The Sacrifice of the Cross

Some time ago, I had an experience at church that I will
never forget.

During the Sunday morning service, the pastor asked each
member of the congregation to make a list of his sins on a sheet of paper, as
the Holy Spirit led. After a time of reflection and prayer, each person walked
up to the front of the church and nailed his folded piece of paper, which
represented his sins, onto a large wooden cross.

When it was my turn, I laid my folded “list of sins” onto
the end of the crossbar and struck the nail with the hammer that had been
provided.  The sound of the hammer
connecting with the nail was deafening—not to my ears, but to my spirit. The
realization that, in effect, my own hand had driven the nails into our Savior’s
flesh was overwhelming.

In that moment I was struck with the reality that because
Jesus knew I would be in this world at this particular time and would not be
able to live a sinless life, He—the One who spoke the world into being—had
chosen to lay down His life for me so that I could have everlasting fellowship
with Him. I already knew this, of course; I have been a Christian for many
years. But the act of virtually nailing Him to the cross with my own hand made
His sacrifice more real than before.

On the way back to my seat, I listened to the thunder of
nails being hammered into the cross by those who were doing as I had just
done.  I watched as scores of other
people streamed toward the front to nail their sins to the cross, and once
again I was struck with the awesomeness of the sacrifice.

Tears began to stream down my face.  I heard the Lord say, “I did this not
only for you, but for the whole world!” It was an echo of His words recorded in
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV).
The full impact of what Jesus did for us all reached the very core of my being.

I think sometimes those of us who have been Christians for a
while get so excited about hearing the “hottest” leader on the speaking circuit
or reading our favorite minister’s latest book or attending conferences that we
often forget the basics of our faith. How much more basic can you get than what
Jesus did on the cross?

I believe that if we do not grasp the enormity of this act,
we will be hard pressed to successfully share with others what our Savior has
done for us. And isn’t that what we were commissioned to do? (see Matt.
28:18-20). Jesus told us to go out and share the good news of what He has done
for us so that others will be drawn to Him—something we cannot do effectively
unless we ourselves realize the great price He paid for the forgiveness of our
sins.

Won’t you join me today in reflecting on the sacrifice Jesus
made for us? Ask Him to make it so real to you that your own gratitude swells
and you start to burn with desire to share the good news with those who don’t
know their true state or aren’t aware that He has already paid the price for
their sins.  I guarantee your faith
will grow—and the kingdom of God will expand as well.

PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF April 2, 2012

As you approach Easter this week take time to reflect on our
Heavenly Father’s indescribable love in sending His Son to be the sacrificial
Lamb for our sins. Thank our Lord Jesus for His willingness to obey the Father
and submit to His will—even to death and humiliation on the cross. Pray that
many will receive Him as Savior in this season. Do your part to invite some to
church or dinner and let them see Christ in you. Continue to pray that our
churches would experience revival that would impact our nation. Continue to
pray for the upcoming elections, the protection of Israel and the persecuted
church.  John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; Rev.
5:12

To enrich your prayer
life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate
scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt: Prayers that Rout Demons, Prayers that Bring Healing, Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth and Prayers that Break
Curses. To order any or all of these click here.