Morning By Morning #197

The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously;
it must not go out.

Leviticus 6:13

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

As in our verse today, we must keep the fire burning on the altar of our private prayers, for prayer is the very life of faith and devotion. The altars of the church and the family get their fire from individual believers’ altars, so may these fires burn brightly. Times of private devotion are the very essence, evidence, and measure of a vital, growing faith.

It is in private devotion you should burn “the fat of [your] sacrifice” (Lev. 4:26 KJV). These “secret” times when you “go into your room, close the door and pray” (Matt. 6:6) should be regular, frequent, and undisturbed, if at all possible. And remember, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Do you feel you have nothing to pray for? Here are some suggestions: the church, those in ministry, your own soul, your children, your other family members, your neighbors, your country, and the cause of Christ and His truth throughout the world.

We should examine ourselves on this important matter of prayer and devotion. Are our private times with the Lord lukewarm? Is the fire of devotion barely burning in our heart? Have the chariot wheels of our prayers become bogged down in the mud? If so, we should be alarmed at these signs of weakness and decay. We should go to the Lord in tears and ask for His Spirit of grace and prayer. We should also set aside special times for extraordinary prayer, for if this important fire gets smothered beneath the ashes of worldly conformity, it will dim the fire of the family altar, which in turn will lessen our influence in both the church and the world.

Today’s verse should also be understood and applied in the context of the altar of the heart, for this is a golden altar indeed. God loves to see the hearts of His people “on fire” toward Him. May we give our hearts, ablaze with love, to Him. And may we seek His grace that the fire will never be quenched, for it will not continue to burn unless the Lord Himself keeps it burning. Many enemies will attempt to extinguish it, but if God’s unseen hand continues to pour His sacred oil on it, the fire will continue to blaze brighter and brighter.

May we use passages of Scripture as the fuel to stoke the fires of our heart, for they are live coals; may we attend church and hear sermons; but above all else, may we often be alone with Jesus.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Jesus—the Son of God who enjoyed perfect oneness and fellowship with His Father since eternity past—this same Jesus spent time alone with His Father. How much more do we need personal time with Him!

Our Lord prayed often—at various times of the day and night. “He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone” (Matt. 14:23). “He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12 KJV). “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

Time alone with God is a discipline—one every true disciple will master.