16 Practical Ways to Keep Your Heart on Fire for God
We gathered around the campfire as fireflies illuminated the hoary breath of dusk. As I watched the flames dance, I thought about my walk of faith and felt a deep desire to fan the flame of my passion for God. I want to be a woman who is on fire for God, and when I feel the flame dwindling, I come back to today’s list of practices.
On Fire for God
Let’s get right to the heart of the matter today.
I pray these practices will help you fan the flame, too. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you fan the flame of passion for God.
16 Ways to Stay on Fire for God
1. Stay on fire for God by seeking him for yourself—not merely for others.
I often open my Bible and ask God to give me wisdom for leading Bible studies, mentoring younger women, guiding my children, and encouraging others. Over time, God has repeatedly reminded me that he wants me to seek him for myself and not only for the sake of encouraging and teaching others.
God wants us to press into him for ourselves first. He loves it when we spend time with him simply for the sake of enjoying him and basking in his love. From the overflow of this relationship, he will anoint us to minister to others.
2. Create space to soak in God’s love.
Every day, create space to simply enjoy God and rest in the awareness that he enjoys you. This might happen as you sit beside a window and eat breakfast, watch a candle flicker early in the morning, or lie in bed before the day begins. Spend just a moment resting with the Lord, imagining his arms around you, and envisioning the smile on his face.
God loves spending time with you in the same way that a loving parent loves spending time with his children.
I have found that creating this space every morning helps me start the day with my eyes on Jesus. This practice helps me keep my eyes on him throughout the remainder of the day, as well.
3. Catch on fire for God by memorizing his Word.
As I shared last week, our family memorizes one verse together every week. 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 God’s Word amid challenging circumstances.
Last week, as she adjusted to the first week of school, 12-year-old Bekah said, “I keep reminding myself of our verse: not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own.” I was thrilled to see her apply God’s Word in this way.
Like Bekah, I often find myself speaking our verses when I feel troubled, worried, weary, or in need of hope.
God’s Word renews our minds. Hide it in your heart, and God will help you stay on fire for him.
4. Study God’s Word.
In addition to reading our Bibles, studying God’s Word helps us apply these Truths to our lives. You might find a trusted commentary and study a chapter of the Bible every morning.
Bibleref.com offers sound and easy-to-understand teachings on much of the Bible. Biblehub.com and Biblegateway.com offer many commentaries as well.
5. Soak in God’s Word.
Take time to soak in God’s Word. Imagine you are a part of the scene.
Read Revelation 4 or Isaiah 6 and imagine yourself in God’s throne room.
Enter into his Word, meditate on it, ponder it, and ask God to help you apply it to your life.
6. Worship God in song every morning.
Spend a few minutes worshiping God in song every morning.
Let go of your cares and give honor to the One who is seated on his throne. Listening to even one worship song helps me stay in a posture of worship as I enter into my day. This often changes the focus of the entire day.
7. Catch on fire for God by serving others.
Look for the needs around you and reach out to meet them.
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.
The options for serving others are endless.
8. Spend time with fiery followers.
Just as bad company corrupts good character, fiery company will fire you up for the Lord.
Spend time with friends who are on fire for the Lord. If you don’t have any, ask God to lead you to some friends who are passionate about him. Create space to spend time with these friends and talk about the things of God. We were designed to live in community with other believers.
9. Resist the urge to fill yourself with things of this world.
Binging on social media, entertainment, food, and other things of this world can offer temporary fulfillment that dampens our passion for God.
Resist the urge to fill yourself with worldly comforts, and you might find yourself hungrier for the Lord.
10. Begin each day by speaking God’s Word.
Before climbing from bed, greet the Lord.
Tell him you’re excited to watch him work in your life and ask him to direct your day. (Read here for a simple practice that helps me start each day with God.)
11. Catch on fire for God by ending your days with him.
Before falling asleep at night, review the day with the Lord. Talk about what went well and what didn’t. Celebrate the victories and grieve the losses.
Fall asleep in the comfort of his presence.
12. Spend time in God’s created world.
I have always connected with God most easily in nature.
God’s created world reveals his glory and magnifies the work of his hands.
Connect with God in nature, and you will be blessed.
Watch the sunset. Take a slow walk through the woods. Hang a birdfeeder outside the window. Visit a local park for just 30 minutes.
Time in nature is good for the soul and good for the body.
13. Listen to Christian programming.
In my early twenties, listening to Christian radio radically transformed my walk with God. As I filled my mind with God’s Truth and worshiped him, I began to long for a deeper relationship with him. This longing transformed my life forever.
Listen to Christian radio or music when you drive in your car or work in your house. If possible, listen to worship music at work. Fill your mind with God’s truths, and God will use this discipline to renew your mind and help you stay on fire for him.
14. Join God in his work.
Every day, ask God to open your eyes to what he is doing around you. Join him in his work by loving others, lending a helping hand whenever possible, and sharing his love with others.
15. Worship with others.
Prioritize worshiping with others weekly. In the book of Hebrews, we are told not to give up on meeting together. Make the time to worship with your local congregation in person, and you will fan the flame of passion for God.
16. Remind yourself to pray.
Wear a special piece of jewelry to remind yourself to turn toward the Lord in prayer throughout the day. You might also set a timer on your phone and pray at a consistent time every afternoon or while you eat lunch. The secret is to keep looking in God’s direction.
Read here for 16 practical ways to catch on fire for God. #fieryfaith #pursuingGod #seekingGod Share on XCalling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 7, 12, and 16, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. I also recently released a teen devotional called Anchored, designed to help teens learn key biblical narratives and apply them to their lives. You can find these books here or read more below. 
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Devotions for Boys by Boys
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
These Books Are Free on Kindle Unlimited: God Wants to Heal, Restore, and Refresh You
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. He also wants to help you establish a rhythm of meeting with him daily as you trust him with the hard parts of your life. Click here to explore two books that will guide you: Be Still and Trust and Lean Into Grace. They are free on the Kindle Unlimited program and for sale in print.
Download Your Free Devotional Here
Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance. We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more. This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower. Get your download for free with promo code GRACE or for a donation of 3.99 here. Thank you. This small gift helps keep this ministry running.
I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
