Because Of God Part 2: Fuel the Fire in Your Spiritual Life
Leviticus 6:13 NKJV – “A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.”
From the Old Testament to the New, there’s a lot of fire-related symbolism in Scripture. When Moses brought an offering to establish Aaron as a high priest, God came down as fire and consumed the offering. Then He said the fire shall ever be burning on the altar.
Even the Israelites in the Old Testament associated fire with God’s presence. White smoke coming out of the tent in the Holy of Holies indicated God’s presence. If the smoke ever stopped coming out, they knew that their relationship with God was broken.
Fire represents our relationship with God. If there is no spiritual fire in your belly, then there's not much of a relationship with God. Our unique personal experiences often mean we are all in different places with God. This means our spiritual fire is at different stages, whether it’s non-existent, smoldering, or blazing.
1. Non-existent – You can probably see the remnants of a fire in your spiritual life, but it’s no longer there. There's no trace of the fire, just evidence of its past existence.
2. Smoldering – This spiritual condition is slightly better. Even though there’s no fire, you might find an ember if you stir enough. You might find something that could eventually turn into a fire if you work at it.
3. Blazing – This is where God wants us to be. When your life is blazing for God, that means your relationship with Him is up to date. It means you’re passionately pursuing God and following after Him.
How Do You Go From a Non-Existent to a Blazing Fire?
Being a Christ follower means Christ is at the very center of your life. As your spiritual life goes, so goes the rest of your life. Living by the spirit is a game-changer. When you live your life by the Spirit, all that matters is what God is speaking to you. And so, you face each day according to the Word that you have hidden in your heart.
Now, fires don't just happen. It takes effort to make a fire and keep it burning. And maintaining the fire is the most important part – it's not enough to start it. So, how do you live a life on fire?
Fuel the Fire
1. Fuel the Fire
You've got to fuel the flames. There are many ways of doing this, including attending church services. As your pastor ministers, the Holy Spirit will plant a seed into your heart. Then it's not just your pastor talking to you. Now it's Supernatural because the Holy Spirit took something said during the sermon and made it personal to you.
Prayer, worship, serving, and joining connect groups are also fuel. Worshipping God fills our tanks so that we can stay on fire. All these things are there to keep us focused.
2. Remember that Change is INTERNAL
This fire has to burn from the inside out. God used Jeremiah as a prophet when he was just a young man. He would send him to different places at different times to prophesy. And almost every time, good things didn't happen to him. People didn't like the Word of God, and it became so bad that Jeremiah wrote:
Jeremiah 20:9 NKJV – Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire. Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.
Jeremiah had a heart for God. And so, the fire stayed burning no matter what difficulty he was facing. People with a heart for God serve Him because the word burns inside them. See, when you hide God's word in your heart, it will get you through the storm. When you hide God's word in your heart, you can never forget what He has done for you.
3. REFRESH the Fire
When Paul laid his hands on Timothy and anointed him for an office, he told him to stir up the fire inside him. He was essentially telling Timothy that stirring that fire against all odds was his responsibility. Some people leave the flames of their spiritual fire in the hands of their pastor. They’ll blame their pastor for not being a better preacher or keeping them motivated. But it’s your responsibility to stir and refresh that fire. Otherwise, it will die.
4. Be ENGULFED in the Flames
The Bible describes God as a consuming fire that will engulf us. God wants you to be all in. He doesn't want any area of your life to be off-limits to him. Even Jesus is either Lord of all or not Lord at all. That's what it means to have a fire in your life.
Acts 26:28 NKJV – “Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
When Paul brought the beautiful message of Christianity to King Agrippa, he was not all in. However, “almost a Christian” is still lost. So, you don't want to be an “almost believer” or to “almost serve” God. You want to be all in. You don't want to “almost” have a breakthrough in your life. You want to have a spirit of expectancy that you’re believing God for breakthroughs in your life.
