3 ways to stoke the fire of passion for God
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
2 Timothy 1:6 NIV
We’ve all had times where our passion needed re-fueling. Apathy is defined as the absence or suppression of passion. Trials - when improperly responded to - work to steal our passion and leave us apathetic towards God and towards life. You may have just let busyness distract you and apathy is now knocking at your door. Or...maybe you’re just not “feeling it” ...lol. The good news is that it doesn’t have to stay that way. Regardless of how you feel, there’s a way to fuel your passion every single day.
The Greek word Paul used when telling Timothy to “fan into flame” is a word that means to kindle anew, rekindle, and resuscitate. Timothy may have been facing the pressures of leading the largest church of his time and as a result, let the flame of the Spirit get low in his heart. Paul said, in essence, it’s time to bring that fire back to life.
In the Old Testament, the responsibility to keep the lampstand burning fell upon the priests. In the same way, it’s our responsibility to keep the fire of the Spirit burning in our hearts.
If you’re in a time where you need to re-fuel your passion, know you’re in good company. If Paul told Timothy he needed to rekindle the fire, then don’t be ashamed if you do.
Here’s 3 ways to stoke the fire of passion for God:
1. Pray in the Spirit
I don’t have enough space to do an exhaustive teaching on speaking in tongues, but here’s some quick benefits:
Edifies yourself (spirit, soul, body)
Perfect prayers
Keeps you heavenly-minded
Puts your flesh in check
God speaks to you
Bottom line: it strengthens your relationship with God.
Take time to pray in tongues every day. If you don’t pray in tongues yet, this is a great time to ask God for that gift. It’s for every believer (Mark 16:17).
2. Meditate on the Word
One of the ways you feed on Jesus (John 6:57) is to meditate on the Word.
Just like the nutrients of food get in your physical body when you eat, meditating on the Word allows the truth and life of Christ to become a part of who you are. It gets embedded in your spirit and mind.
Take time to not just read, but meditate on the scriptures.
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God!
3. Bring a sacrifice of praise
When you bless God regardless of how you feel, it’s a sacrifice of praise.
One of the ways that the Old Testament priests kept the fire on the altar burning (Lev. 6:13) was to bring a consistent offering. In other words, fire needs something to consume in order to keep burning.
One of the sacrifices we bring today is our praise. Praise is an offering that sustains the fire.
It announces to your soul and the atmosphere around you that your praise is based - not on your current emotions and feelings - but on the worthiness of God.
God’s praise continues on forever because His worth continues on forever.
BONUS: Do something with what you’ve got
If you want the fire to be stoked in your heart, do something in the name of the Lord.
Pray for someone
Disciple someone
Prophesy to someone
Pay for someone’s meal
Share the gospel with someone
Give, and it shall be given unto you!
Question: What do you do to stay on fire for the Lord?