By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 3: The School of the Wilderness (Preparation)
Week 13: The Death of Ambition (The Final Surrender)
Anchor Scripture: “Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’” — Genesis 22:2 (NKJV)
The Teaching
As we reach the deep waters of the final week in the wilderness, we encounter the most agonizing test of the prophetic office: The Altar of Sacrifice. This is not the altar where you sacrifice your sins; this is the altar where God asks you to sacrifice your promise.
Abraham had waited twenty-five years for Isaac. Isaac was the physical manifestation of God’s word to him. Isaac was the “prophetic fulfillment.” Yet, at the peak of Abraham’s journey, God asked him to lay that very fulfillment on an altar and give it back. Why? Because God wanted to know if Abraham loved the Isaac more than he loved the I AM.
If you are called to the prophetic office, there will come a moment in your wilderness where God asks you to “lay down the gift.” He may ask you to stop prophesying for a season. He may ask you to stop talking about your calling. He may even allow the very dream He gave you to appear to “die.” He does this to see if the gift has become an idol. If you cannot let go of your calling, you don’t have a calling—the calling has you. To be a true prophet, you must reach a point where you are willing to let the “prophetic thing” die so that you can remain alive to God.
Prophetic Insight
The gift of prophecy is a beautiful thing, but it is a terrible god. If your sense of worth is tied to your ability to hear God or to speak for Him, you are standing on dangerous ground. In the School of the Wilderness, the Altar of Sacrifice is where your “prophetic ego” is finally executed. God wants to ensure that you are a Son/Daughter first and a Prophet second. When you are willing to lay the gift down and walk away from it, you prove that your identity is rooted in Him, not in your function. Only after Abraham proved he was willing to lose Isaac did God say, “Now I know…” and gave Isaac back with a global blessing. You only truly “own” what you have been willing to give up.
The Activation
Identify your “Isaac”—the part of your prophetic calling or your spiritual dream that you “love” and hold onto for your identity. Today, in your heart, build an altar. Place that dream, that gift, or that title on it. Say to the Lord: “This belongs to You. You gave it, and You have the right to take it. I lay it down. If I never prophesy again, You are still my God.” Experience the “death” of the idol so that you can experience the life of the Father.
Daily Prayer: Lord God, I thank You for every gift and every promise You have placed in my life. I repent for making an idol of my calling. Today, I bring my ‘Isaac’ to the mountain of Moriah. I lay my gift, my future, and my mantle on the altar. I choose You over my assignment. I surrender my right to be used by You. I am Yours, even if I am silent. Amen.
