September 2023 – Let The Fire Fall

Taken from Sanusi, Adeleke. (2023, January 19-20). The Consuming Fire [PowerPoint presentation]. RCCG The Americas Prayer Retreat, Dallas, Texas, USA.

With Commentary by Pastor (Dr.) James Fadel

“Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:38-39), NKJV

I welcome you to the ninth month of the year 2023 – the month of delivery. In human gestation, timely delivery comes after the baby has been in the mother’s womb for nine months. Therefore, I decree that you receive perfect delivery of every good thing you have been pregnant with from January until August by fire, in Jesus’ Name.

Last month, God spoke to us about ‘Beyond Expectations” where we learned that our God “…is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).  I know everyone has a testimony in their lives, families, businesses, ministries, nations, and churches of prayers answered “Beyond Expectations” – Hallelujah! This month we want to examine the nature of God as “…a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

Fire is the nature of God and anyone that wants to associate with or be related to God must be made of fire. Psalms 104:4 says, “Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.”

Fire is a physical or spiritual change (or transforming) agent. Physical fire is applied by humans for constructive and productive change. Our world is fire-driven, and the solar system is powered by a massive fire called the sun. This fireball is the source of light and heat to the solar system. Plants and humans cannot survive without the fire of the sun. If you cannot survive or be saved without the sun with the small letter ‘s’, how can you survive or be saved without the Sun with the capital letter ‘S?’. Malachi 4:2 says, “But to you who fear My Name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” 

The God of the Bible is a God of Fire

• He started the Bible with fire – Alpha fire (Genesis 1:1-4) and ended it with fire – Omega fire (Revelation 21:8).
• God is called the Consuming Fire in Hebrews 12:29.
• Moses, the God-sent deliverer of Israel was called out from the womb of fire in Exodus 3:2.
• God’s prophets were prophets of fire.
  • Elijah stood before the God of fire, obtained his ministry by fire, contended by fire, and went to heaven in a chariot of fire.
  • Isaiah obtained his prophetic commission and consecration by fire (Isaiah 6:6).
  • Jeremiah had fire, burning in his soul and bones (Jeremiah 20:9).
  • Jesus Christ came to the world with a ministry of fire – to baptize with fire and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:11).
  • The apostles of old were fire-baptized on their heads and in their hearts (Acts 2). That enabled them to minister everywhere by fire.
• God desires that His ministers be fire-carriers. He makes each of His ministers a flame of fire (Hebrews 1:7).

The Matchless Power of God’s Fire

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah had only two options when faced with the wrath of the prophet-killing king – ruin or revival. He issued a challenge to Ahab that was so one-sided that the king could not resist accepting it (1 Kings 18:19). Elijah, the nobody from nowhere, against 850 prophets in front of the entire nation. Ahab was sure he could not lose! On Mount Carmel, Elijah issued his challenge to the nation; and made his appeal to the undecided (1 Kings 18:21). In Hebrew, Elijah’s appeal was even more impressive: “How long will you limp on two knees?” (Like a cripple not able to bear weight on either leg). Or “How long will you hop on two branches?” (Like a bird hopping from bough to bough, never still and consequently never building a nest).

The contest Elijah put forth could not have been more advantageous to the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:23-24). Baal was the god of rain, fire, seasons, and the weather; this should have been no contest! The priests enjoyed a vast majority in number, the patronage of their rulers, popular favor with the people, and impressive glittering vestments. They also got to petition their god first and spent nearly the whole day in prayer. They were passionately earnest, furiously persistent, fiercely religious, and undeniably sincere! Yet, in this one-sided contest, they still lost!

Other tests could have been chosen which would have been more favorable to Elijah.  But no, he marched right into the enemy’s territory and challenged him in his very citadel!  Is Baal the god of the elements? Then, withhold the rain and call down fire!  It has always been that way with God – remember the ten plagues in Egypt.

• The Egyptians worshipped the Nile River, so their sacred waters were turned into blood!
  • They idolized the goat, the ram, and the bull, so their cattle perished by a divine scourge!
  • So, it went. Each of the ten plagues was given to successfully challenge Egyptian gods and idols.

God has no problem working in the enemy’s turf! The Almighty is never at a disadvantage!

