The embers burned red and orange inside the circle of stones, creating a faint glow in the velvet darkness of the cool summer night. I took a stick and stirred them. Sparks erupted and danced about in the air. I tossed in a few twigs, followed by several branches. The embers ignited the twigs and flames flickered, slowly surrounding the branches and igniting them as well.  Soon the fire burned brightly, rekindled, providing light and warmth.

I am reminded of a favorite hymn from my childhood, Pass it on.  The first line says, “It only takes a spark, to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.”

A spark. A fire. And warmth. For others.
But without constant care, the fire dies to embers, its light and warmth dimmed.

Until.
Rekindled.

Embers have the capacity to be a fire again.

Our hearts can be like that, too. Our passion for the Lord, our hunger for his word, our desire to serve him, can die down to embers. It’s still there. But its not burning brightly. Our passion has the capacity to be a fire again. It just needs some fuel to reignite, to rekindle.

The Holy Spirit provides the fuel, rekindles our passion. Our prayers can ignite his spark.

Paul knew this as he prayed for the believers in Ephesus. We can also pray for one another.

“I pray that from the treasures of his glory he will empower you with inner strength by his Spirit, so that the Messiah may live in your hearts through your trusting. Also I pray that you will be rooted and founded in love, so that you, with all God’s people, will be given strength to grasp the breadth, length, height and depth of the Messiah’s love, yes, to know it, even though it is beyond all knowing, so that you will be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by his power working in us is able to do far beyond anything we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the Messianic Community and in the Messiah Yeshua from generation to generation forever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21

Paul also prayed for the believers in Rome.

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

If your passion for the Lord has dwindled to embers, pray for the Spirit to rekindle your heart. His fruit will burst forth in your life like sparks erupting from a fire: love, joy, peace, hope. Burning brightly. And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.