The Importance of Consistency in the Spirit
Whatever you want to manifest in your life must first be birthed in your spirit. Everyone has a spiritual womb, meaning every person ought to be pregnant with something. God wants to deposit something into your life. Whether it’s ministry, a dream, a desire, or a word for someone else, we all carry something we can birth into the earth.
Whatever you’re pregnant with, hold on to it and pray over it. Nurture that dream and let it grow inside you. Keep it lit until God tells you it’s the day to birth it.
We often make the mistake of only stirring our fire on Sundays. By the time the next church service comes, we’re running on fumes. But we need to focus on filling our spiritual tanks every day. When you worship, don't just force it, but drink it in.
Call upon God to fill you with His presence and goodness. Be a participant in your church. Even a simple “Amen” when you hear a verse that speaks to you during a sermon is important. The word “Amen” is a life statement. It’s an agreement with the word shared. You’re giving God permission to do that in you or through you. This fills your spiritual tanks.
One of my favorite characters in the Old Testament is Samson. He had so many ups and downs in his life. At the end of his life, he was no longer the most powerful prophet in Israel and had no anointing. But then Samson had an awakening and began to spend time with God. He cried out to God, asking Him to use Him again. The Bible says said that as Samson was doing that, he began to get closer to God and he regained his anointing.
Stir Up the Anointing
Stir Up the Anointing
I John 2:20 NKJV – But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
We are anointed by God. You have an anointing and supernatural power available to you and in your life. That means God will use that anointing and has equipped you so that you can overcome. You have a supernatural infusion of the Holy Spirit in your life to live a life of victory, and you have an inner strength that God has given you. So, fan the flame and keep it burning. It is our responsibility to live anointed.
Anointing is for everyday life. It’s not just for preaching, singing, or ministering. You cannot even effectively read your Bible without the anointing. If your daily devotions are difficult, boring, or have absolutely no effect on your spiritual growth, then you need to stir up the anointing before you read your bible.
I Corinthians 2:14 NKJV – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Before you pick up your Bible, stir up the anointing. Remind yourself that you’re about to pick up the life-changing Word of God. Commit to hiding that word in your heart because it will give you victory. Believe that when you read those words, God will show you something that will give you victory and strength. Picking up your Bible will mean something because you stirred up the anointing.
Even as you prepare to pray, remember that you’re getting ready to talk to the God of the universe. You’re getting ready to walk into the throne room of God, your Heavenly Father who hears your prayers. The Bible says God is going to hear you as you call to Him. You’re going to ask, and He'll reward you with answered prayer, comfort, and peace.
Remind yourself that you’re about to pray because you want to have fellowship with God, and you’re going to build your life. As you pray, you’ll know that whatever God says to you will be a life-changing word. If you don’t stir up the anointing, you’ll struggle in every area of your life. Stir yourself up, even as you prepare to hear the Word of God in church. It takes the anointing to hear what God is saying and see what He is doing.
The Two Anointings We Need in Our Lives
1. A Saturation Anointing
Psalms 133:2 NKJV – It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
Roman soldiers had shields that were mostly made out of layers of leather. They each carried a bottle of oil as part of their equipment. They would massage a substantial amount of that oil on the surface of their shield so that it would penetrate the top layer and work its way down. If they didn't, that leather would crack, and their shield wouldn't work.
What the Roman soldiers did is a saturation anointing. Hence, we need to go home with the same anointing that we have at church. Talk about church, what God is doing, and what He spoke to you. Let God continue to anoint you.
We need a saturation anointing because we are fighting bigger battles than we've ever fought. There's more demonic activity and spiritual warfare that has been waged. We need a big anointing, and we need to pray for God to saturate us in that anointing. We do that by learning to linger in the God moments.
2. A Fresh Anointing
Psalms 92:10 NKJV – “But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.”
A fresh anointing makes all the difference. Your prayer and praise today are not what you gave God yesterday. And you cannot substitute the anointing with anything. You can be talented, but talent is not anointing. Personality, charm, intelligence, and charisma are not anointing. God can anoint all those things, but we need the Spirit of God to fill us. So, ask God to anoint you. Ask Him to let His Spirit renew you.