“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…”

2 Timothy 1:6

Fall is around the corner. Among the many things I love about fall—it means it is almost time for fires in the backyard. There are few things better than watching flames dance in a campfire. It soothes my soul. It is a place where I can get lost in my thoughts and launch ideas.

I love a crisp night and a roaring fire. I love the smoldering fire as it slowly fades.

Of course, to get lost in thought staring at a fire, you need… a fire.

I’m the fire starter in our family. And there have been far too many times when I have struggled.

Sure, I’ve used fire starters—items you can buy at the store that light easily and burn for extended periods of time until the firewood ignites. And, I’ve struggled to start a fire with said fire starters.

I think it takes real skill to struggle to ignite a fire even with fire starters. I have that skill!

I regularly run out of the small kindling that lights quickly and dies quicker. I never have enough. The flames blaze and then fizzle. I regularly get a small flame, run out of kindling, and rush to try and make more. Surprise! It never works. The flame always dies.

Somewhere along the way, I was told that it takes roughly 10 toothpick-sized sticks to ignite 1 pencil-sized twig and 10 pencil-sized to light a branch and so on and so forth. And yet I still struggle.

While I regularly struggle with starting a fire—I am stubborn enough to declare with pride—I’ve always gotten it going. Sometimes with more fire starters than I care to admit. Sometimes it is by fanning the flame with cardboard. But—the fire eventually burns.

I’d like for you to take a pause for a second. Take a quick inventory of where you are currently. Is life hitting on all cylinders for you, or is your engine misfiring? Do you feel like a smoldering flame that is flailing? As I talk with people, it seems like so many are struggling to keep a flame going. Life is heavy and hard. Struggle and burdens are lurking in every corner, and they seem to stick to us with too much ease.

It seems as though too many people can’t get the fire to take off and burn.

This is the promise of 2 Timothy 1:6. The spark of faith is fanned into a flame.

I believe with every fiber of my being that prayer is the key to fanning the flame. It opens your eyes to the work of the Lord. It yokes your heart to Jesus in a unique way. It doesn’t erase struggles or challenges. But, it gives you a heavenly perspective on problems and strengthens you through trials. Prayer is the spark that grows into a flame.

I’d like to invite you to join in an intentional 40 days of prayer. My good friend and mentor, David McDonald, has organized this time of prayer. The linked PDF is a devotional with scripture, reflections, and prayers for each day. If you follow my Facebook page, you will be able to watch a video reflection throughout the days by David and a wide number of his pastor friends.

Maybe, like so many of those fires I struggled to start, you are smoldering and need a spark. I pray that these 40 days of prayer may be just that for you. That they may kindle your heart towards the Lord in a fresh and new way. That your passion for the things of God may grow and warm you from the inside out. And, in so doing, you might radiate this love and care for those around you.

How will you take your next step in prayer be in the week ahead?