Oil For The Fire
Why the secret place keeps the flame alive.
“Many believers who were once ‘on fire’ are now burnt out—because we taught them to chase fire instead of cultivating oil. We prized public ministry flames over secret-place devotion. The fire of a conference or event can ignite you, but only oil from a hidden life with God will sustain you. Flames inspire, but oil endures. The reward is found in the secret place, where a steady flame is fueled by daily intimacy with Him.” Chris Burns
Fire Flares. Oil Sustains.
We’ve celebrated spiritual fire—zeal, passion, visible devotion—but fire without oil burns out fast. Sparks from conferences or worship nights inspire, but oil is collected in the quiet places: prayer, Scripture, worship, and simple abiding. Fire grabs attention; oil is His life.
Oil and Anointing: One and the Same
In Scripture, oil is more than fuel—it is anointing.
John reminds us: “You have an anointing from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20). Oil is not hype—it’s the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence.
Jesus Modeled Oil First
Again and again, He withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). Before choosing the disciples, He spent the night in prayer (Luke 6:12). His miracles drew crowds, but His oil came from hidden communion with the Father.
The Disciples After Pentecost
At Pentecost, tongues of fire rested on each of them (Acts 2). The flame was real, powerful, history-shaping. But what kept it alive? Oil.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
They didn’t rely only on yesterday’s fire—they built a rhythm of devotion that carried them through prison, persecution, and trials. Fire launched them. Oil sustained them.
Hope for the Burned Out
If your fire feels gone, you’re not disqualified—you’re being invited back to the source. Burnout means you ran out of oil, not that God has!
Begin again in the secret place. Drop by drop, the oil of devotion rekindles what fire alone cannot sustain.
Reflection