Raise Altars and Thrive in Difficult Times

By Pastor Simon Mbevi

East or West Home is Best! During this COVID -19, we have come to realise that when everything else fails or threatens, we retreat home. Homes should be a place of refuge and families should reflect God’s love, care, joy, peace, faith and hope.

But when the enemy comes home, there is conflict, violence, bondage, generational or passed-down afflictions, broken marriages and families and we experience

This article looks at raising an altar at home based on the story of Gideon 6:11-32. In this scripture, Israel is under the oppression of her enemies. God comes to Gideon and calls him out to deliver His nation. Gideon is reluctant, he does not think he is up to it. God insists that he has the right address. Gideon eventually realises he is dealing with God, so he builds an altar to Him.

God is pleased, fire breaks out and consumes the sacrifice.  Gideon is impressed enough to take up the assignment, but God tells him to go home first and do two things.

  • Tear down the altar of idolatry raised by his father (it had influenced him negatively).
  • Build an altar to the Lord there – 24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace.

God also told Jeremiah: “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jer. 1:10)

We need to tear down the altars (outposts) of darkness and build altars for God.

Note the following from this story:

  1. Israel’s deliverance started with one family – at home
  2. God revealed himself as Jehovah Shalom – the God of “peace” or holistic well-being
  3. Gideon brought power home and dealt with his foundations
  4. Victory at home meant victory abroad

Raise a family altar and experience shalom!

God is calling you to be the Gideon in your family. To bring power home by establishing and/or maintaining a family altar. Remember, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

You can raise and strengthen altars at home using the ABCs of Gideon’s Action.

  1. Acknowledge the issues: Look at your family, nuclear and extended, and ask investigative questions. Ask God to reveal what needs to be dealt with. Change begins with admission and recognition of the things that need to be dealt with.
  • Are there spiritual bondages that have come through witchcraft, secret societies, false religions, and other occultic practices?
  • What are the prevailing sins and sinful practices?
  • What are the conflicts, wounds and hurts that have opened doors for the enemy?
  • Are there generational patterns of disease, failed initiatives, broken relationships, setbacks, death, limitations or singlehood?
  • Are there curses, pronounced or acquired, that have wrecked the family?
  1. Build an altar of prayer
  • Start where you – start to pray regularly for the family – start with 15 minutes a day.
  • Establish family devotions/prayers
  • Pray all kinds of prayers in the family altar – intercession, repentance, thanksgiving, proclamations, petitions.
  • Dedicate your house and home regularly – rid it of all darkness and invite God
  • Pull in others in the extended family and pray regularly.
  • Invite others to come pray with you – life group, pastors.
  1. Continue to fight
  • Don’t give up – pray until something happens
  • Have times to fast and wait on God.
  • Make prayer visits to rural homes.
  • Organise regular extended family prayers.
  • Pursue reconciliation, strengthen relationships in the family.

Raise a family altar, experience shalom!

As you undertake this remember that:

  • It is God who has sent you home to deliver your family. There will be great visitations of God in our families in this season.
  • God will protect you so fear not.
  • It is a journey – this will not just be an overnight job. But victory is ours through Christ Jesus.
  • Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” (Nehemiah 4:14)

May God birth in you a fresh burden for your family. May God encourage you to strengthen the family altar. May God use you to bring deliverance to your extended family – cousins, uncles etc.

It is time to bring power home. May healing, reconciliation, breakthroughs, open doors and a lot more come home as we raise altars for God.

Pastor Simon Mbevi is the Founder and Executive Director of Transform nations. He holds a Law Degree from the University of Nairobi and M. A Leadership from Pan African Christian University.

For the full message click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sHJRBmkVwU