A close friend of mine and I recently employed the practice of reciting lyrics of hymns to one another. It is our way of encouraging each other, finding laughter in aspects of “lifing” that could otherwise prove difficult and a means of honoring our churchy upbringings and love for our ancestors. I suppose God wanted to get in on it as well because I woke up to literally hearing a hymn that I’d not considered in years. I heard directly in my ear, “Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the spirit control? You can only be blessed and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul.” My God from Zion! I had to arise and look up the lyrics to the entire song. I was blessed as though it were 1978 at Zion Temple Missionary Baptist Church at 7010 South Union Avenue in Chicago, Illinois; or as the woman who was giving announcements would say, “Illi-noissssse.” I didn’t understand the song at that time, but I knew it did something for the saints. They would moan, rock, cry, holler and shake their heads. But I get it now. It is easy to determine what one’s all is. The difficult part however is surrendering that “all” unto the Lord.

Earlier in the week as I surveyed various corners of my prayer room and considered the petitions I’ve presented to the Lord and asked for His movement upon them, I realized the extent to which I’ve compartmentalized my prayers, which could present as compartmentalizing God. I am interested in a holistic move of God over every area of my life. Yet, I’ve asked God to move on my desires in increments and quite frankly, depending upon which area is presenting more challenge at the time. Allow me to explain. If my job is tripping, I’m all in prayer for that, perhaps neglecting or not being as forthcoming in praying for the cancellation of my student loans. Or perhaps healing for someone and lessening my expectation for my own health. How might I instead follow the lyrics of the song and “yield?” Yield means to submit, surrender and to give something to someone. I get it now. The song says, “your all.” God desires for us to bring everything to Him, at all times, on each day that we are afforded to see the sunrise again. As I go in and out of my prayer room, I leave some fragments of my heart inside there, and some issues I’ve prayed and scheduled them an Uber to wherever I was traveling. Job 35:7 reads, “If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, or what does He receive from your hand?” Are we giving God something in one hand while yet holding on to another matter in the other?

Are we guilty of building multiple altars and compartmentalizing the cares of our heart from the all-knowing God? To be sure, He’s a jealous one and desires us to give everything that concerns us to Him. God has a way of being able to demonstrate and enact His sovereignty and His multi-tasking to address every area of our “prayer closet.” Now, we must accept that He might not provide a green light over everything, and His manner of responding may not reflect what we petitioned. We cannot manipulate the will of God, only exasperate our peace when we make the attempt. Our rest is directly correlated with our yield until God – and that is placing our “all” on the altar. What’s in your all?

As I reflected, the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance that my prayers laser focus on whatever I am most concerned with in the moment and perhaps instead, I should follow the advice of the song, and place my ALL on the altar – and that altar being at the feet of Jesus – who is responsive to my all encompassing faith, my all encompassing belief and my all encompassing expectation for His ability to handle it ALL. When Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross, it was not for His wounded body to be dismembered for the pieces of our pain, anxiety, distress, unbelief, uncertainty and and fear. His obedience was for us to grant Him access to everything that could pause us to hesitate. We are accustomed to the yield sign when driving which is just slowing down; yet in the meaning of the song, yield is to submit. I get it now! Humming….”You can only be blessed; and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul.”