A ritual ( in this context) is an action or set of actions that usually involves bodily movement and/ or utterances that have spiritual implications or effects. There are different types of rituals. Most rituals create circumstances that are time-bound to happen in the sense realm.


RITUALS IN THE OLD TESTAMENTS

1. COVENANT RITUAL
Abraham was from an idolatrous family. As clearly stated in the scripture below.

Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

He was very familiar with many idolatrous practices such as offering sacrifices, making covenants and performing rituals.

In covenant ritual, the people who are to make the covenant get animals like cows, goats, pigeons, and so on, and cut each one in two halves. Then they lay each of the halves of each animals cut one after the other on one side then they lay the other halves of the animals cut on the other opposite side such that each cut half is opposite it's other half. Then each person who is making the covenant will take turns walking in between the two set of the halves, declaring the terms of the covenant. Among others, he will declare that if I break this covenant let me be killed and let my body be cut in halves like these animals. So, the penalty for breaking a Ritual Covenant is death.

The only example of Ritual Covenant found in the Bible is the one performed by Almighty God himself.

In Genesis 15:5 - 21, God had promised to make Abraham's seeds as numerous as the stars of the sky. Abraham believed God and God counted it to him for righteousness. God then proceeded to promise to give Abraham the lands of the Chaldeans. But Abraham demanded from God an assurance that he would inherit the said land. To assure Abraham, God made a covenant with Abraham by performing a ritual. After God finished performing the ritual, Abraham became convinced beyond all possible doubts that he would inherit those lands. Abraham knew very well that the consequence for breaking a Ritual Covenant was death. He knew that if God ever broke that covenant, God would definitely die. The details of the account is given below.


Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 15:7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 15:8 And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 15:10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 15:11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a Covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 15:19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 15:21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

The smoking furnace and burning lamp
that passed in between the cut halves
showed Abraham God's current location as he walked between the cut-halves.

Verse 18 and 19 stated clearly that a covenant had just occurred.


We find another reference made to Ritual Covenant in Jeremiah 34:18 - 20

Jeremiah 34:18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof, 34:19 The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed betweening the parts of the calf; 34:20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.


2. SPIRITUAL MISSION
A spiritual mission is a spcified movement from one location to another in order to cause an event to happen in the the physical realm from the spiritual realm. Such movements usually have specified pattern.

We see God instructing the children of Isreal to perform a ritual in other to fall the wall of Jericho in Joshua 6: 2 - 5.

Joshua 6:2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 6:4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 6:5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.


3. VICTORY RITUAL
This is a ritual that is performed to achieve future victory.

We see an example in 2 King 13: 14-19. where Elisha Instructed Joash the then king of Isreal to perform a ritual so that he would have future victory over Syria.

2 Kings 13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. 13:15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. 13:16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. 13:17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. 13:18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.


RITUALS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

1.REJOICE RITUAL ( A.K.A. DANCING IN THE SPIRIT)

The only example of this ritual in scriptures was performed by Jesus himself. We see this in Luke 10:21.

Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

The greek word translated rejoice in the above scripture is the Greek word "agalio" which means "to hop to and fro".

I would say here that "dancing in the spirit" is not a human kind of dance. It is a spiritual type of dance that only Christian's who are baptised in the holy spirit can perform. It is a spiritual way of releasing joy from the recreated human spirit. It also a way of giving vent to joy that is currently bubbling in the recreated human spirit.

It is only born-again Christian's that can experience joy. What people who are not born again experience is happiness. Happiness is dependent on happenings or circumstances. If good things happen you are happy. If bad things happen, you are sad . Whereas joy is a fruit of the recreated human spirit.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

No matter the circumstances or happenings, a born again Christian can release joy from his spirit by dancing in the spirit. No wonder the Bible says ," Rejoice evermore" (1 Thess. 5:16).


3. PRAYER RITUAL (A.K.A. LIFTING UP OF THE HAND)
Lifting up of the hand in prayer is a ritual. It has spiritual significance. It hance spiritual effects. It has spiritual implications.


1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.


Psalms 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.


3. WORSHIP RITUAL
A worship ritual is a ritual that is performed for the purpose of worship. We see an example in Revelations 4: 9- 11

Revelation 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.


In the above scripture, every time the beast gave honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, the twenty-four elders performed a worship ritual which involves casting their crown before the throne.


HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED RITUALS
Holy spirit inspired rituals are rituals that are inspired by and done under the influence of the spirit. Holy spirit inspired rituals are most edifying, in fact, they are more edifying than speaking in tongues.


To start performing Holy Spirit inspired rituals say the following confession.
"I believe in God ordained, Jesus approved, and Holy Spirit inspired rituals".



God bless you.

This thread has been updated.