Hey Friends –
I’m thrilled you are joining us for 31 Days to Fire Up Your Faith! If this is your first visit — Welcome! You may want to get caught up here. I’m super glad YOU are joining us on this journey!
Grab a fresh notebook (red if you have one – smile!), a pen, and let’s pray God lights a fire in our soul like never before!
I’ll never forget when I first became a Christian.
Although I was 26 years old (yes, 26) — I had never read/opened the Bible, I didn’t know any of the Bible books or chapters or verses (I thought “Jeremiah” was a bullfrog) and I certainly didn’t know how to pray.
All I knew was I had made a huge crazy mess of my life, and I desperately needed help.
Thankfully a dear woman named Carol had the courage to share with me, “Cindy, you need Jesus” — and I prayed a simple — but eternally life-changing prayer — and asked Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of my life.
How about for you? When did your faith journey begin?
If you know my story, you know God has done a 360 turn-about in my life. Not only has Jesus healed the brokenness and redeemed the intense pain, God has given me new peace.
Joy.
Hope.
A brand new reputation.
Friends, only God can do that.
And if He can do it for me — trust me, He can do it for you too!
Wherever you are on your faith journey, God can ignite you with fresh faith, passion and purpose. Guaranteed!
But, how?
How do we allow God to ignite us with fresh hope and fire up our faith?
Key # 1 – Presence
Sweet friend, it’s in His presence that our faith becomes red-hot!
Revelation 3:20 is now one of my favorite verses in the Bible. (Click on the image for easier reading.)
Image – Logos Bible Software
I love in the 2nd half when Jesus shares, “I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.”
The word “eat” in Rev 3:20 is the Greek Word “deipneo” also translated “sup” or “dine.”
In other words, Jesus wants to have supper with us.
How cool is that?
Now I’m not sure what picture comes to mind when you think of “supper,” but it’s not a frazzled mom with a mini van going through a drive-through, or the rotisserie chicken I just picked up at the deli for my family…again.
In the day of Jesus, supper or dinner was the main meal, leisurely held at the end of day.
Supper was lounging, relaxing, fellowship time.
In Revelation 3:20, Jesus’ invitation is not for a quick “snack.” He wants to come in and to sit with us ~ that we would spend time in His Presence.
It’s in His presence that our faith becomes red-hot!
Today’s Challenge : Day 2 of our 31 Days.
1. If you haven’t done so already, will you please introduce yourself in the comment section? Your name, where you are from, and anything else you’d like to share. I’d love to meet you and pray for you too!
2. Grab your new Fire Up My Faith notebook (any notebook will do), once again jot today’s date, and then, spend time reflecting on YOUR faith journey.
When did your faith journey begin?
When did you invite Jesus into your life?
3. Just for fun, using the chili pepper picture below, take your current spiritual temperature.
Are you “no heat” or “on fire” — or somewhere in between?
Taken from Red Hot Faith Participant’s Guide by Cindy Bultema, copyright 2014 by Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
What caused you to pick that temperature? What would help your temperature go up a few degrees?
Jot your thoughts down in your notebook, and then spend time praying for God’s help and guidance as you seek Him for a fired up faith. Please know, whatever your “spiritual temperature” might be —
You are deeply loved and I’m so glad you are journeying with us!
4. Spend time in His presence. I’ll share more about this tomorrow, but I’d like to encourage you to spend time getting to know God in fresh new ways. If time allows, print off this free downloadable/printable Fire Up Your Faith Bookmark so you’ll be all set for tomorrow’s Day 3 Challenge!
Thanks so much for stopping by 31 Days to Fire Up Your Faith!
May God start a fresh fire in your soul flammable and contagious as you shine bright for Him!
Sweet blessings
P.S. In case you don’t want to miss a day, you can like my FB page, connect with me on Twitter, or subscribe to my blog via the sidebar. There’s 29 more days of ideas, resources, and encouragement to Fire Up Your Faith to come!
This is a fun 31 day jump start! I’m also starting the study this month do I’m feeling ready to burn!!
Cindy– I love this. I love the reminder that in HIs presence my faith can become smoking hot. Glory! I want to continually ask Him for smoking hot faith. I am so blessed by the way you call us to a deeper red hot faith.
Cindy, I am really enjoying this. Going back over my journey took me back to some wonderful times in my walk with Christ. I love the interaction and the use of a journal. I really never knew how to start a journal or what to put in one. Can’t wait for more of Jesus!!
Hi Cindy, I’m from the Philadelphia area. Your friend Jen & I are co-leading a small ladies group studying Red Hot Faith. Thanks for all you’re allowing God to do through your life!
Blessings,
Sue
Hi,
I’m Deanna from Minnesota, and I just started The Red Hot Faith Bible Study last night and look forward to turning up the burn with this 31 day fire up!
Prayer: Lord, please use this study to help me increase my faith and love for you. Help me to not “hog” it for myself, but share it with others!
Cindy, My daughter’s Name is Malorie. And what a day it will be when we meet up with her in Heaven:)
I have probably been at a “warm” but am excited about getting fired up about God this month!
Grand Rapids, MI
I am not doing a bible study right now and need something to keep me centered around Jesus. I am glad that I can follow along here and do this daily.
I have to say I also am at a “warm”…I have know and believed all my life that Jesus is my Lord and Savior!! However, I have been away from practicing my faith for a long while. About three months ago I began to really feel a tug about coming back to HIm and I am really diving in and trying to reestablish a relationship with God. I hope to learn to build that roaring fire that I have seen in others!! Thank you so much for your hard work and your gift (lesson).
I’m a few days behind but I’m playing catch up today. I agree that it was great to look at our story of faith. I had to reflect on feelings of a child walking into a church alone and lost and hurt and wonder what lead me there. These are the same feelings I had in my 20s when I finally let down all the walls and invited Jesus in.
I am a bit behind as well. I was skimming the first few days, thinking “Oh how wonderful it would be to do the 31 days.” Then it took me 7 days to realize this is why I’m not on fire. I don’t make the time to do it. So as of right now I am committing to it. God deserves my effort rather than me just sitting and waiting for Him to show up. It’s actually reverse of that. He’s waiting for me to show up. How sad that I have left Him waiting so often, for so long. It’s time for a change.
Is it wrong to say I also love free downloadables?