1 Samuel 1:3 (NKJV)

“This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.”

Scripture tells us that Elkanah went every year to Shiloh to worship God, but he never went empty-handed. Whenever he presented himself and his family before the Lord of hosts, he would bring with him some form of sacrifice to the Lord. And to ensure that his family also practiced the same discipline, he would give each of his wives and children an offering to also present to the Lord at Shiloh. What was the significance of this?

Worship can be incomplete. We must never come to the Lord empty-handed. Giving of our substance and of ourselves is a part of worship. Worship that is not accompanied by an offering is incomplete. The protocols of worship require an offering to be made, and the greatest offering is the offering of our lives to the Lord. If we hand over our lives on the altar of worship, then every other thing will surely and easily follow. It is sad to note that many leaders have falsely taught that it’s only at “church worship” that an offering could be made, and a financial offering is usually emphasized. The offering of our lives is a much higher sacrifice, and it should be a natural, regular, and unhindered sacrifice being presented to God on our daily altar of worship. That’s what God desires, and that’s what He expects. Don’t come to worship without a simultaneous re-offering of your life on the altar. Coming empty-handed is incomplete worship.