A quiet prayer before we begin
Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us Your Spirit. Teach young hearts and little hearts what to stir up and what to lay down. Forgive us for the things we have kept burning that do not come from You, and help us fan into flame what is holy, good, and life-giving. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Fan into Flame
In 2 Timothy 1, Paul tells Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God. He reminds him that the Spirit God gives does not lead us into fear, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.
That matters so much for young people.
Sometimes a person may think their life is made up of small, hard, or ordinary things that do not really matter. They may feel stuck in chores, schoolwork, family struggles, responsibilities, or places they never would have chosen. It can be easy to think, This is just punishment, or This part of my life has no purpose.
But God can work even there.
Sometimes the greatest change is not that the situation becomes easier right away, but that the Spirit changes what is happening inside of us. He can take a heart weighed down by anger, resentment, and constant complaining, and begin to fill it with something stronger: gratitude. And when gratitude grows, it makes room for the power to keep going, the love to keep serving, and the self-control to respond differently when life feels unfair.
That is part of what it means to fan into flame what God has given.
Not every fire in us should keep burning.
Some things need to be stirred up:
faith, gratitude, courage, prayer, love, and endurance.
And some things need to be put out:
bitterness, fear, constant complaining, selfish anger, and the lies that weigh the soul down.
Young people need that kind of discernment. Sometimes what feels strongest in the moment is not what should lead. Sometimes the Lord is asking us to let one fire die so that another, holier one, can grow.
So ask yourself:
What in me needs to be fanned into flame?
What in me needs to be surrendered and put out?
Am I feeding gratitude, or am I feeding resentment?
Am I letting fear lead me, or the Spirit of God?
The Lord knows how to make even hard places fruitful. He knows how to form power, love, and self-discipline in a heart that keeps coming back to Him.
Sacred Pause
Take a quiet moment and ask the Lord:
What gift in me has grown weak?
What attitude in me has grown too strong?
What are You asking me to stir up?
What are You asking me to let go of?
A prayer for youth
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for giving me Your Spirit. Forgive me for the times I have fed fear, bitterness, resentment, or constant complaining. Cleanse my heart from what does not come from You.
Fan into flame what is good in me—
gratitude, love, courage, prayer, faithfulness, and self-discipline.
And where something in me is burning that should not be, put it out by Your mercy. Teach me to recognize the difference between what gives life and what drains it. Help me not to be ruled by fear, but to walk in the power, love, and self-control that come from You.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.
The Spirit of God teaches us what to stir up and what to let go.