One of the tragedies that this generation of Christian has been experiencing is that we are fast losing our passion for God and lukewarmness has become a beast that everyone is looking to tame and conqueror.
You see a Christian today who was burning with passion for God and tomorrow, you asking yourself is this not the same person. It has become so easy for a Christian to lose their fire for God. So easy that someone who was burning for God becomes gradually cold and if care is not taking the person will be dead spiritually.
Men are fast losing their prayer altar. And the most unfortunate now is that the desire for bible study is almost in extinction in this generation.
Unfortunately, when you gather ten believers, you will be shocked to realize that eight of them are struggling with their walk with God. And almost everyone is asking ‘how can I revive my prayer life again? How can I return back to the Christian lifestyle I used to know? What can I do to reignite my prayer altar? What can I do to keep the fire burning?
If you are one of those asking such questions, the good news is that it’s possible; yes, very possible to have an effective prayer life again and return to loving the Lord even more than you used to.
I will be discussing two ways that can save you from the pit of lukewarmness and build an effective prayer life again.
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Instantly ask God to help you.
Most times we believed that the moment we noticed that something is wrong with our walk with God and there has been a shift in who we are before or what we use to do, then retreat is the way out.
Yes! You are right; retreat can help us to find that path back to God and the things of God. But what about those that have reached the level of no spiritual strength for retreat. They can’t even pray for 10 minutes again.
You may have lost your ground spiritual and you don’t know what else to do. Yes, you want revival but there is no more strength to find the path. The first thing, you should do is to talk to God about it.
The very moment it occurs to you that you are dying spiritually – cry for help. Don’t wait till you go on a retreat, NO, ask for help instantly.
You may not have the strength for 15 minutes prayer but at least you can still say “Lord help me, I’m dying”, “Lord, help me I’m losing it” and “Lord, help me, I messed up.”
The prayer may be short but when it is done out of a genuine heart, it’s much more potent to save a dying person than much words of prayer that you struggled with.
Most time when someone is in a critical and life threatening state, they don’t have the time and strength for long talk but short cry for help. The single phrase “help!” has saved many.
Same way many Christians are already in a critical state of spiritual coldness and you may not have the time and strength for long talks in prayer than “God help me”.
Let consider Apostle Peter in Matthew 14:27-31 “And when Peter was comedown out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried saying, Lord, save me”.
The only thing Peter had time to say was ‘Lord, help me’, there was no time to say Jesus don’t you see me that I’m sinking or any long story. If he had wasted time, he may have sink and that will be the end but shouting Lord, save me actually saved the day.
When you do so, God will in turn stretch out His hand to help you; to pull you out from your slumber, spiritual decay and death.
He will strengthen you to do that you could not do before and also send resources to aid your come back. Never forget that He is the one that baptized you with fire and not you. Therefore, anything you do other than asking and seeking Him for help may not work.
If God has done it before, He can do it again. If God have baptized you with hunger for prayer and the word, He can baptize you again. It’s just for you to only come to realize that you have missed it like the prodigal son and ask for help.
God is ever ready to help you find the ancient path of righteous and fire. As a matter of fact, He’s more eager to restore you unto Himself than you are eager to come back. He has been waiting for you to come back to Him.
Tell Him; “Help me; I’m dying”.
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Fellowship with the brethren
I know this is strange to you because it’s looks common, you may have not heard of that before. But to be honest with you, this is one way that can guarantee your restoration to the path of righteous without much work from your end.
Beyond the retreat, beyond the prayer and fasting, gathering with the brethren is the key to restoration and effective spiritual life.
Have you ever noticed that there is always a withdrawal from the brethren any time your spiritual life is on decline? In the olden days or during camp, wood burns brighter when they are together. Irrespective of the size, length, and weight in as much as they are together they burn with bright fire.
Now, when you take out a wood from the fire, you will begin to notice that the fire on that particular wood begins to burn-low until it burn-out.
Now when you take that same wood back inside the furnace, in no time, the wood will catch fire and burn with others.
In the same way, regular gathering with believers can cure a lukewarm life. Spiritual activities engaged in with others can instill hunger and thirst for God for you. The corporate prayer, worship and the ministry of the word can help you find your path back to where you use to be.
The truth is when you are with others, it’s easy to engage in spiritual things because we are motivated and draw strength from others. Saul began to prophecy when he came into the gathering of the prophet (1 Samuel 10:11).
As a matter of a fact, the gathering of believers is God’s template to grow, nurture and enlist believers in God’s army. No wonder, Hebrew 10:25 admonished that we should not forsake the assembling of the brethren but exhorting one another.
This should send a signal to you, in case you have been detached from the brethren, danger is looming, you are about to lose your fire and lose yourself to the world.
Are you struggling with your walk with God and it seems you are dead spiritually? Find a lively gathering of believers and join them, soon you will find your path again.
I’m Olayinka Joseph
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