Remain Hot in the Spirit

"not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11)

satan is conducting a mass bondage program to defeat the next generation because he does not know who may be the next deliverer—the next Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Deborah, Rachel, Rebekah—or the next great leader to bring the nation out of its lukewarm, spiritual lethargy. The truth is that adults who are struggling today were children only yesterday. Many who battle addictions and bondages first encountered the snares of the enemy as children. But something was not put in place.

The Bible shows us a powerful scene in Revelations 12:1-4, "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

Did you see how readily and alert the devil is? The Bible says he waited patiently for the woman to give birth to a child so he could devour her seed. He didn't mind the women conceiving, neither did he affect the baby in the womb, but he waited until the seed was delivered, ready to destroy the glorious destiny that was about to be born. This is the agenda of hell even today.

The enemy selects his victims when they are but children. The enemy is fully aware of the importance of early teaching, and he plans strategies against our seed when they are still young children. At an early age, children are very emotionally sensitive and mentally impressionable. This is why we are instructed: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

So, we need to fire up the ways of God in our children. We can't afford to allow the devil in schools or malls to show them the way; we need to start early. The Bible says in Revelation 3:14-17, "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 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." God is saying they should be hot and fervent in the spirit. Then they can withstand any opposition that comes against them.  

The seeds of the gospel must be planted into the tender soil of the hearts of children before time, circumstances, and pressures from the world form a callus on their hearts. The Bible says about the young man named Daniel in Daniel 1:8, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."

He was thrown into captivity, where the name of God was taboo. This young man found himself in an utterly idolatrous nation. Imagine your child finding himself in a system where lying, stealing, corruption, and alcoholism is normal. That was the system Daniel found himself in, but he already had a fired spirit; he was already burning hot for the Lord. No wonder he found it easy to resist the temptation. Like Daniel, it's time to fire these young ones with the word of God and prayers so that they can remain on key with God. 

Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for your grace that has kept my child(ren) till now. I pray for the grace to raise him/her/them up in the ways of the Lord. I pray that your fire in them would never be quenched. In Jesus' name. Amen.