And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. —Genesis 22:2
God told Abraham to go to a new place to worship Him. Frequently we too must go to a new place in our worship—a place far from the religious traditions of reciting confessions and going through prayer cards. Tradition will smother the presence of God in our times of worship.
God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience, and He will test yours. We may hear Him tell us to lay something on the altar that is precious to us. God does not ask for those things because He needs them, but because we need to be set free from their power in our lives. Every sacrifice we ever make will take us into a new place of worship with Him.
Abraham dearly loved Isaac. Did He love him more than the Lord? No, his faith was tested and he obeyed God. Give your children to the Lord. Give your spouse to the Lord. Give your church to the Lord. On the altar of your surrender you will discover a deeper level of worship and intimacy with God.
Lord, I come to worship You in a new place.
Today I place everything and everyone I
have sought to control on the altar.
I desire on this one thing—to
worship and glorify You.
Amen.
Curt Landry 
Michael L. Brown 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer 
