Ephesians 6:18(NLT) tells us, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Some of you may be thinking the same as I did when I initially heard this verse. In my spiritual infancy, praying in the Spirit and on every occasion seemed like something that only veteran believers did. I thought verses like this were for those individuals who struck me as committed totally to God. These were folks that had little to no interest in the things of this world, and their excitement was worshiping and praising God. I’ve always been taught the importance of prayer, but in no way did I consider myself in their league.
What I’ve come to realize is that our prayer life sets the temperature for life in the Spirit. It sets the climate for faith to produce. The temperature of our prayer lives is in alignment with the way we view our relationship with God. If its hot, this means we understand God as the ultimate Rewarder, as He tells us in Hebrew 11:6. It means that we know God’s requirement for a full commitment to Him. Deuteronomy 4:24(NLT) declares, “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” It is incredibly important that we take a moment to contemplate this verse deeply. A consuming fire burns continually with heat so intensive that it consumes everything. This analogy paints a picture of God’s love and desire for us, His sons and daughters. It’s the way in which He loves us, and He makes it plain that our allegiance to Him must be one of total surrender. We cannot place anything before Him.
Jesus Christ teaches in Matthew 6:24(NLT), “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Human beings are built to worship and love God, but when our allegiance or temperature for Him isn’t what it should be, many people choose to worship idols. They worship money, other people, relationships, material things, or anything else that they’ve set their attention to. They worship the creation rather than the Creator. We see this being played out in significant relationships, where the man or woman will be obsessed with the other, so much so that they believe this person to be their everything. There are also people who are obsessed with seeking the approval of others and will do anything to please these individuals.
God has proven that His temperature is hot for us, and He has done everything necessary for us to be able to reciprocate our adoration and appreciation for Him. When our temperature is hot for God, we’re excited about who He is, and we’re excited about the possibilities of what He’s doing. If we settle for a lukewarm prayer life, we are cheating ourselves, because if our prayer life is lukewarm, we have no other choice but to view our faith that way. And when we view our faith as lukewarm, so too will be the results.
When you’re waiting to see manifestation in your life and wondering why it hasn’t happened, the waiting process can be frustrating and deterring. For many of us, the waiting process is the hardest part. You may even start to feel as if God is ignoring you or withholding the blessing, and that’s far from the truth. Psalm 84:11(NLT) declares, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” God doesn’t withhold blessings from His children, but He demands that we are fully committed to Him in faith. Stop wondering why the results haven’t manifested in the natural and recognize that God is growing your faith and commitment to Him.
Isaiah 40:31(NKJV) declares, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.” As God’s children, we have access to a more than abundant life through Jesus Christ. Through him, we are a powerful people, but we must not forget that our faith in Christ will be tested by the devil, because he doesn’t want us to live for God. Hebrews 12:3(NLT) reminds us about what Jesus Christ went through when he walked upon this earth. It says, “Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.” Many of us do indeed feel like giving up because the enemy is trying to keep us separated from God’s blessings, but we must remember the suffering Christ endured for our sakes. We must not lose heart, because he didn’t lose heart. He endured the suffering that was before him because he knew the prize would be his. We must have this same faith.
Sin, doubt, worry, and fear are from the enemy’s realm. They are gas guzzlers because they delay our blessings. This is one of the many reasons that prayer is so important. Not only must we repent for doubting God, we must allow our love for Him to heat up our prayer lives. Let faith fuel your mind and heart continually so that your strength in Christ is constantly renewed. Prove to God that you believe He is a Rewarder who loves you, and that He has already answered your prayer. Get excited and most importantly, be obedient to His direction, instruction, and guidance. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“When Your Temperature Is Hot for God”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.