Why the Church is Losing Ground

(Leviticus 6:13 GNB) The fire must always be kept burning on the altar and never allowed to go out.

Sometimes, my devotions are based on thoughts of the church. Is this so bad? Christ loved the church and died for her. The thought today is for each of us individually who love the Lord – and for the church as a whole.

This passage in Leviticus is about prayer. While many church leaders emphasize prayer, far too few people go deep in their spiritual duty to pray. That is why the church is losing ground. We have not obeyed the Lord’s command in Leviticus; we have let the fire go out. The fire is more than simply passion to pray. It is prayer itself. The New Testament says “pray without ceasing” (1Th 5:17).

That the fire has gone out in the church for prayer is evident when you go to a prayer meeting. Most don’t know what to pray about. They are at a loss of words AND subjects. If they don’t know someone who is ill or injured, they have little to pray about. Spurgeon suggests some great topics that, were the fire for prayer burning in our hearts, should be never out of sight to the Believer. He suggests things like the Church, the ministry, your own soul, your children, your relations, your neighbors, your country, and the cause of God and truth throughout the world.¹ As for subjects for which to pray, we are overwhelmed. The fire must always be burning.

Also there is the fire that should burn within us to pray. We should rise with a burning desire to pray. We should walk through each day speaking with the Lord. We should spend time alone with the Lord in prayer every day. Is the fire going out in your life? Is your prayer time diminishing? Are you seeing fewer and fewer results from your prayers? Keep the fire burning. Rekindle it before it goes altogether out.

Where is the fire? The text suggests the fire burns on the altar – which is in our hearts. The altar of the heart is to be kept holy so the fire can be an effective fire in the sight of God. What is in your heart? Is there sin and filth that needs to be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb? Cleanse it and make your heart holy unto the Lord – set apart for His use this day. Give Him your heart –and keep the fire of prayer burning on the altar.

1 – C.H. Spurgeon, Morning by Morning (July 15).

Holler for Jesus,

Greg Yount

Check out my blogs:

Just-a-Thot - Devotional thoughts - http://justa-thot.blogspot.com

As I See It - Biblical perspectives on current events - http://asiseeit10.blogspot.com