How do we cultivate a genuine spiritual hunger for God? Though it is God's intention that we be spiritually alive to Him at all times, our reality falls far short of this. We aren't always on fire, consumed by a holy zeal for God.
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We are spiritually tired and weary a lot of the time. Believers are frequently held captive in the valley of self-gratifying desires. How are we going to get out of this? How does this spiritual reality of being continually on fire for God come to be?
One of the devil's most effective strategies is to convince Christians to abandon their commitment to serving God. The devil will attempt to deceive, deaden, or devour you, and if none of these methods succeed, he will settle with discouraging you.
So, what does it mean to add firewood to the fire for us in the New Covenant dispensation? Paul's instructions to the Church of Ephesus are extremely useful for those of us who want to recapture our spiritual passions and keep them burning for God. Here's what Paul had to say:
“10Finally, remain steadfast in the Lord and in the power of his might.”
11Put on the complete armor of God so that you can stand against the devil's schemes.”
(ESV) Ephesians 6:10-11
To be strong in the Lord, one must rely on God – His nature, power, and word in order to fight Satan's arrows. It involves relying on God's strength through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, meditation, faith, and obedience.
It's relying on the Holy Spirit to strike down the flesh and its activities in our life on a regular basis.
To relive our spiritual desire, we must have faith in God (a God-focused faith). Our spiritual zeal is fueled by faith based on God's infallibility His Character, Authority, Power, and Word. The wood is what keeps our fire going.
We must present the portions of our bodies as living sacrifices, whose sinful impulses are consumed by the Holy Spirit, as Paul advises in Romans chapter 12:1.
As a result, our spiritual passion is rekindled and deepened. Then, as a result of our spiritual zeal, we generate excellent works with a lovely aroma that pleases the Lord.
When it came to this subject, Jesus Christ didn't mince words: “And he said to everyone, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
(ESV, Luke 9:23)
And take up his cross daily
The cross is a symbol of death, but it is also a sign of death and victory for Christians death to the wicked nature's power and victory over sin for Christians. Carrying the cross on a daily basis means enabling the cross's death-dealing power to rule over the sinful nature.
And follow me
Every Christian who desires an ever-burning spiritual passion has a never-ending duty to follow Jesus. When we model our lives thoughts, works, actions, and decisions after Jesus, we are following Him (as revealed in His Word).
The biblical worldview is held by a man or woman who follows Jesus. Christ, not any person, is the final authority in all decisions.
What does the Bible say about spiritual passion?
What sets off your alarm? What makes you happy? These two queries are a roundabout method of inquiring about your happiness. What are your interests and passions? “The state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces; intense, driving, or overmastering sensation,” according to Webster.
The phrases zeal and passion are used interchangeably in Scriptures when comparing different Bible translations. God is described as fervent and enthusiastic.
In John 2:13-20, Jesus enters the Temple and witnesses the animals being sold for sacrifices and the exchange of money, after which he proceeds to clear the Temple of everyone. He forbids them from turning His Father's home into a market. “Then his disciples remembered this promise from the Scriptures: “Passion for God's home will devour me,” says verse 17. This was a quote from Psalm 69:9. Jesus was so enamored with the Temple that He decided to clean it up.
What does the passion represent?
The tale of Jesus Christ's arrest, trial, and suffering is told in The Passion of Christ. It everything comes to a head with his crucifixion. The Passion is a chapter in a larger story that is incomplete without the story of the Resurrection.
Many scholars believe that Jesus' crucifixion was a real historical occurrence. It is mentioned in Paul's writings, the Gospels, Josephus, and Tacitus, the Roman historian. Scholars disagree on whether the specifics, context, and meaning of the event are historically accurate.
The events in the Garden of Gethsemane are depicted in most Passion renditions.
Some writers mention the Last Supper, whereas others start the account on Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem to thunderous ovation.
The Passion is a story about injustice, betrayal, terror, suffering, and, eventually, death. It describes how God went through these events in the same way as ordinary people did.
The crucifix – Christ in his final suffering on the cross – is the most recognizable image of the Passion, appearing in sculptures and paintings, as well as glass, stone, and wooden depictions in churches and jewelry.
The Passion is shown in a variety of artistic mediums. It has been adapted to song, performed as a play, and the subject of numerous paintings.
The Passion is a spiritually ideal illustration of suffering, which is one of the Christian religion's most prominent motifs.
Although some Christians believe that Christ's suffering and wounds played a significant role in saving humanity from sin, anguish is not the main theme of the Passion.
Another theme is incarnation, in which Jesus' death demonstrates to humanity that God had genuinely become human and was willing to go through every human experience, right up to the pain of death. Another is obedience: despite his initial hesitancy and fear, Jesus exhibits complete submission to God's will.
The end motif, however, is victory – Christ's victory over death – which is why the Passion story is inextricably linked to the Resurrection account.
What is Biblical passion?
The Passion (from the Latin verb patior, passus sum; “to suffer, bore, endure,” from which also “patience, patient,” and so on) is the final era of Jesus Christ's life in Christianity.
The “Passion” may include, depending on one's perspective, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his cleansing of the Temple, his anointing, the Last Supper, Jesus' agony in the Garden, his arrest, his Sanhedrin trial, his trial before Pontius Pilate, his crucifixion and death on Good Friday, his burial, and his resurrection. The “Passion narratives” are sections of the four canonical Gospels that chronicle these events. On the Friday of Sorrows, in certain Christian communities, the commemoration of the Passion also includes remembering of Mary, Jesus' mother's suffering.
The word passion has taken on a broader meaning, and it is now sometimes used to refer to narratives of Christian martyrs' suffering and deaths, using the Latin form passio.
Can spirituality be a passion?
Spirituality necessitates zeal and involves the senses. Emotions, on the other hand, are not insignificant feelings. They are or can be thoughtful, compassionate interactions with the world. Love, particularly sensual love, is central to spirituality and serves as a secular example. Reverence is an old virtue that brings together many of the spiritual impulses. It is more than respect but less than worship.
How do you know when God is trying to tell you something?
God was preparing me, though I didn't realize it at the time, for a massive outpouring of His love. And if He hadn't gained my attention first, I wouldn't have known how to respond.
Don't dismiss God's sign when repeated messages attract your attention. Dig in, learn as much as you can, and absorb everything you can. If you don't, you might miss out on whatever He's trying to give you. Even if it doesn't happen right away.
Friendly Fire
Your buddies are another evident indicator that God is attempting to attract your attention.
Don't dismiss what a few excellent people are saying you just because it's not what you want to hear just because it's not what you want to hear. Yes, the truth is difficult to accept. However, it is always preferable to see something than to be blind. It's also possible that it'll be a