Fan The Flame!

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.—2 Timothy 1:6-7

Pastor Timothy received the baptism of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of the Apostle Paul by the laying on of hands. John the Baptist called this a baptism of fire that would be given by The Lord Jesus to all who believe!

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.—Matthew 3:11

On the day of Pentecost the fire of God came upon the 120 followers of Jesus in the upper room and they all came away with a supernatural prayer language and power! The church was born with fire and power. This fire and power transformed the Apostle Peter’s life. The one who denied The Lord three times was now preaching boldly to multitudes and healing the sick with the power of God.

Paul encouraged Timothy to stir up the gift. To stir up means to fan the flame. The gift is charisma in the Greek and is speaking of the baptism of the spirit accompanied by this supernatural language. Timothy found himself overwhelmed with fear to the point of tears. Paul gave him the solution to overcoming fear that comes through intimidating circumstances. Fan the flame! How do we fan the flame within? By speaking in the supernatural language—praying in tongues.

Praying in tongues will edify the whole man. It will do three things for you when you are intimidated with fear. It releases God’s power in your life! It keeps you in the sphere of His divine love, and it calms your mind bringing your thoughts captive to His peace. We quote 2 Timothy 1:7 as a promise and that is good but the verse is describing an outcome that comes when we fan the flame, when we pray in the tongues!

How do you face fear? We all have them. Fear of failure, fear of the future, fear incited by a bad report, and on and on we go. Don’t let fear get the best of you. Recognize the gift you have received when you were baptized in the Holy Spirit and exercise that until you experience His power, His love, and His peace. Then you be able to face your circumstances with a confident expectation of good! Fan that flame inside you today! How to receive the Spirit baptism