I scarfed down my last bite and dashed toward the car, grabbing my stuff on the way out. Within a few minutes I was walking into the room where the others had already gathered to pray.

As I sat down, my thoughts were scattered, my emotions rattled, and my heart anything but warm. If you wanted to compare my spiritual condition to a fire pit at that moment, the fire would be long burned-out leaving the cooled remains and only a few warm coals deep beneath the layers of charcoal and ash.

Then a leader began to speak.

His words seemed to glow with warm spiritual realities. They prodded the coals and breathed life-giving oxygen across them until they began to shimmer and spark. Soon I found myself basking in the warmth of a flickering blaze.

As I finally left the gathering, I thanked God for how he had drawn my heart to burning remembrance of him and warm worship.

While acknowledging that God’s Spirit works through his word to do his work in our hearts, we would be wise to also recognise the role of the leader—the fire starter!—in our lives.

You see, leaders don’t wait for someone else to start the fire. Leaders come with a carefully cultivated fire in their souls and take responsibility for setting the whole place on fire.

May God raise up many fire starters among us.