
Consider the Biblical stories of God as Fire. Here are a few:
- Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3)
- The pillar of fire leading God’s people through the darkness and across the wilderness to the promised land (Exodus 13-14)
- God consuming the offering in the battle between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18)
- God companioning and rescuing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace (Daniel 3)
- God described as a Refiner’s Fire (Malachi 3)
- John the Baptist’s prophecy that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3, Luke 3)
- Jesus promises the Father would send the Holy Spirit (John 14-16)
- The story of Pentecost in Acts 2
Consider our need to be filled continually with the power of the Holy Spirit.
May your life be set ablaze with the strength and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. – Lisa <><
We can be certain of one thing: transformation into God’s image and God’s purpose requires that we pass through God’s refining fire. Being made holy is not a one-time deal; it is an ongoing process that continues until we are fully reconciled with Christ at his second coming. During our lives, we experience intense trials that we can use to refine our spirits. The key idea to remember is that we pass “through” and do not remain in the fire. – Enuma Okoro, Silence and Other Invitations of Advent
God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. And so, if we feel in our hearts coldness, which is from the devil– for the devil is cold– then let us call upon the Lord and he will come and warm our hearts with perfect love not only for him but for our neighbor as well. And from the presence of warmth, the coldness of the hater of good will be driven away. – Seraphim of Sarov
Prayer: Holy Spirit, Come Again
Plain text is for one voice. Italics text is for all voices.
Holy Spirit, come again as cleansing fire,
Burn away all that is false and fruitless
Come Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, come again as guiding fire,
Light the way through our wilderness
Come Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, come again as refining fire,
Purifying our words, our ways, and our hearts
Come Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, come again as prophetic fire,
Rouse us to courage and action
Come Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, come again as unifying fire,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Come Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, come again as empowering fire,
Dance atop all your people, no matter the label
Inspire your gifts in us
Send us to bless and change the world.
Come Holy Spirit
We ask all this in the name of Jesus,
the One who promised to send you,
and who taught us to pray,
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
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Prayer: Holy Spirit, Come Again © 2011, 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, revlisad.com
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Be sure to also check out Purify Us by Steve Garnaas Holmes.