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Re-igniting our passion for God – Part 18

By Austen C. Ukachi
05 May 2019   |   4:12 am
Revival re-ignites the fire of the Holy Spirit in us, which will in turn impact the work we do for God. This is the result of a genuine...

Austen C. Ukachi

Revival re-ignites the fire of the Holy Spirit in us, which will in turn impact the work we do for God. This is the result of a genuine Holy Spirit revival. Many of us must admit we have lost our love and passion for God. We have lost our passion for prayer; we have lost our passion for holiness, and our passion for the word of God. So, we need a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit. Revival starts when our love for God is rekindled.

If we must be sincere, many of us have fallen victims to many environmental and social ills. We have been bruised and battered by life challenges, and would therefore need to be revived and refreshed by the Holy Spirit.

How do you re-ignite fire? It is simply by striking a match. The Holy Spirit needs to quicken us afresh in our inner being. Sin extinguishes our spiritual fervour and love for God. But the Holy Spirit restores and revitalises us.

To appreciate what it means to re-ignite, let us consider the synonyms of this word. The synonyms for re-ignite are to rekindle, revive, quicken, rejuvenate, revitalise, restart, resurrect, kick-start, jumpstart, etc. The Psalmist said, “Will you not revive again…?” (Psalm 85:6). This means he had lost his spark and needed the Holy Spirit to revive him.

God re-ignites us in two ways: through His word and through His Holy Spirit. He re-ignites not our body, but our spirits. In Habakkuk 3:2, the prophet introduces a slight difference to the word “revive.” This time he did not pray, “Revive me” but “revive your work!” God revives us first, and in turn, it affects the work we do for Him.
What do we want God to re-ignite?

First, our spirits (Prov.20: 27). A lukewarm and broken spirit cannot do much for God. Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” This seems to suggest that the fire of God can touch our whole being.

Second, we want God to rekindle the love we have for Him. God said to the Church at Ephesus, “Nevertheless, I have this against you: that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation2: 4-5 NKJV).

Third, we must desire God to rekindle our love and hunger for His word (Psalm 119:25). God needs to restore our hunger to read and study His word.

Fourth, God needs to revive the passion we have for His work or for service (Romans 12:11). We must serve God enthusiastically.

Fifth, God needs to re-ignite our passion for holiness and purity (Psalm 15; 24). Holiness is a precondition for seeing God.

Six, our desire to know His ways must be rekindled (Psalm 25: 8, 9, 14).

Seven, one key area God must ignite is our prayer life. We must rediscover our passion for His presence. Previously, we could spend hours in His presence, but now we hardly enjoy His presence.

The desire to be re-ignited could be initiated by God or by us. A good example of a man whom the Lord re-Ignited is Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8).

God’s desire is to ignite you, so that you may be a conduit for igniting others. Be a fire carrier. May the fire of the Holy Spirit in you affect others.

Contact: pastoracukachi@gmail.com

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