Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — 4.1MB)
Romans 12 tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, for this is a reasonable service.
We do this by remembering at the beginning of each day to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. For example, you can pray: “Lord, here are my eyes; I want to see as you see. Here are my ears; may I listen to what you would listen to.” If your eyes and ears are committed to God each day as living sacrifices, you’re going to be much more careful about what you look at and hear, don’t you think?
There are going to be television programs and movies you’ll never watch because they are not pure and clean. There are going to be YouTube videos and some podcasts you’ll never watch or listen to because they contain immoral and unedifying material. Also, you’ll be able to see this world and other people through the eyes of Jesus, and that perspective will make incredible changes in your everyday actions and reactions.
Here’s another part of your body to give over to God: “Lord, I give you my tongue today. I ask you to control all the words formed by my tongue, that they be words of help and healing.”
My, how powerful our words are. The Bible tells us they have the power of life or death. I want to choose my words carefully so that they are words of life and they refresh others. A tongue that is presented to God each day as a living sacrifice will be an instrument of peace, it will be non-judgmental, it will speak words of encouragement.
You can also pray: “Lord, my brain is yours; I want to think your thoughts.” It is very important that you present your mind to God, asking him to control your thoughts and reasoning processes.
I strongly encourage you to consider doing this regularly—presenting parts of your body individually to God each day, being reminded of what it means to be a living sacrifice. It is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for the day ahead, because it reminds you that you are not your own, you are bought with a price. And therefore, your body—every part of it—should be a living sacrifice all day long every day.