Notes
How do we keep the fire of God’s work in our lives burning once a season like fasting ends? The Bible calls us a priesthood of believers. That means we have a responsibility: to create space in our lives for God’s presence so His flame can continue to burn not just in us, but through us. In the Old Testament, priests were commanded to keep the fire on the altar burning continually:
Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it. He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out.
Leviticus 6:12-13
Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.
Hebrews 12:28-29
The fire represented God’s everlasting and transforming power, His consuming nature, His ability to devour what doesn’t belong in our lives. God doesn’t want to be our God only during 21 days of fasting; He wants to be our daily refining fire. So the question is, what needs to be consumed moving forward? And how do we keep the flame lit?
1) Live a Lifestyle of Devotion
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
Acts 2:42-43
One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.
Acts 13:2-4
Devotion positions us to hear God clearly. The early church didn’t treat devotion as an event but as a rhythm of life. They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, meals, and prayer. God speaks clearly to His people and wants us to understand who we are and who He has created us to be.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27
A devoted church is a listening church. If we want the flame that began during fasting to continue, we must stay devoted to Scripture, to worship, to gathering, and to prayer. Devotion keeps adding wood to the fire.
2) Be Consistent With Your Prayer
Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Prayer is just talking to God. Simple, consistent prayer will strengthen your fath. Consistency matters more than intensity.
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
Luke 18:1-8
If even an unjust judge responds to persistence, how much more will our just God respond to His people who come to Him day and night? Prayer keeps the fire burning because it keeps us connected to the Source. God is at work all around us, in the dark and the light, the mountains and the valleys. Prayer keeps our eyes open to see it.
3) Understand That a Clean Heart Helps the Fire Stay Lit
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
The fire goes out when the altar fills with ash–sin we don’t deal with, bitterness we hold onto, attitudes we refuse to release. Fasting often reveals what God wants to clean out. But renewal cannot continue if we ignore what God reveals. If God has convicted you during this time of fasting and prayer, repent: lay it down before Him, leave it there, and don’t turn back. Instant obedience releases God’s best. God doesn’t require perfection; He asks for willingness. If we stay responsive to God’s voice, the flame will not fade.
Group Questions
- What helps the fire of your spiritual life burn brightest, and what tends to make it fade?
- How has God spoken to you in the past when you were consistently praying or fasting?
- What ash do you sense God asking you to remove so the flame can stay lit?
- What would instant obedience to God look like for you this week?
Prayer
Help us keep the flame you’ve lit in our hearts burning strong. Teach us to live devoted lives, to pray consistently, and to respond quickly when you speak. Purify our hearts and let your fire continue to grow in us for your glory.