Fan Into Flame: Reclaiming Holy Boldness

How the Holy Spirit empowers us to speak with authority over every circumstance

Something happened this week - something I just couldn’t shake off. I was singing along to the song "Bless God" by Cody Carnes, Brooke Ligertwood, and Brandon Lake. The lyrics were washing over me... 

“…bless God in the sanctuary,
bless God in the darkest valley,
every chance I get I'll bless Your name.”

Beautiful words. Familiar sentiments. But then the Holy Spirit stopped me cold.

A scripture rose up in my spirit. 2 Timothy 1:6-7.

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

And with that scripture came a prophetic word…

There is authority in the name of Jesus. Above all things. Above circumstances. Above health concerns. Above relationships. Above everything. So be courageous. Be unbridled in your attitude to call upon the power of the Spirit to bring about change.

I stood there in awe of what God had opened up to me. I realised how small my faith had become. How careful. How measured. How timid and shy.

The Timidity Trap

Somewhere along the way, I have started praying politely. I started asking God for help as though I were making a modest request to a distant relative. "If it be Your will, Lord..." became a way of hedging my bets rather than surrendering to His purposes.

Paul's words to Timothy cut right through that. God has not given us a spirit of timidity.

The word Paul uses in the scripture to mean timid, in the original Greek is δειλία (deilia). It means cowardice. Fearfulness. The kind of shrinking back that happens when we forget who we belong to and what we carry. It’s not the normal word for fear (phobos), it’s stronger. It points to a loss of courage. A refusal to step forward. A fear that makes someone pull back when they should stand.

This trap is a kind of paralysis that can stop us moving forward.

The Authority We Forget

The name of Jesus holds authority over everything. Not just spiritual matters. Not just Sunday morning concerns. Everything. Your job situation. Your marriage struggles. Your health battles. Your anxious thoughts. Your financial pressures. Your broken relationships.

I think we forget this. Or perhaps we believe it theologically but fail to live it practically. We sing about the power of His name and then walk out of church and worry ourselves sick about Monday morning. We declare that He is Lord of all and then make decisions as though everything depends on us alone.

The song "Bless God" captures something essential. It calls us to bless the Lord in the sanctuary and in the fields of plenty. Easy enough. But it also calls us to bless Him in the darkest valley. When our hands are empty. When the weapon is forming. When the walls are falling. When nobody's watching. (all lyrics from the song)

This is not passive praise. This is warfare. This is declaring the goodness and authority of God over situations that scream the opposite. This is fanning into flame the gift of God within you.

Fanning the Flame

Notice that Paul does not tell Timothy to start a fire. The fire is already there. The gift has already been given. The Spirit already dwells within every believer. But flames need oxygen. They need fuel. They need attention.

Form me, "Fan into flame" suggests intentional action - something you have to do. It implies that the fire can die down if neglected. Embers can cool. What was once a roaring blaze can become barely visible coals.

We fan the flame by returning to the presence of God. We worship not as something we have to do, but to give the One who is worthy of the praise, all the praise. This gives us oxygen for our souls. We speak scripture over our lives to add the truth as fuel. We pray with boldness instead of timidity to bring the heat. This is the fire of God ablaze in us. With this we have the power to step out in faith even when our knees are shaking in fear. 

We must remember what we carry. Power. Love. Self-discipline. Not just nice ideas. