Cultivating a Holy Flame

The psalmist David wrote, “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11, ESV). We know that God is omnipresent, but his manifest presence is something else altogether. It is the reason why so many worship services open with choruses imploring the Holy Spirit to come down and make his presence known. David was saying here, “Lord, I need your presence, not just today but tomorrow. I don’t want it to diminish because I don’t want to return to my lukewarm ways. Please, God, don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Stay with me once I finish worshiping you.”

We all know what this is like. At church and in our fellowship with others, we may know God’s manifest presence. Inner sparks fly, bringing a sense of new life; and we weep for God to stir us that way every hour of the day. However, the spark wanes as days pass. We are bombarded by job demands, family obligations, and bills that consume and overwhelm us.

I often fall into this cycle, especially if I’ve been at a conference or gathering of other strong believers. I will be moved and inspired by other godly believers or by speakers’ powerful messages; I may be sent to my knees before the Lord in confession and worship.

However, at some point, I offered up a bold prayer to God: “Lord, if you are not going to sustain the spark, don’t give me one.”

I was tired of the roller coaster, of being sparked without a flame to sustain it, of being on a mountaintop one week only to descend into drudgery the next. So I asked, “God, whatever flame you spark in me, let it grow more and more intense. Give me a loyal spirit, as David described. If you give me a spark, turn it into a torch!”

I felt that God answered and honored that prayer. He has sustained that flame. I have a loyal spirit that intercedes for my family, my children and grandchildren, ministry partners, other leaders in ministry. I pray day and night to see their lives become all they can be for Jesus.