What do we do when we’re walking through spiritual wilderness—those dry, difficult seasons that test our faith and strip us of comfort? In this moving devotional, Megan J. Conner invites us to consider what it means to build altars in the wilderness—not as monuments to our victories, but as places of sacrifice, surrender, and transformation.

Drawing from Genesis 22 and the powerful story of Abraham and Isaac, this episode explores the sacred difference between memorials and altars, and how God uses wilderness moments to draw us deeper into trust, humility, and full dependence on Him. If you’re feeling lost, weary, or stretched beyond your limits, this is a tender reminder that God meets us in the wilderness, and often calls us to lay down what’s most precious so that new life can rise.

Highlights (What You’ll Learn)

• The distinction between biblical monuments and altars, and why it matters for your faith

• What Abraham’s altar moment teaches us about deep surrender and costly obedience

• How spiritual “wilderness” seasons are often invitations to intimacy and transformation

• Why humility and sacrifice are central themes of the Christian journey

• Encouragement that what you lay down in obedience, God often raises up in new life

Join the Conversation

What has God asked you to surrender in a season of wilderness? How has He met you in that place? Tag @LifeAudioNetwork with #AltarInMyWilderness and share a moment when laying something down led to growth, renewal, or unexpected blessing. Your story may be the encouragement someone else needs today.

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Full Transcript Below:

Altars in the Wilderness

By Megan J. Conner

The phrase “altars in the wilderness” has become somewhat of a Christian catchphrase that has gained popularity over the last several years. The expression sounds deep, compelling, romantic, even. It alludes to a sense of profound destiny, as if connected to some measure of achievement or victory. While marker stones were often set up in the Old Testament to memorialize an act of God’s deliverance or miraculous provision during wilderness wanderings, there is a significant difference between a monument and an altar. 

Throughout the Old Testament, we see monuments resurrected through marker stones. Similar to our modern-day statues, granite walls, or marble towers, these memorials were buil