From Lukewarm to Lit: How to Fun the Flame in Your Spiritual Life

From Lukewarm to Lit: How to Fund the Flame in Your Spiritual Life

Have you ever felt like your spiritual life has lost its spark? Like you're going through the motions of faith without the passion you once had? This is what Jesus addressed when He spoke to the church of Laodicea about being "lukewarm" in Revelation 3.
Today, we're exploring how to move from a lukewarm faith to one that's fully ignited for God. The truth is, about 90-95% of Christians today may be living in this middle ground of lukewarm faith - not cold toward God, but not on fire either.

What Does Spiritual Sleepwalking Look Like?

Before we can reignite our faith, we need to recognize when we're spiritually sleepwalking. Just as physical sleepwalkers need external intervention to wake up safely, spiritual sleepwalkers need divine awakening.
To wake up from spiritual sleepwalking, we need to focus on four key areas:

Recognition - Acknowledging the difference between religious routine and genuine relationship
Repentance - Turning from empty rituals toward authentic encounters with God
Renewal - Allowing the Holy Spirit to breathe fresh life into familiar practices
Relationship - Moving from performance to presence, from duty to delight

Why Do Christians Fall Into Spiritual Sleepwalking?
Many believers have shifted their focus from what they can contribute to God's kingdom to what they can get out of their relationship with God. We've become consumers of faith rather than contributors to God's mission.
The goal isn't to abandon Christian practices but to engage them consciously with a heart awakened to God's reality. When we do this:

• Prayer becomes conversation, not recitation
• Worship becomes wonder, not routine
• Service flows from joy, not obligation

How Do I Reignite My Spiritual Fire?
Think about a campfire that was once blazing but has now died down to embers. Those embers represent a believer whose faith has dimmed through neglect, discouragement, or spiritual drift. The embers aren't dead - they're dormant, waiting for the right conditions to ignite again.
To reignite a spiritual fire, we need three essential elements:

1. Oxygen: The Breath of God's Spirit

Just as embers need airflow to ignite, spiritual revival requires the breath of God's Spirit. This means creating space for God to move through:

• Intentional prayer
• Engaged worship
• Openness to the Holy Spirit's leading

2. Fuel: Consistent Spiritual Nourishment

Embers need combustible material to catch fire. Spiritually, this means:

• Consistent engagement with Scripture
• Authentic Christian fellowship
• Acts of service

These aren't just religious activities but spiritual kindling that gives the flame something to consume and grow upon.

3. Attention: Intentional Cultivation
Fire requires tending. You must gently blow on the embers, arrange the fuel properly, and protect the growing flames. Spiritual revival requires the same intentionality:

• Consistent spiritual disciplines
• Accountability relationships
• Willingness to remove obstructions that could extinguish your growing faith

What Is Christ's Prescription for Revival?

In Revelation 3:18, Jesus gives three specific prescriptions for revival:

• Gold refined in fire - Genuine faith tested and purified
• White clothes - Righteousness that covers our shame
• Salve for the eyes - Spiritual sight to see truly and clearly

These aren't free gifts - they come at the cost of discipleship. As Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me."

Why Does God Allow Trials and Difficulties?

One of the most common questions believers ask is why God allows trials and difficulties in our lives. The answer lies in understanding the refining process.
Malachi 3:3 tells us: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver."
Just as gold must be heated to extreme temperatures to remove impurities, our faith must go through trials to remove:

• Pride
• Self-reliance
• Misplaced priorities

This process is painful but produces something of great value and purity. Romans 5:3-5 explains this progression:

• Tribulation produces perseverance
• Perseverance produces character
• Character produces hope

God's ultimate goal isn't to make us comfortable but to make us holy - to prepare a church "without spot or wrinkle" for His return.

Life Application

This week, I challenge you to identify specific areas where you've been spiritually sleepwalking. Ask yourself:

• What ashes need to be removed from my life? (Busyness, cynicism, self-reliance)
• What spiritual fuel am I lacking? (Scripture engagement, authentic fellowship, service)
• How can I create more space for the breath of God in my daily life?
• What would it look like to be fully awake in my relationship with Jesus?

Remember, God doesn't abandon His people - we walk away from Him. The fire of your faith may be covered by ashes, but the embers are still there, waiting to be reignited.
What if we had just 12 people who were fully on fire for God, like the original apostles? Imagine what we could see in our time! The reason Jesus addressed lukewarmness is because it doesn't benefit His kingdom. He wants us to wake up from our sleep so we can bring revival back to the church.
Will you be one of those who move from lukewarm to lit?