Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them; let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared. —Psalms 76:11 (NKJV)
In our previous article, we established the importance of vows and how they can change your life. Now, the question that might be in the heart of someone is: what vow can I make, when can I make it, and how should it be done?
Vows can be anything that the Lord puts in your heart. It could be financial, material, or a commitment of service. In the case of Hannah, her vow involved the very child she was asking God for. In the case of Jacob, the vow he made was to serve the Lord and return a tenth of everything he received.
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” —Genesis 28:20-22 (NKJV)
Your responsibility is to make a vow according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the specific situation at hand. Generally, there are two circumstances in which you make vows. The first is when you are supposed to give God His rights, such as tithes and firstfruit offerings, but you do not have the means immediately. In that situation, you can make a vow.
The second case is when you are in a situation where you need divine intervention. For instance, if you are looking for a job or battling a legal case, you can make a vow and say, “Lord, if You give me this job or help me win this case, I will do this specific thing for Your kingdom.” When you do that seriously and wholeheartedly, the Lord takes it seriously and fulfills His part.
Sadly, when God has fulfilled His part, many people forget that they made a pledge and ignore it. What they do not realize is that God will still require that vow from them at some point, and the experience of neglecting it may not be a pleasant one. This is why the Scriptures offer a stern warning regarding our promises to the Father.
When you make a promise to God, keep it as quickly as possible. He has no use for a fool. Do what you promise to do. Better not to promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your own words lead you into sin, so that you have to tell God’s priest that you didn’t mean it. Why make God angry with you? Why let him destroy what you have worked for? —Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 (GNT)
How you make a vow depends on you and your specific petition, but a word of caution is necessary: you should not make a vow of something you know you will not be able to redeem. Doing so will put you in an uncomfortable position with God.
Be led by the Holy Spirit, be wise, and above all, act in faith. I admonish you today to take advantage of the power of vows. Take your commitments to the Lord seriously and be diligent to fulfill them. Praise God!
Today’s Rhema
Every time you make a vow, God fulfills His part, but you must be willing to fulfill yours!
Prayer
Thank You Father for teaching me the details about vows. I receive grace today to do it right and to fulfill my vows in Jesus’ name. Amen!
