If you feel distant, tired, and weak, this article will help stir your spiritual passion for Christ. Learn how to keep your spiritual fire alive!
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My husband retired in September, and we took our fifth wheel from Washington state to Florida to be near my mom and dad for the winter.
Mom and dad have graciously given me an acre of their property, and they have cleared much of the land through the years.
But, when we got here, we still had some undergrowth and brush to clean up to make it more habitable.
So, we felled a few trees, pulled out some bushes, and cut mounds of brush. In our situation, the easiest way to dispose of it all was to burn it.
Now, many of you have experienced a bonfire before, so you know how these things go.
First, You Have to Get the Fire Started
You get ready for a fire by collecting combustible material like paper, cardboard, and small sticks–things that are ready to burn. Then you add spark to the ready materials to get the fire started.
Second, You Have to Keep the Fire Going
When the first flames began to die down on our fire, my husband added more brush, limbs, and logs to the fire to build it up again. He dedicated a whole day to feed the fire and keep it going. He raked around the ashes and hosed the circumference with water. He carefully tended the fire to keep it going until the pile of brush was gone.
The Fire of God’s Presence
In the Bible, many times fire represents God’s presence, power, and purifying work.
For example, God appeared to Moses from a flaming bush in the desert to rekindle Moses’ desire and purpose (Exod 3). From the fire of His presence, God jumpstarted Moses’ calling that had been buried under years of disappointment and misunderstanding.
Then the fire of God’s presence led the Israelites through the wilderness. His presence appeared to the people as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night (Exod 13:21).
We also see the fire of God’s presence in Acts 2:3. Believers had gathered together in an upper room to wait for the promise which Jesus had entreated them to wait for.
When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, it appeared as tongues of fire that rested on each of them.
The fire of God’s presence sparked and empowered their ready hearts like the gasoline sparked our bonfire.
The same pillar of fire from God that led the Children of Israel through the wilderness also led the first disciples through their life’s challenges and obstacles.
And He will lead you and me through our challenges and obstacles as well!
Fake Fires
Our RV has an electric fireplace. The clever artistry makes the flames look real. We have even had people ask if they were real flames. But they are fake.
This reminds me of some people. They may have been passionately on fire for Christ at one time. They may continue to hold onto religion or go to church, but their desire has faded. Somewhere along the journey, their consecrated life of passionate burning faith has smoldered out.
These ones neglect to tend the fire of their hearts.
Maybe their heart’s fire is covered over by life’s business, or they may have neglected to rake out hurt, offense, bitterness, or unforgiveness.
They may look like good Christians, but inside their hearts have grown cold and their flames have languished.
What is the Status of Your Spiritual Passion?
It is good to honestly assess our spiritual passion at certain times of the year. What have you learned about God in this season?
How is your passion for Him? Are you going through the motions, but feel empty inside?
How are your daily devotions?
Is the fire of God’s presence burning inside you?
Are you a smoldering wick? Could your flame be burning brighter?
A smoldering wick our Lord will not snuff out! (Matt 12:20).
He loves you and is waiting for you to turn aside, like Moses did, to come nearer to His fire.
He wants to breathe afresh on your wick to bring your heart back in alignment with His flame.
Fan the Flame of Your Spiritual Passion
“I remind you to kindle afresh [stir up; fan into a flame] the gift of God which is in you” (2 Tim 1:6).
On holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, people skip breakfast to increase their appetite for the upcoming feast. When mealtime arrives, people eat and eat—then they groan because they ate too much.
A couple of hours later they may go to another family member’s house for another dinner. The second feast could be even greater and tastier, yet it is not a meal longed for. They may nibble at it or brush it aside—all because there is no hunger.
We can be filled with many things in life that keep us full, and we are not hungry for the fire of God’s presence.
It is not that we despise His presence, but compared to a hungry person, we may be casual or indifferent toward pursuing more of God and His presence.
The Laodecian church was warned about being too full of good things. Because they were full, they were lukewarm toward God, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Rev 3:16).
They had allowed material things to satisfy their souls instead of Christ. They had lost their spiritual passion.
Christians in the Middle Ages were concerned about a passive attitude that gives up seeking God, called the sin of sloth. They considered the sin of sloth to be a sin beyond disobedience or even rebellion because it maintains a religious façade.
However, you and I are not slothful or lukewarm. We can stir ourselves up. We can fan the spark God has put inside us into a roaring fire.
My husband had to feed the bonfire constantly or it would go out. The same is true in our spiritual lives.
We stir up our desire by actively pursuing things that bring us closer to God. We can increase our desire by pursuit or decrease our desire by neglect.
Firestarters
One year, mom and dad had such a hot bonfire that even when it seemed to be out on top of the ground, the fire traveled underground through roots and popped up in other spots on the property.
At the time, a missionary couple were staying in the RV spot and were awakened in the middle of the night by a raging fire and screaming fire trucks.
Spiritually speaking, this is the kind of passionate fire my mom and dad have cultivated in their lives through the years.
Their passion for Christ is so deep, that many fires are combusted from their deep roots that touch people all around.
How is your fire?
Fan Your Spiritual Passion into a Roaring Fire
Even if you feel like there is no fire left inside, because you have breath, you still have fire in you—even if it is only smoldering.
Fan the flame. Ask God to blow on you again, revive your passion.
The thing about fire is you have to keep it going or it will go out.
You may need to take drastic measures to jump-start your spiritual life again. Here are a few ideas.
- Repent for the sin of sloth and for being lukewarm.
- Ask God to breathe on you afresh.
- Read or Listen to the Bible all day one day.
- Take a large block of time to pray. Learn how to pray in the Spirit.
- Take an entire day to worship.
- Fast from TV for a week or month.
- Go on some sort of food fast.
- Go to a Bible conference or spiritual retreat.
My prayer for you: Dear Lord, envelop these reader friends with your amazing love! Breathe again on their spirits, stir the coals in their heart, and ignite them into a roaring fire of your presence so that their light will shine bright in this dark world. Ignite their spiritual passion again. Set them on fire for your glory. Strengthen them, anoint them again, give them boldness to speak what you would speak, and do the things you would do! Thank you, blessed Lord! Amen.
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Do you read your Bible, but it is hard and feels dry and useless?
Do you try to pray but give up after a few minutes?
Many people are disappointed in their attempts to practice spiritual disciplines such as prayer and Bible reading because their personal spirits are not fully awakened to the presence of God.
Most of us need help to awaken fully to the more we desperately desire. We need help to light the fire of our spiritual passion.
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Lots of good thoughts here! I also have written about the refining fire in my life and have a fake fireplace in my home. I like how you used that image to illustrate the need for the real thing!
Thank you, Jennifer. God Bless you and your work for Him!
I am so glad I read this today. I want to serve God with the same passion that I did when I first decided to serve Him. All Glory be to Him. Thank you for sharing this devotional. Good bless you.
This is a great encouragement. My greatest challenge is my chronic illness. I went from being a high energy person who led many ministries at our church to being chronically ill, now a quiet laborer from home as I write for Jesus. I’ve been sick for a decade now, and the Lord is my Help and Strength and Comforter. Anyone looking at me probably thinks I need my fire kindled, but my passion for Christ has grown during this decade of sickness, regardless of my outer appearance.
Great great point! Passion for God’s heart does not equal religious action! There are stages and seasons in our Christian Journey where our calls and assignments change. What looked like on fire before may look entirely different at other times! I pray for your healing and that our Lord will cause all things to work together for His glory!