Passion and Fire

 By: Grace Metzger

In my distress I called to the Lord,
and He answered me.
Psalm 120:1

I missed two weeks of church in a row due to being sick. I don't love missing Church so I felt like jumping for joy the first day back. I missed it all so much! My week felt draining without the worship, fellowship, and in person sermon.

One of my favorite things that day was when our worship team played the song "Same God" by Elevation Worship. I absolutely love this song! I've been listening to this song for almost a year but this time felt different. In the song there is a part that goes "O God, my God, I need You. O God, my God, I need You now. How I need You now."

These words got me thinking really hard the whole day. When was the last time I cried out to God like that? When was the last time I told God how much I needed Him? 

I listen to my church sing out these lyrics, a group of people begging God to be there with them. Why do we stop calling out to God like that? Why do we only call Him like that when we're in trouble? So many of these questions rang around in my head. 

The Lord is near all who call out to Him, all who call out to Him with integrity.
 He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry for help and saves them.

Psalm 145:18-19

I don't love that I was struggling to remember when the last time I cried out to God like that. I wanted to have that passion and fire back in my walk with God. But how do you even start that process? Well first things first, I asked God to reignite that fire within me. 

You're probably reading this and thinking, "Ok, that's that. You got that passion back in your faith! Blog post over, see you next week!" If you are, then I hate to say it but you would be very, very wrong. Getting the excitement and zeal back in my walk with God was easy. Easier then keeping it. 

 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. 
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Romans 12:11

Keeping that passionate feeling was difficult for me personally. I won't lie, I am a very lazy person which is not something I admit proudly. But faith isn't something that you can give minimum effort and expect maximum return. God won't deny you if you ask Him to give you fire in your faith. But He will expect you to make an effort to keep it.

Romans 12 is an absolutely wonderful chapter that talks a lot about faith and how to keep you faith strong, passionate, and visual to others. So if you are wanting to start this process yourself, which I don't just encourage but I would go as far as to urge you, please read Romans 12. It gives you a great roadmap to how we should be living.

A dull, unpassionate faith is going to become a dead faith. God is the God of life, love, excitement, and joy. Just being in His presence will give you all those feelings! So stay strong! Put in the effort! Don't let your laziness stop you from working towards a zeal filled journey with God!