3 more habits to fuel your fire for God
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Romans 12:1 NIV
Just like a car needs fuel to keep moving forward, your relationship with God needs fuel to keep burning. Building upon the foundational habits of praise, prayer, and scripture, here are a few more to help stoke and sustain the fire of God burning in our hearts. As you make these your norm, watch as your relationship with God goes to new levels.
1. Fresh surrender
Our response to the mercy of God—ultimately displayed in the Cross of Christ—is to give the entirety of our lives to Him! He loved us, paid our debt, died our death, and forgave our sins! Our reasonable response is surrender.
There was a time when we first gave our lives to Christ and He made us brand new. But since then, we have opportunity to give a fresh surrender. In fact, Jesus said In Luke 9:23 NIV, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Surrender is a daily practice for those who follow Christ.
I’m sure you know the feeling. You’re on fire Sunday, the Presence of God is all around you, His word is coming alive to you, and you feel on top of the world. Then Monday hits…and you kind of want to wiggle yourself off the altar and reverse the prayer of Jesus and say, “Not Your will but mine be done.” (lol)
I think that’s why Jesus included the word, “daily”, when He told His followers to take up their cross. It’s a daily practice to deny yourself and follow Him.
Before Israel took Jericho, Joshua said, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” (Joshua 3:5 NIV) It means to set yourself apart for God. To give yourself wholly to Him.
If there’s something you want to make a habit of, it’s consecrating yourself to God.
It simply means to separate yourself from sins and habits that are destructive and give yourself wholly to God and His purposes. Think about it—the creation can only live fully when they follow the ways of the Creator.
Look at this verse:
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV
“Out of reverence for God”—that’s the “why”! We’ve experienced His mercy and we want to honor Him and what He’s done for us.
Why don’t you make it a habit to start every day with a fresh surrender to Jesus?
2. Godly community
If you take one burning coal away from a bonfire, eventually it will get cold. We were meant to live in a godly community.
Notice, the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 doesn’t say “My Father…” it starts with “Our Father…” We were meant to pray together! Godly community is vital for growth in Christ. You will receive something from your brothers and sisters and pastors and leaders in Christ that you won’t get in your alone time with the Lord.
How else can you learn to love like Christ if you’re never around other people?
There are words, gifts, anointings, encounters, and fellowship waiting to be released as we come together.
The Bible actually says that Jesus comes in the midst of the gathering of God’s people! (Hebrews 2:12, Revelation 1:20, 2:1, Matthew 18:20)
Find yourself a godly Christian community and get involved. Stay consistent in church.
3. Do the works of Christ!
Nothing keeps your fire burning like doing the works of Jesus.
I remember doing college campus ministry years ago and many times not “feeling it.” I wasn’t feeling anointed, I wasn’t feeling strong, etc. Have you ever not felt like serving the Lord?
Well, I did it anyway and I learned something: My feelings are lousy leaders! God moved regardless of my feelings. People received words of knowledge, we prayed for people, and shared the love of Christ.
What’s more, the anointing started flowing when I started going!
Jesus said that rivers of living water would flow from within us, and He was referring to the River of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). I found that the debris of discouragement, tiredness, fear, or whatever that tries to hinder me from moving forward got pushed out of the way when the River started flowing.
I know we’re going with the analogy of fire, and now I’m talking about water, however, Daniel saw the river and it was a river of fire that proceeded from the throne! (Daniel 7:10)
What do I mean by the works of Christ?
Minister to people with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for people.
Encourage people.
Help people.
Preach the gospel.
Serve at your church.
My wife and I have served in the local church for the last 20+ years and it has accelerated our growth in Christ.
Serving in church kept us accountable.
It kept us growing.
It kept us challenged.
It kept us nourished spiritually.
It kept us burning!
CONCLUSION
Keeping the fire of God burning in your life is not a one-time event; it's a daily commitment to stay connected to His heart and purposes. Through fresh surrender, you remind yourself daily that your life belongs to Him. By immersing yourself in a godly community, you surround yourself with encouragement, accountability, and love that fuels your spiritual growth. And by stepping out to do the works of Christ, you become a conduit for His power and love, igniting not only your own faith but also the faith of those around you.
These three things—surrender, community, and serving—will keep your faith alive and vibrant. God is ready to meet you in every step you take. So, take some time today to surrender anew, connect with others, and look for ways to serve. You’ll be amazed at how the fire in your heart stays strong and even spreads to those around you.
Let’s keep that fire burning!
Question: Which of these three keys—fresh surrender, godly community, or doing the works of Christ—has made the biggest impact on your walk with Jesus? Share your experience in the comments!