“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 150:6 ESV

Praise, worship, and gratitude are among the most powerful keys to keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit alive and burning within us.

They should always remain at the very center of our relationship with Christ.

Causes of Spiritual Dryness

There was a season in my life when I found myself in a spiritual desert—a time of deep crisis—when the manifested presence of the Holy Spirit felt absent. Although His presence eventually returned, it did not feel as strong or as powerful as it once had.

I was still reading Scripture. I was still praying. Outwardly, nothing seemed drastically wrong. Yet inwardly, the fire had dimmed.

In the midst of this strain, I began searching for answers. I cried out to God, asking Him what had gone wrong. And in His mercy, the Holy Spirit gently revealed the root issue: disobedience and stress over worldly worries.

Not loud rebellion—but subtle compromises. Delayed obedience. Half-surrender. Complaining, arguing, and not trusting the Lord with my future.

When the Fire Begins to Fade

During that time, I became entangled in a web of Satan’s lies. Like a dam slowly blocking the flow of living water, these lies infiltrated my thoughts and heart. Condemnation crept in. Then despair. Sadness. Fear. Anxiety.

These things descend quietly but rapidly, leaving you feeling paralyzed—trapped in a cage you never intended to step into and don’t know how to escape from.

Have you ever felt pulled into the vortex of worldly worries? Responsibilities, pressures, expectations, fears—until they quietly take control over your inner life?

When we are not firmly rooted in the Lord, it becomes easy to be carried away by the current.

When we open doors to worldly distractions, unrepentant sin, or delayed obedience—and when we are no longer fully submitted to Christ—the spiritual fire begins to weaken.

Let not the flood sweep over me,or the deep swallow me up,or the pit close its mouth over me.

Psalm 69:15 ESV

Be thankful to God for what you have

The Bible instructs us to pour out our hearts before Him, yet all I did was complain and bemoan. Everything revolved solely around me.

At that moment, the Lord spoke to me: “How much time and energy will you continue to waste on regrets about the past and worries about the future?”

The next day, I began praying with a new tone and posture—worshiping and praising the Lord. In that very moment, the presence of the Holy Spirit filled me like fire! What joy and overwhelming gratitude flooded my heart!

Praise God

You can see how crucial it is to keep worship, praise, and gratitude at the center of your relationship with Jesus.

Joyfully receive His blessings and provision.

Be still, and do not fall into the trap of complaining, frustration, selfishness, or ungratefulness.

Every day is a gift from God, and all we are called to do is serve Him with sincere hearts—marked by gratitude, faith, praise, and true worship.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:24 ESV

Take delight in His name. Thank Him for all He has done for you.

Follow God’s Word—His truth and His ways—and do not let your emotions rule your life.

Praise Him in the hallway, even when you don’t feel it or see it.

Fire Requires Fuel

Fire does not go out all at once. It fades when it is no longer tended.

The fire of the Holy Spirit is sustained by: Repentance, holiness, prayer, obedience, surrender, praise,worship, gratitude, and intimacy with Jesus.

Disobedience chokes intimacy. Unconfessed sin dulls sensitivity to the Spirit. Neglecting praise and gratitude shifts our focus from God’s sufficiency to our circumstances.

And yet—this is not a message of condemnation. It is a message of hope.

SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

It is crucial to renew our minds with God’s Word regularly and to put on the full armor of God, including the shield of faith.

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

Ephesians 6:16 ESV

Because of jealousy, Joseph was sold by his brothers into Egypt. Yet he did not give in to his emotions. Instead, he served the Lord faithfully and remained committed to God until the end.

When Peter was imprisoned, he did not despair. Rather, he began singing hymns and songs to glorify God, even in the midst of trials.

God Is Faithful to Rekindle the Flame

The same God who revealed the root of the issue also extended grace to heal it. When I repented, surrendered afresh, and returned to praise—even when I didn’t feel like it—the fire began to burn again.

Not because I worked harder.
But because I returned to obedience and adoration.

God is not asking for perfection. He is asking for a willing, surrendered heart.

“Do not quench the Spirit.”
1 Thessalonians 5:19

We quench the Spirit not only through blatant sin, but also through neglect, distraction, fear, and partial obedience. But we fan the flame when we choose surrender, repentance, praise, and trust.

God the center of our lives

We must be reminded again and again that this life on earth is not about us, but about Jesus, who gave His life for us:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:30 ESV

Our focus must be on God’s heart.

As followers of Christ, we are called to worship Him in spirit and truth, to maintain a constant life of prayer, and to rejoice in the living hope we have in Him.

We cannot simultaneously be between two walls:

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Matthew 6:24 ESV

A ship lives in water, but if water gets into it, it sinks to the bottom. So we may live in the world, but if the world gets into us, we sink.

Protect the Flame

Don’t give the devil a foothold. Let the seeds that fall on good soil flourish, and praise the Lord!

Let’s stand together as Christ’s soldiers and fight the good fight with faith, rather than returning to the yoke of slavery.

Are there areas in your life where God has asked for obedience, but you’ve delayed?

Have worldly worries slowly replaced worship?

Has gratitude been replaced with anxiety or fear?

If so, take heart. The fire can burn again.

The fire of the Spirit may not blaze as brightly overnight, but something shifts when we choose to worship, praise, and surrender. Our hearts ignite. Our faith strengthens. Our joy deepens.

And that’s when our daily fellowship with the Father becomes a place of encounter—where He meets us, restores us, and fans the flame of His Spirit.

So today, even if your heart feels dry, lift your eyes. Grow in spiritual maturity by earnestly seeking God and faithfully walking through this test. Speak life over this season:

“I will trust You.”
“I will praise You.”
“I will follow You.”

Reignite Your Passion for God

The fire of the Holy Spirit is not sustained by emotions, perfect circumstances, or waiting passively at the foot of the mountain.

It is kept burning through daily surrender, obedience, praise, and gratitude—especially when it would be easier to complain, withdraw, or grow distracted—by continually seeking the Lord and walking with Him.

The flame may flicker at times, but it does not have to go out. Every time you choose worship over worry, obedience over comfort, and faith over fear, you place fresh fuel on the altar of your heart.

Keeping your spiritual fire burning is not about striving harder—it is about returning again and again to the presence of God. Fixing your eyes on Jesus. Letting His Word renew your mind. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, correct, and restore you.

And when you fall, when you grow weary, when the fire feels dim—do not run away. Run back to Him.

Because the same God who ignited the fire within you is faithful to sustain it until the end, and He will never fail.

I also highly recommend reading A Heart Ablaze by John Bevere if you desire to ignite a deeper passion for God and grow in a stronger, more intimate relationship with Him.