Did you know that we are called to be burning ones for God? Maybe you once felt set ablaze for God, but now feel your once burning flame is just a flicker. Don’t let your fire go out.

Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out. (Lev 6:13)

View Comments (36)

This passage refers to the brazen altar in the tabernacle of Moses. It was a large altar made of wood covered by brass, and it was strictly for sacrifice. Holy fire burned as sacrifices were offered daily and to be continually offered. Why was the fire holy? Leviticus 9:24 says fire came down from the presence of the Lord and consumed the offering, but He also supernaturally lit the coals that were beneath the sacrifice. From this point on, it was the priests’ duty to tend to the fire to make sure it didn’t go out. We know that the old testament often illustrates new testament truths. So, what can we do to keep our fire alive? It takes sacrifice. It will cost you, but the reward outweighs the cost. What you give Him willingly becomes fuel to your spiritual furnace. It’s like throwing gas on a fire.

We are to be a living sacrifice, day in day out.

The brazen altar was the first thing the priest would see entering the tabernacle. It was a place where the Israelites gave burnt offerings as atonement for sins. It was an Old Testament picture of the work of Jesus Christ. He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, in our place. We are instructed in the New Testament to offer ourselves as living sacrifice. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:13). We offer ourselves in lives laid down for Him with continual worship, obedience, praise, and prayer. This is not always easy, especially in times like we are facing now. This is one way we keep the fire burning on the altar.  

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Rom 12:1)

We offer sacrifices of praise.

Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord. (Heb 13:15 GNT)

Praise can be done a number of ways. We can sing to the Lord, shout, clap our hands, or dance. 

Praise brought Paul and Silas out of prison.

Shouts from Joshua and the Israelites to the Lord brought down the walls of Jericho. 

David danced before the Lord with all his might. 

Praise is powerful, it’s no wonder Judah always went first into the battle. Here’s a spiritual principle for you. What goes up, must come down. (Ps 47:1,2, Ps 98:4, Ps 149:3, Ps 150:4)

When we lift up our praise to God during times of heartache, distress, and confusion it becomes a sacrifice that moves the heart of God.

In the Old Testament, the sacrifices they brought to the tabernacle had to be bought. In other words, it cost them something. Your sacrifice of praise is costly and precious in the sight of God. He is enthroned on the praises of His people. In other words, when you praise, wherever you are, you invite the Lord to be enthroned in that very situation (Ps. 22:3). When your praises go up, His presence comes down.

We offer sacrifice through giving thanks.

Did you have trouble being thankful through 2020 and now even in 2021? I don’t blame you. Sickness has taken its toll. We have been confined. We are attempting to be silenced through censorship. There are many reasons we could complain, but there’s always something to be thankful for. Giving thanks when it looks like you have nothing to be thankful for brings honor to God and He promises that if you do this He will rescue you. When God promises you something, it never returns void. When thankfulness goes up, His deliverance comes down.

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. (Ps 50:23)

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you and you will give me glory. (Ps 50:14-15)

We offer sacrifice through prayer and worship.

We keep our fire burning through a lifestyle of prayer and worship. Remember that brazen altar for sacrifice that God supernaturally lit? The priests took some coals that were burning and transferred them to another altar. The coals were then used to burn incense upon the golden altar.

This golden altar had to have incense burning 24/7. This incense represented intercession. 

The golden altar was strategically placed before the veil where the Holy of Holies was. This was the innermost room of the tabernacle that housed the ark of the covenant. I can imagine the wind blowing through the tabernacle and the smoke of this fragrant and costly incense permeating the Holy of Holies where God dwelled. Again, this altar points to Jesus the Intercessor who lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25). Prayer and incense are connected.

And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. (Rev 5:8)

As we continually pray, we fill the golden bowls in heaven. Our prayers become incense, a costly and fragrant offering to God. As an intercessor, you know that living a lifestyle of prayer is not easy. We are on the frontlines in the Spirit and often take hits. We become targets of the enemy as we join together in prayer and thwart his plans. But oh how rewarding when we see God answer those prayers.

There may be times we cannot even find words to pray. There may be times you only have tears to offer, sighs and groans too deep for words (Rom. 8:26). The Holy Spirit understands those prayers and intercedes for us. Jesus our great High priest who makes intercession for us is praying for you. He prays when you are weak because He understands our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15-16).  Know that your tears, groaning, and times of prayer are never wasted. When your prayers go up, His answers come down. It may not look like you expect at times, but because you’ve prayed, you have invited God into the midst.

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. (Ps 141:2)

Offer sacrifice through obedience.

Though sacrifice was important in the old testament, God actually said that obedience was greater to Him than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22). Why is obedience so important? It shows our relationship with the Lord (Jn 14:15). It shows that we trust the Lord even when we don’t understand. Just look at Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac, which was a picture of Jesus’ sacrifice.

…he (Jesus) humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.(Phil 2:8)

Obedience is costly, but some of the greatest miracles come from the smallest acts of obedience. All it requires is your yes. Will you say yes to God again? When your obedience goes up, His blessings come down.

Remember it was the Lord that started the fire on the altar, but it was the priests who were commanded to keep the fire going. If you and I are the royal priesthood (1 Pt 2:9), then it’s our responsibility to keep the fire burning. He provides the fire, but we must provide the sacrifice. The same way you feed a fire to keep it going applies to us spiritually.

Feeling weary and defeated is the perfect time to pray, worship, praise, give thanks, and obey. It provides an opportunity to fan the flames. Remember who first set you ablaze. It was the Lord. He chose you. He called you. He has a purpose for you that He longs to fulfil through you. Just as the Lord set fire to the sacrifice on the brazen altar, He will always set fire to your sacrifice. 

We are called to be burning ones for the Lord who are set ablaze with purpose and passion. That is how the Lord burns for us. He sets us as a fiery seal upon his heart. Brothers and sisters, don’t let the fire on the altar go out. If all you have is a tiny spark, you can still be a burning one for the Lord. Guess what? The smallest spark can start the largest fires. Fires that are constantly being fed, are not easy to put out. 

Rivers of pain and persecution will never extinguish this flame. Endless floods will be unable to quench this raging fire that burns within you. Everything will be consumed. It will stop at nothing as you yield everything to this furious fire until it won’t even seem to you like a sacrifice anymore. (Song of Songs 8:7 TPT)

Lord, we thank You that You will not snuff out the flames that are flickering. You are so good to us.  We confess our weariness, doubt, fear, or anything that hinders our fire. As we offer sacrifices of our lives laid down, Lord, provide the fire. Set us ablaze once more with renewed passion and determination to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

How are you fanning the flames in your life to sustain you in your walk with God? Share what has encouraged you so you can encourage one another. If you have felt weary, share that too so we can pray for you.

(Photo Credit: Unsplash.)