Passion for God: 8 Ways to Fan the Flame
A thin band of sunlight slips through the window and illuminates a dried bouquet of thistle across the room. Lately, my passion for God seems to be wilting like the dried bouquet.
I remember the day we gathered the thistle.
It was warm for November, and the threat of the impending months of darkness and snow weighed on me.
We went to the fields and gathered thistle, horsetails, and milkweed. We hoped that bringing life inside might somehow lengthen the months when the weather would stop us from wandering through fields of wildflowers.
Months later, I gaze at the bouquet as worship music plays.
I silently ask God to give me words to write today.
There are articles to finish.
I pray that he will fill me with his love so I can pour it out to others. I’m utterly desperate for words.
When Passion for God Dwindles
I ponder the words I need to write, and the sun warms the garland across the room.
As I slowly inhale, a verse comes to mind: “You are worried and bothered about so many things. . .” (Luke 10:41).
I think of the sisters, Martha and Mary.
Too often, I’m Martha. I’m running frantically in an effort to perform well. And then, the tender reminder comes, all while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus: “Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).
“But I am sitting here at your feet, Lord,” I whisper.
A quiet reminder comes softly to my soul.
I don’t hear the words, but it’s a strong impression on my heart, and I know it’s true. My mind forms the thought into words: “Seek Me for Me, not for others.”
A Secret for Reigniting Passion for God
I tend to seek God’s guidance as I aim to minister to others. However, at times, I fail to seek God for the sheer joy of cultivating my relationship with him.
We should seek God for wisdom, love, and guidance for others. Meanwhile, we can’t forget to seek God for God.
God longs for a relationship with each one of us. When we seek him only for the anointing to minister to others, we miss the sweetest part of communing with him.
We forfeit the opportunity to seek God for who he is when we seek him primarily for what we want him to do through us. #seekingGod #Godspresence #encounteringGod Share on XGod blesses those who serve others, but he wants more. He wants us to come to him and enjoy him for who he is.
Get Away and Soak in His Love
I look away from the thistle and stare at the sun rising over spruce trees. I am captivated by God’s tender love. He wants me to carry his love into the world. First, he wants me to draw near to him for myself and let him love on me.
8 Ways to Cultivate Your Passion for God
Pulling out my journal, I begin listing the ways to grow in passion for God:
1. Commit to spending several minutes each day resting in God’s presence.
A few years ago, I read a book that challenged me to spend several minutes each morning sitting with God and doing nothing other than resting in the awareness that he enjoys me.
Over time, this practice has become deeply grounding for me.
I don’t force myself to perform in any way or do anything during this time. I rest with God—and nothing else. It doesn’t feel very productive, but not being productive is the whole point.
Most of us face the temptation to find our identities through what we can produce and achieve. Time spent in stillness with God pulls us out of the frenetic pace of our lives and creates space for him to remind us of the anchor of our identities: his unconditional love for us.
2. Connect with God through worship.
Throughout the past months, God has used worship to heal me, uphold me, and keep my eyes on him in challenging moments. I’ve been reminded that entering into his presence through worship can change the trajectory of an entire day.
Worship lifts our eyes off of our temporal struggles and helps us focus on God’s power, goodness, faithfulness, and provision. Most of us know how it feels to be “stuck inside our heads,” ruminating over concerns, or letting feelings of defeat debilitate us.
At times, breaking free from these mental blocks feels impossible. When this happens, we desperately need to connect with God by fighting the battle in the spiritual realm—above human reasoning.
Worship is warfare. It pulls us above worldly concerns and fixes our eyes on the greatness of our God. This is where breakthrough happens.
If this resonates with you today, here’s a playlist to get you started.
3. Connect with God by authentically connecting with other people.
Not long ago, a friend suggested a book called How People Grow by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend (Thank you, friend!). A foundational premise of this book is that we heal and grow through relationships with others.
Seeking God individually is important, but living openly and sharing our hearts with others is essential for growth.
I tend to lean toward independence and introversion, which makes the following reminder from this book especially important for me to remember:
“Many people, however, find themselves cut off from the church and the healing and protective functions it provides. In their isolation—or at least the isolated growth plan they are using—they are easy prey for the gates of hell to overpower them. This is analogous to Jesus’ story about the shepherd and his sheep (Luke 15:3-7). Wolves do not attack an entire herd. They attack the one lamb that has wandered off the path. This is the one who is in danger. As Jesus said, he would leave the ninety-nine to fetch and return the wandering one.”
Throughout the past months, God has healed some deep wounds in my heart, and this has happened exclusively because of the love and care of other people. As I reflect on this, I’m amazed that God has used the care of others to heal, in a very short period of time, wounds that have existed in the darkness of obscurity for decades. There is power in finding this kind of support. So much power.
4. Begin each day by immediately looking toward God.
Looking toward God before climbing from bed every morning also helps me stay connected with him throughout the day. For several years, I repeated Psalm 118:24 every morning immediately after waking up: “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
I don’t always repeat this verse, but I try to begin my days by greeting God, thanking him for his goodness, or taking a moment to surrender the upcoming day to him.
(Read here for more thoughts on speaking God’s Word first thing every morning.)
5. Connect with God by memorizing Scripture.
As I’ve shared in the past, our family memorizes one verse together every week (or two, or three, or four weeks!). We write it on a piece of paper and hang it on the fridge. Every morning, we practice reading and speaking the verse together. This practice renews our minds and shapes our hearts.
Often, I overhear the kids speaking our verses when they face challenging or upsetting circumstances.
God’s Word renews our minds.
Hiding it in my heart helps me keep my thoughts focused on him, provides comfort in difficult moments, and serves as an offensive weapon when the enemy attacks my mind.
6. Connect with God by serving others.
We can also connect with God by asking him to show us the needs surrounding us and stepping up to meet those needs.
Stop to chat with a lonely neighbor, write a note to your child’s teacher, or leave a gift in the mailbox for the mail carrier. Cook your husband’s favorite meal. Pick up trash on the side of the road.
As we serve others, God fills our hearts with his love and joy.
7. Connect with God by ending your days with him.
Before falling asleep at night, I often review the day with God. I sort through what went well and what didn’t. I celebrate the victories and grieve the losses.
Most of the time, I fall asleep during this process. I used to feel frustrated about falling asleep while trying to pray; however, a few years ago, an older, wiser friend asked, “Do you get angry when your kids fall asleep in your arms, or does it feel like a gift?”
8. Enter into God’s Word.
In addition to memorizing Scripture, I’ve learned to read slowly and create space to enter into God’s Word.
I often imagine myself immersed in the scenes described in the Bible. Imagining I’m the blind beggar along the road, an onlooker watching Jesus perform a miracle, or a disciple watching Jesus teach helps me to connect with Jesus in a fresh way every time I read in this way.
~~~
After making my list and resting with God in worship, I sit until footprints stir upstairs.
When they descend to join me in the sunlight, I don’t care that I haven’t started writing or tackled the day’s to-do list. The most important part of the day has taken place, and I’m ready to be a vessel.
I have stirred my passion for God. I’m ready to let God’s love flow through me, and I’m ready because I didn’t make the outpouring more important than the communion.
A Free Devotional to Help You Stir Your Passion for God
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