Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind I’m talking about. Someone asks for prayer, and you don’t feel like you could produce an ounce of spirituality as if you were washed, wrung out, and hung up to dry. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve had my share of days like that.
How do I deal with being spiritual when I don’t feel spiritual? Thank God, I’ve learned to keep my heart light turned on at all times, and I’ll show you how to do the same. The key to victory is found in Romans 12:10-12: “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.”
If the body of Christ would start living and obeying these three verses of scripture, we’d see more power released to the Church.
Next we are told not to be slothful in business. In other words, if you’re going to be a child of God, you should have a business mind. You shouldn’t be lazy in cultivating that part of your mind, because you’re doing the business of Almighty God. The second part of that verse tells us to be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” That means you maintain a spiritual glow, which is the key to overcoming those difficult days.
We get so focused on what we do, we forget all the other people around us. We’re all part of the body of Christ and we must each maintain our spiritual fervor.
The church in Rome was a pretty tough church, because people wanted to kill the Christians. Paul wrote and told them they must maintain their spiritual glow. You see, maintaining spiritual fervor must dominate us individually, corporately, and internationally. You’ve got to remember that this demand will come upon you when you least expect it. When you don’t feel like it. It’s not easy, but those days will come.
That’s why Romans 12:12 tells us, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” That means you may be in the middle of tribulation, but you must be instantly ready to pray. We are to be instant in season and out of season.
What exactly is spiritual fervor? It’s an intense passion that gathers all the forces of life so that nothing is left to trail aimlessly. People will notice spiritual fervor. I’m in an unusual situation because people notice me wherever I go. That means spiritual fervor must be available anytime and anywhere.
That’s okay with me because I’ve never lost my intense passion for my salvation. It amazes me how many people are beat down and insecure. They say they love the Lord with all their hearts, but they’ve been taught so much junk over the years they don’t think much of themselves. If you don’t think much of yourself, how do you expect God to?
If the devil sees you depressed and despondent, he’ll say, “It’s working! Give him some more of that!” You’ve got to understand that Satan isn’t a faith devil. He’s a flesh devil. He is watching your flesh to see what works against you.
The devil is so used to darkness that your spiritual glow will blind him just like a rabbit in headlights. You can imagine what happens when he meets a whole church with spiritual fervor. We haven’t seen a lot of that since the early Church, but congregations are beginning to light up. We must be dominated by spiritual glow corporately to fulfill the Great Commission.
Do you want to make a difference in your family, your church, your neighborhood and the world? Turn on your heart light. Turn up your spiritual fervor and make somebody feel at home in your spiritual glow today.
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Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”