God’s Sign of Acceptance 

Divine fire has always been a sign of God’s acceptance. It marked Abraham’s covenant with Jehovah, Moses’ call to lead Israel at the burning bush, the dedication of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and the consecration of Solomon’s Temple. The altar fire that was not kindled by any human hand or replenished by any material fuel was a sign of Divine approval. Even today, we need to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:9-11; Acts 2:1-4).

The Characteristics of Fire

Fire is that which burns.  This implies that:

1. Fire is focused. It does only one thing at a time.      

2.     Fire has integrity. It is not double-tongued.

3.     Fire is solidly reliable and pure without mixture.

4.      Fire is hot, predictable, and uncompromising (Genesis 18:17-19; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).  

In short, fire is aggressive, confrontational, uncompromising, and military.  Whenever fire encounters anything, it will want to subdue it, change it to itself if it likes it, or change it to ashes if it does not like it. These characteristics of fire point to one salient virtue that has always determined the rise or fall of men in history – character. In the New Testament, we are commanded to offer our very lives in sacrifice to a Holy God. However, God only accepts (“consumes”) a sacrifice if it is done HIS WAY (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:16; 1 Peter 2:5)!

Divine Fire is Necessary

1. Fire is needed to serve God and for one’s service to be acceptable (Romans 12:11; Mark 9:49).
2. To provoke divine responses to one’s prayers (Revelation 8:5).
3. To quench satanic fires and fiery darts of the wicked. When a fiery furnace meets The Flaming Fire, the former bows to the latter (Daniel 3:22-24).
4. To judge the enemies of the LORD (Isaiah 66:15).
5. To destroy satanic altars (Deuteronomy 12:3).
6. To heal the sick and cast out demons (Acts 10:38).
7. To preach the gospel and win souls (Acts 2:41).
8. To provide supernatural solutions to human problems that defy natural solutions (Acts 3:4).
9. To pray down revival over our communities, cities, and nations (1 Kings 18).
10.  To access fire from the altar of heaven and to quench the fires from the gates of hell so that our churches can grow and glow (Matthew 16:18).

Requirements To Acquire Divine Fire For Power

1. Genuine repentance and salvation (Acts 2:37-38).
2. Holy Ghost baptism (Matthew 3:11-12).
3. Sanctification by the touch of divine fire (Isaiah 6:1-8).
4.  A strong altar of intercession and devotion (Leviticus 6:12-13).
5. Commitment to evangelism and soul winning (Acts 2:1-4).
6. Regular and copious intake of the word of God (Jeremiah 23:29).
7. Total obedience to the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).
8. Knowledge of your identity in Christ and walking in the faith of that knowledge (Ephesians 1:17-23).
9. Live a fasted, praiseful, and prayerful life.
10. Speak in tongues often and for long, exercising spiritual authority with holy boldness (Jude 1:20).

Conclusion

We have said that the God of the Bible is a God of Fire and that the power of His fire is matchless. We also know that the release of divine fire from above has always been a sign of God’s acceptance. Hence, it is no surprise that we are focused on having God’s fire fall on us this month and beyond. We simply need to persistently meet the requirements for acquiring divine fire to see its power at work within us consistently. In 1 Kings 18:41-45, Elijah positioned himself in a manner that greatly minimized distractions while conversely increasing his focus. In our case, that might mean turning off our phones, computers, and televisions so we can get alone with the God who has all the answers to every question we may ever have for a set time each day.

Prayers:

• Father, I thank You because You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.  You are the God of fire. Thank You for the Holy Ghost fire.
• Father, send fresh coals of fire from Your Throne and purge me thoroughly, in the Name of Jesus.
• Father, I apply for a double portion of fire to finish my race here on earth, in the Name of Jesus.
• Mantle of fire from heaven, my life is available, fall upon me now, in the Name of Jesus.
• I address every fire-extinguishing spirit of lukewarmness, unforgiveness, lust, bitterness, idols of the heart, anger, etc. Every such spirit assigned to paralyze my prayer life, I decree that your time is up, and you must die by fire, in Jesus’ Name.
• I decree that the fire of Mount Carmel that made Israel return to God will fall upon my nation and cause her to return to the Living God, in the Name of Jesus.
• Father, by Your divine fire, I shall rule and reign over every household, workplace, and neighborhood adversary, in the Name of Jesus.
• Father, let every altar of affliction, infirmity, poverty, limitation, and frustration raised against my destiny and that of my family members be consumed to ashes by Your fire, in the Name of Jesus.