"How To Keep The Fire From Going Out"

Keeping the Fire Burning: Three Fuels for Your Spiritual Life

There's something powerful about fire. It warms, it illuminates, it transforms. But fire also requires constant attention. Leave it unattended, and even the brightest flame will eventually flicker and die.

The same is true of our spiritual lives.

Many of us can remember a time when our faith burned brightly. We couldn't wait to get to church. We eagerly shared our testimony with anyone who would listen. We devoured Scripture like we were starving. But somewhere along the way, the flame began to dim. The enthusiasm waned. The joy faded.

If that describes you today, you're not alone. Even the great prophet Jeremiah faced this struggle.

When the Prophet Wanted to Quit

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet, and for good reason. His ministry was marked by sorrow, loneliness, heartbreak, persecution, and ridicule. He delivered God's message to people who refused to listen. The burden became so heavy that he reached a breaking point.

In Jeremiah 20:9, he declared: "Then I said, I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name."

Jeremiah wanted to quit. He was done. Finished. He couldn't take it anymore.

But then something remarkable happened: "But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. And I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay."

Despite his discouragement, despite his desire to walk away, Jeremiah couldn't quit. Why? Because God's Word burned like fire in his bones. The flame wouldn't go out.

That same fire is available to every believer today. But we must understand both what extinguishes it and what keeps it burning.

The Water That Puts Out the Fire

Just as there's good water and bad water, there are forces in our lives that will quench our spiritual fire if we let them.

Problems and Hurt Feelings

"I got my feelings hurt." "There are hypocrites in the church." "They didn't recognize what I did."

So what?

These people didn't die for you on a rugged cross. Jesus Christ did. When we allow offenses to fester, when we hold grudges, when we let disappointments drive us away from fellowship, we're pouring water on the fire God wants to keep burning in our lives.

Unconfessed Sin

Any unconfessed sin will put out the fire. A backslider isn't someone who has lost their salvation, but someone who has bogged down alongside the King's highway. They've lost their joy, their smile, their song. They're miserable.

If you're a child of God and you're out of fellowship with Him, you know it. You're not enjoying life the way God intended. The Bible promises we can enjoy life and see good days, but sin blocks that blessing.

Neglecting Church

There was a time when you were enthusiastic about church. You couldn't wait to gather with other believers. But now you'll skip at the drop of a hat, and it doesn't bother you anymore.

When someone says, "We had company, so we couldn't come to church," what they're really saying is that they've prioritized comfort over commitment. The fire is getting low.

The Wind That Starts the Fire

If water extinguishes the fire, wind ignites it. And throughout Scripture, we see the breath of God bringing life where there was death.

On the Day of Pentecost, "suddenly there was a sound of a mighty rushing wind." The Holy Spirit filled the believers, and they turned the world upside down for Christ. They filled Jerusalem with their doctrine. Great grace was upon them all, and the Lord added to the church daily.

In Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones, God commanded: "Prophesy to the wind... come from the four winds, breathe the breath upon these slain that they may live." And when Ezekiel obeyed, "the breath came into them and they lived and they stood up on their feet and exceeding great army."

What our churches need today isn't new programs or new songs. We need the breath of God. We need the Holy Spirit to do His work in His house and in our hearts.

Three Chunks of Wood to Keep the Fire Going

Proverbs 26:3 says, "Where there's no wood, the fire goes out." If we want to keep the spiritual fire burning, we need to continually add fuel. Here are three essential pieces:

1. Worship God

True worship is a soul humbly bowing in adoration of the Lord. We don't come to church to socialize, to criticize, or to be entertained. We come to worship.

It doesn't matter how many songs are sung or how dynamic the service is. When the Holy Spirit is present, He gets the job done. But we must come with hearts prepared to worship, not to judge or to be passive observers.

2. Witness for God

Do you remember the first thing you wanted to do after you got saved? You wanted to tell someone. You couldn't keep it to yourself.

Every believer can point to a time and place where they passed from death to life. Maybe it was in a church during a revival. Maybe it was in a hay lot. Maybe it was at 2:30 in the morning. The details vary, but the transformation is the same.

When we stop witnessing, when we stop sharing what Christ has done for us, the fire begins to dim. Testimony keeps the flame alive, not just for others but for ourselves.

3. The Word of God

God's Word is His love letter to us. It's the most amazing book on the planet. When we neglect Scripture, we're depriving ourselves of the very fuel that keeps our faith burning bright.

The Bible has the power to break us, to convict us, to encourage us, and to transform us. But we must read it, study it, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives.

Don't Let the Fire Go Out

Think of a coal sitting by itself. It won't be long before it goes cold. But put it back in the fire, back among the other coals, and it begins to glow again.

The same is true for us. When we isolate ourselves from fellowship, from worship, from witnessing, and from God's Word, our spiritual fire dims. But when we stay connected, when we keep adding fuel, the fire burns brightly.

Perhaps you once burned brightly for God, but the flame has grown dim. Maybe problems have discouraged you. Maybe sin has crept in. Maybe you've simply drifted away.

The good news is that the fire can be rekindled. The Holy Spirit still breathes life into dry bones. God's Word still burns in the hearts of those who receive it. And the joy of salvation can be restored.

Don't settle for a life of cold embers when God offers you a blazing fire. Stir up the gift that's within you. Return to your first love. Add the wood of worship, witnessing, and God's Word to the fire of your faith.

The question isn't whether the fire can burn again. The question is: will you let it?