How do you know if the fire on the altar of your heart is still burning? Many people put on the fire but fail to maintain it, and so allow it to go out. When this occurs, the evil beasts don’t waste time in attacking to ensure that the fire is never put on again and to eliminate the harm the Christian would do to them should he or she be on fire again. This is a warning to you that you must keep the fire burning on the altar. It must never go out.
Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality – Romans 12:11-13 (NKJV).
Sign of fire on the altar
Romans 12:11-13 describes a believing Christian whose fire never goes out. He or she is not lagging in diligence, is fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. He or she rejoices in hope, is patient during tribulation, steadfast in prayer and is good in meeting the needs of others and given to hospitality.
How to keep the fire burning
It is important to take the responsibility of maintaining the fire on the altar of your heart. How much effort you put into it determines how bright and fierce the fire would be.
1. Word study
The wood on the altar (Leviticus 6:12) represents the word of God. You are expected to keep putting wood into the fire so that it will keep burning. How much of God’s word inside of you determines how bright and fierce your fire will be. You are to study the word of the Lord to show yourself approved of Him, to be a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
2. Ceaseless prayers
You are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This keeps the fire burning. A wise man said that a man of prayer is a man full of power. This truth, the enemy knows and will do anything to keep you from praying. Paul in Ephesians 6:18, while listing the whole armour of God, included praying always with all kinds of prayer. It is wisdom to pray without ceasing to ensure that you are always covered from the evil beasts.
3. Praying in the Spirit
When you are baptized with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues (Acts 2:1-39), your prayer life is empowered. When you pray in tongues, you are praying in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps you to pray when you pray in tongues. You don’t know what you should pray for as you ought, and so the Spirit makes intercession for you, according to the will of the Lord, as you pray.
4. Exercising your faith
Exercising your faith in God’s word by acting on what He said (Mark 11:22-23) also keeps the fire burning on the altar. When you exercise your faith and you see the result, it provokes you to exercise your faith the more. This ensures that you enjoy your inheritance in Christ (Acts 20:32). As such, the enemy will not be able to steal from you again and he will be forced to restore all that he had stolen from you. You will not only know your rights but you will be exercising it.
5. Walking in love.
Walking in love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-13). When the enemy has nothing against you, he would have no basis to accuse you before God (Revelations 12:10). Walking in love is a powerful way to keep the fire burning on the altar; for where there is love there is no fear, and that means no torments (1 John 4:18).
In conclusion, it is possible to keep your fire burning always if you would take the responsibility to do the things mentioned above. The level to which you engage in them determines the brightness and fierceness of the fire on the altar of your heart. I charge you today to keep the fire burning always. It must never go out!
Jesus is Lord!
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Ngozi Nwoke
Grace and peace of God be unto you.
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Image by Benjamin Canizales
