Amidst the rising number of people who have gone "lukewarm to freezing" in their faith, a minister urged Christians to keep their fire for the LORD.
"We have a responsibility to stay hot for God no matter how cold our spiritual environment is," J. Lee Grady, an author, minister and director of "The Mordecai Project," wrote on Charisma Magazine.
"But how do you stay hot for the Lord? How can you raise your spiritual temperature at a time when many people's faith has gone from lukewarm to freezing?" he added.
He then shared nine steps on how to remain burning in the faith for God.
1. Reading the Word.
"Spiritual zeal is kindled in your heart when you hear God speak through the pages of the Bible," Grady said.
He pointed out that studying the Scriptures must not be taken lightly. God's Word will set one's heart on fire if he "desperately" digs in it to seek the truth.
2. Maintaining private prayer.
Recalling a statement from Oswald Chambers, the minister stressed that prayer plays an enormous significance in the lives of believers.
"You should guard your quiet time with God as if your life depended on it. You cannot survive spiritually without regular communion with the Lord," he noted.
3. Praising God freely.
Grady said that "rejoic[ing] in the Lord" is the only way to dismiss, fear, anxiety, and discouragement. Thus, to gain new strength, Christians must "praise God in a more vocal, uninhibited way". He added that singing along with their favorite worship songs will help.
4. Breaking bad habits.
Citing 1 Thessalonians 5:19, the author cautioned that keeping bad habits extinguishes the fire of the Holy Spirit and hinders people from growing spiritually.
"If you choose to live in bondage, you will never be hot for God," he further said.
5. Getting rid of resentments.
Remembering the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:12, the minister urged the believers to never join the "cooling trend," which often results from an unforgiving heart.
"Nothing puts out the flame of God's love faster than bitterness. Don't allow unforgiveness to freeze your soul. Guard your heart and deal with offenses quickly," he declared.
6. "Close fellowship" by joining a church community.
Grady argued that as fire goes out when embers are apart, the fire of faith works the same without people who can help a person in his Christian walk.
"But make sure you are in a church that is on fire for God-because a dead church could put out what is left of your fire," he continued.
If someone's church compromises the Word of God or ignores the Great Commission, he suggested to find a new one.
7. Using the spiritual gifts.
He encouraged the believers to serve others by utilizing their spiritual gifts. He challenged them to be brave and step out in faith, emphasizing that the fire for the LORD increases as the oil of His anointing flows on them.
8. Finding a mentor.
He advised that to ignite their faith, Christians must get close to people who are burning for God. Grady disclosed that he practices this himself, which helped him glean wisdom and experience.
The minister drew the inspiration from the story of Elijah when he was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot and Elisha got a double portion of his spirit simply because the latter, his successor, was present during the occurrence.
9. Sharing the faith.
The author revealed that sharing the gospel to others helps in increasing one's faith. Hence, he urged the Christians to find people whom they can share their faith in Christ with, which he described as "exciting."
"In this new year, I encourage you to stoke your flame and let it blaze before men. This cold, dark world needs fervent Christians who have reached the boiling point of spiritual passion," Grady concluded.
