Fighting against the Lukewarm Lifestyle

Revelations 3:15-17 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

These words above were to the church in Laodicea. It was the last of the seven churches addressed in revelation. God’s issue with them was how complacent they became in their faith; they wavered in their commitment to Him.

How has the year been tracking for you till now? January is soon coming to a close. Feels quick, does it not? As the year is moving on, and we are probably in a routine, getting further with filling our planners with things to do and accomplish, let not this year be a time where we waver in our commitment to prayer and time with the Lord.

Paul writes in Romans 12:11, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord”.

Imagine as people of God, what it would be like if we do not let our focus on consistent communion with the Father slip because of busyness or any distraction. As I say that I know that at times circumstances spring up that are difficult and in such times, God knows and He will shower His grace on us when we are unable to have our usual commitment in spending time with Him.

The months ahead will include ups and downs that we will have to navigate, through it all, one thing is for certain, prayer and time in His word is the key to living lives of faith for God.

God longs for us to come to Him and spend time in His presence. To learn from Him and to seek His will and His heart. Prayer and scripture study are key in drawing nearer to Him. Both of these might look different for different people in various seasons of life. And if your time with God looks a certain way now, be open and flexible to how it can shift through the year. The vital part is to keep talking and listening to Him, and even if it is a single verse that you can manage to get to in a day, let that ruminate in your heart and mind, giving room for God to speak through it to you.

So, if there is one thing you want to look back on at the end of the year and know that by committing to it, it made your walk through this year that much better, make time in His word and prayer a priority.

And if prayer and quiet time with Him is a challenge for you, start small. Make small changes in your everyday life. Begin small but be intentional. A small prayer, a few verses a day, if you miss a day, don’t forgo the habit, continue the next day.  

God’s word and Prayer is a powerful weapon against the enemy, and it is often what Satan works on to try and make us let go of by keeping us busy or distracted. Because without them, we are a boat without an anchor, at the mercy of the chaos the enemy throws at us. But when we choose to be intentional to not letting study of His word and prayer be an afterthought in our daily lives, we battle no more in our own strength but in the Lord’s.   

The enemy is working against us from the very start. And one of the ways he does so is by trying to make us shift from being on fire for God to being Lukewarm. And it often begins with neglecting consistent time with Him.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Nine times out of ten, falling away from God beings in the neglect of private prayer.”

Let’s fight against the tendency to adopt this Lukewarm lifestyle and make sure that our spiritual goal this year is to consistently walk in close proximity to Him.

Father, we come before you with hearts full of gratitude that you made a way for us to come before You at any given time, it is a grace we did not deserve. Help us to steward this opportunity well and learn to be people who love your word and pray. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Bless.