Day 13: Keep it Going

Keep it Going

As we approach the latter part of our time of fasting and prayer, you probably sense that God has begun uniquely moving in your heart over the last several days. Fasting and prayer have a way of quieting our hearts so that God will not only start to work in the situations we have been praying for, but he often works deeply in our hearts as we draw close to him.

Leviticus 6:9 gives us a clear picture of God’s presence in our lives. God descended on the Tent of Meeting and kindled a fire. God’s instructions to his people were to keep the fire burning. God told Moses: “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.’”

God would say that every day a burnt offering would be offered in the morning at 9:00 a.m. and in the evening at 3:00 p.m. It was a reminder that devotion to God was to be continual and ongoing.

During a sermon I preached a few weeks ago, I mentioned how a church member, when complimenting me on losing some weight, encouraged me to MAINTAIN it. What an accurate and convicting word that I needed to hear. It’s so easy to start something strong, but consistency is key. The same goes for our spiritual lives. For true growth and fruit that remains, it will be found in our patterns.

Again, the idea behind the burnt offering is that of total devotion to God. It was a symbol of the commitment of the worshiper. Nothing would be left of the sacrifice; it would have been totally consumed on the altar in the presence of the Lord.

God has started a fire inside us through this fast, and we are responsible for keeping what God has sparked in each of us burning. That will require total devotion to him because it is spiritually deadly to stop what God has started in you.

This fast has given us the opportunity to give up certain things to seek God on a deeper level. While our seeking God may look different after this fast is over, the commitment and intentionality of spending time with Jesus should remain the same.

God has started a powerful work in your life; keep the fire burning.

Our prayer target today is that we would remain steadfast in our passion for the Lord - individually and collectively.