“I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord, Yes, in the presence of all His people.” – Psalms 116:17-18 (AMP)
On different occasions in the Scriptures, we’ve seen people who prayed to God and made a vow. A vow is a statement of promise and commitment to do something specially in appreciation unto God if He does what we ask of Him. Making a vow unto God is a part of the Christian belief when it comes to asking God for certain things.
Commonly, everyone of us owes God the vow of thanksgiving because we promised to thank Him if He does what we ask of Him and this is why every believer is obligated to thank the Lord for His blessings and goodness.
But beyond that, there were people who made specific vows unto the Lord whilst they prayed. In Judges 11, Jephthah made a vow as He prayed unto God to win the battle he was going to fight.
Judges 11:30-31 (AMP)
“Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
What a vow he made. And when he came back from the victory over the Ammonites, his daughter was the first to meet him and he had no choice than to sacrifice her like he vowed.
Hannah made a vow to give her son to the Lord all the days of his life and make sure that he’s a Nazarite. She too fulfilled her vow unto the Lord.
It’s easy to make a vow when you are in distress but do you pay your vows? Many forget their vows as soon as they receive answers to their prayers. It is not a good thing to do.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 (NKJV)
“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed.”
Be careful not to make a vow that you won’t remember to pay. Don’t make it a habit of always making vows that you know you won’t pay whilst praying. Just pray and believe that God has heard and will do it without you necessarily adding vows to your prayers.
Action Point: Can you remember any vows you’ve made that you haven’t paid? Work on them and pay them today.
Confession: I receive by faith the goodness of God. I am a recipient of His favour and blessings always.
Related Scripture: Judges 11:29-40; 1 Samuel 2:1-11
Bible Reading: Leviticus 16
