UNSEAL MY LIPS by Gary Wilkerson
David writes, “Then I will teach your ways to [sinners], and they will return to you. . . . Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you” (Psalm 51:13, 15, NLT).
When God sparks a fire in us it is not meant for our benefit alone. It is meant to set us ablaze with zeal for the lost in our nearby communities and around the world. If we allow this flame to burn within us, it will compel us to take the good news beyond our church walls. We’ll realize, “This fire burning inside me will not be quenched. Woe is me if I keep it inside!”
We simply cannot contain our zeal when we have been personally cleansed by God and filled with a persistent hunger to have His life dwelling within us. This makes us want to shout His praises to the world. Some of the best Sunday worshipers I know are those who cry out, “Thank You, Jesus, that today my coworker is sitting next to me in the pew experiencing Your amazing love.”
If we do not have this kind of fire, it will not matter how powerful our church services are. Heavenly flames could rest on our heads and we could all fall on our faces in awe, but those things alone do not show the power of Pentecost. As long as revival is contained in church, it probably isn’t revival. If there is a true fire burning, it will move us to create a fire in our city. Our prayer has to be, “God, if You are going to touch me with a spark, then cause me to speak to sinners. Anoint me to teach them about Your love. Send me into the byways with the compelling love of Jesus.”
If the fire of God’s Holy Spirit is operating in your life, you can know your life is no longer a spark but a torch.
When God sparks a fire in us it is not meant for our benefit alone. It is meant to set us ablaze with zeal for the lost in our nearby communities and around the world. If we allow this flame to burn within us, it will compel us to take the good news beyond our church walls. We’ll realize, “This fire burning inside me will not be quenched. Woe is me if I keep it inside!”
We simply cannot contain our zeal when we have been personally cleansed by God and filled with a persistent hunger to have His life dwelling within us. This makes us want to shout His praises to the world. Some of the best Sunday worshipers I know are those who cry out, “Thank You, Jesus, that today my coworker is sitting next to me in the pew experiencing Your amazing love.”
If we do not have this kind of fire, it will not matter how powerful our church services are. Heavenly flames could rest on our heads and we could all fall on our faces in awe, but those things alone do not show the power of Pentecost. As long as revival is contained in church, it probably isn’t revival. If there is a true fire burning, it will move us to create a fire in our city. Our prayer has to be, “God, if You are going to touch me with a spark, then cause me to speak to sinners. Anoint me to teach them about Your love. Send me into the byways with the compelling love of Jesus.”
If the fire of God’s Holy Spirit is operating in your life, you can know your life is no longer a spark but a torch.