How Spiritual Flames Are Born, Sustained, and Grown
Fire is one of the most powerful images God uses to describe the work of the Holy Spirit. Just as natural fire is a chemical reaction, spiritual fire is a divine reaction that happens when the Holy Spirit enters a yielded life. The Hebrew word for spirit is “ruach” which means breath or wind. The Greek word for spirit is “pneuma” which also means breath, air, and life. When the breath of God moves upon surrendered people, something ignites that no one can manufacture.
1. What Ignites Spiritual Fire
Natural fire requires heat, fuel, and oxygen. God uses the same pattern for spiritual fire.
Heat: Intimacy with the Holy Spirit
Heat raises something to ignition. In the Spirit, heat represents closeness with God. As we draw near to Him in worship and obedience, our hearts surrender and warm toward His presence. On the road to Emmaus the disciples said their hearts burned within them as Jesus opened the Scriptures Luke 24:32.
Fuel: The Oil of the Anointing Produced by Surrender
Natural fuel burns. Spiritual fuel is the oil of the anointing formed through crushing, yieldedness, and dying to self. Psalm 51:17 teaches that God does not despise a broken and contrite heart. When we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we give God fuel to burn Romans 12:1.
Oxygen: Openness to the Wind of the Spirit
Natural oxygen feeds a flame. Spiritually, oxygen represents transparency and nakedness before the Lord. The ruach of God breathes on what we expose to Him. When we hide nothing, the Holy Spirit breathes new life John 20:22.
If any one of these is missing intimacy, surrender, or openness the fire goes out.
2. What Sustains Spiritual Fire
Fire continues only through the fire tetrahedron: heat, fuel, oxygen, and a chain reaction.
Heat: Ongoing Intimacy
We must remain in Him John 15:4. Ongoing closeness keeps the flame alive.
Fuel: Living Sacrifice
The more we yield, the more we burn. Oil is produced through pressure and crushing.
Oxygen: The Wind of the Spirit
We breathe in the Word, prayer, and worship.
Chain Reaction: Consistency and Persistence
As we obey, God gives more grace. Obedience leads to more encounters. Encounters lead to more hunger. Hunger leads to more fire.
Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote, “The love of God is a fire that kindles other fires.” This is the chain reaction of the Spirit.
3. What Makes Spiritual Fire Grow
More Fuel: More Surrender
The more of you God has, the brighter you burn.
More Oxygen: More Yielding to the Spirit
The Spirit moves like wind John 3:8.
Higher Heat: Greater Passion for God
Zeal dries out distractions and prepares you to burn.
Dryness: Emptying Ourselves
When we pour out self, God fills us with fire.
Elevation: Ascending in Holiness
Psalm 24:3-4 teaches that those with clean hands and a pure heart ascend the hill of the Lord. In order, for the fire to grow we must go up higher.
Enclosed Spaces: The Secret Place
Fire intensifies in enclosed spaces. Your fire grows in the secret place Matthew 6:6 and in the right community of believers.
Call to Action
If you feel your fire dimming, choose today to return to intimacy, surrender, and openness. Ask the Holy Spirit to breathe on you again. Position yourself in the secret place and with the right people. Fan the flame that God placed in you 2 Timothy 1:6.
Your fire matters. Ask God to ignite it. Then choose to sustain it. Today, take one step that adds fuel to your flame.
