Staying On-Fire for God

Recently a teenager wanted to know how she could stay “on fire” for God. “Good question”, I thought. Over my 30 years of being a Christian, I have seen many young people (and old as well) come to Christ, only to be sucked into the world shortly thereafter. I think it is very hard to live for Christ as a young person and doubly so in today’s modern world with so much peer pressure to do wrong and the easy availability of evil media.

So after thinking of HOW TO STAY “ON-FIRE” FOR GOD, I suggest the following practices:

1. Prayer

As a young man who was just appointed king, Solomon prayed:

"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

1 Kings 3:7-9

Make prayer your every-day habit. Like Solomon, pray specifically for:

· Humility – that God would teach you his ways.

· Wisdom to know right from wrong.

· Strength to do what’s right.

2. The Word

You must meditate on the Word of God every day.David loved God from his youth. Part of his secret for staying passionate for God was meditating on God’s Word. David wrote:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Psalms 1:1-3

Do you want a prosperous spiritual life? Meditate on God’s word every day.

3. Fellowship

If you reread Psalms 1:1-3 you will discover another of David’s secrets to remaining on-fire for God – choosing the right kind of friends. David says that you will be “blessed” or happy if you stay away for the wicked, the sinners, and the mockers (those who mock God). We need to have as close friends other Christians who are also walking with God.

David’s best friend was a young man named Jonathan who also loved God and did great things for God. Each of them encouraged the other to walk faithfully with God.

David’s son Solomon, who was the wisest man who ever lived, wrote this:

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Proverbs 13:20

Paul told his younger disciple Timothy to pursue God with other young men who also demonstrated a passion for Christ.

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:22

4. Gospel

Share Christ with others. Paul prayed this prayer for his friend Philemon:

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

Philemon 6

The more we share the Gospel, the more that message of God’s love will take root in our heart. When Christ’s love fills our heart, so will our fire to stay close to Him and do his will.

So the path to remain “Hot for God” is simple – Stay in Prayer, the Word, Fellowship, and sharing Christ. Simple, but not easy. Not easy because we must fight with the devil who tempts us, the world that calls us to follow it’s values, and our own flesh which is lazy and craves the things this world offers.

But with God’s help we can stay “Hot for God.” Follow these principles and you will surely succeed.