Boiling for God

“Be fervent in spirit” Romans 12:11

The Greek word fervent means to boil with heat, so the image I have in my mind is that a pot of water is boiling on the fire. In the key verse, Paul clearly teaches us to be fervent in spirit, not in our mind or in our works.

Water, fire, and oil are symbols of the Holy Spirit, which fits the imagery of the pot of boiling water on the fire. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can do the will of God with burning zeal.

Water is the first thing we need, if the pot doesn't have water, it will burn. Like the rivers of living water flowing from our innermost being, water is always considered the source of life. Since Jesus is our living water, we must remain connected to the source in order to receive the water supply.

Secondly, water cannot be boiled without fire.  After the disciples received the Holy Spirit gift on Pentecost, "the fire of tongues" appeared and we were instructed to "fan the flame" of God's gifts. 2 Tim 1:6, requiring us to stay close to the Holy Spirit to ignite our spiritual gifts to serve the Lord.  

In addition, we need oil in order to keep the fire burning. Christians can become lukewarm and cold if they don't partner with the Holy Spirit to keep the fire burning. In order to keep fire burning, we need fresh oil from God and we need to pray without ceasing in Spirit to be refilled. 

By contrast, if we do not connect to the source of living water, suppress the flame of gifts in spirit, or do not desire and pray for His oil to flow over us, we may quench the spirit. Let us serve the Lord with fervency.

Blessing prayer: Lord, fill us with your Holy Spirit, let your river of living water flow towards us, let your fire come down so we receive your power, let your oil flow so that our fire will burn for you all our days. in Jesus’ name Amen