort.
- A hindrance to setting up a personal altar is when we rely on our abilities, talents, or efforts rather than submitting fully to God’s will.
- Instead of shaping ourselves into what we think is acceptable, we must surrender to God, who has already created us for His purpose.
- Relying on self-effort pollutes the altar, as it places human works above divine sufficiency.
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Nakedness
- In Exodus 20:26, God instructed that no steps be used when approaching the altar, to prevent the priests’ nakedness from being exposed.
- Nakedness in this context symbolizes spiritual vulnerability and lack of covering before God.
- In Genesis, after sin entered the world, Adam and Eve’s nakedness was revealed, and God had to clothe them [Genesis 3:21].
- A hindrance to building a personal altar is approaching God without being spiritually clothed—meaning, without the righteousness and covering of Christ.
- Without this divine covering, we stand exposed in our sin, unfit to offer sacrifices.
- To maintain a personal altar, we must ensure we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness and not approach God on our own merit.
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Polluted Hearts
- Our hearts today act as the altars from which we offer spiritual sacrifices.
- For example, the priest in ancient times would burn incense on the altar [Luke 1:9]. Today, that act of burning incense represents the prayers of believers [Revelation 8:3-4]
- If our hearts are polluted by sin, bitterness, or unforgiveness, the incense that rises from our altar will be tainted.
- A polluted heart hinders our ability to connect with God, as our sacrifices become unacceptable before Him.
- The Bible calls for a clean heart, one that is guarded and purified through repentance and obedience [Psalm 51:10].
- Without this, the sacrifices we offer—our prayers, worship, and service—will not be pleasing to God.
- Only the sacrifices of those with clean hands, pure hearts, vanity-less souls, and un-deceitful mouths can ascend to the holy hill and place of the Lord [Psalms 24:3-4].
- Therefore, guard your heart and mind with all diligence for life flows from it [Proverbs 4:23] because God has put eternity in the heart of a man [Ecclesiastes 3:11].
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An Unyielded Will
- The Earth and stones in their natural form represent our lives when we are fully surrendered to God.
- However, when we resist God’s transformative work in us and attempt to mold ourselves according to our desires or the world’s standards, we hinder the establishment of a true altar.
- God calls for living stones—lives that are yielded to His hand without interference [1 Peter 2:5].
- When we resist the Holy Spirit’s conviction, correction, or direction, we undermine the process of building a personal altar.
- Unyielding hearts block the flow of God’s grace and hinder the offering of spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to Him.
- Remember the mighty and anointed prince, cherubim and angel Lucifer fell from his designation after iniquity was found in him [Ezekiel 28:14-20].
- Iniquity is the rebellious state of having one’s will set against that of God [Isaiah 14:12-14].
- From an anointed Cherubim and archangel that was a guardian angel in the throne room of heaven, Lucifer is now -the devil, the ancient serpent waiting for judgment by fire – Revelation 12:7-12.
- Just as Lucifer’s rebellion led to his downfall, a heart that resists God’s direction risks spiritual ruin.
- A resistant or unyielded will blocks and disrupts the flow of God’s grace.
- This resistance not only distances us from God’s plan but can lead to spiritual decay, preventing the establishment of a true, holy altar in our lives.
When attempting to set up a personal altar in our spiritual lives, these are the same hindrances that will try to obstruct our efforts and pollute our spiritual sacrifices.
- Setting up a personal altar requires a life of holiness, consecration, spiritual covering, purity of heart, and surrender to God’s will.
- By addressing these hindrances, we can offer spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to God and experience deeper intimacy with Him.
In conclusion …
The journey of building a godly altar is not just about following a set of steps—it’s about awakening a deeper, more dynamic relationship with God.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about your pursuit, your hunger, and your willingness to go deeper.
It’s a continual commitment to surrender, inviting God’s power to transform every aspect of your being.
It’s less about ritual and more about creating a sacred space where God’s presence can dwell richly in your life.
Are you ready to see miracles unfold in your life?
Now is the time to build an altar that is not just a place/space but a powerful connection point between heaven and earth, where transformation and intimacy with God unfold.
Are you feeling stuck in your Christian walk?
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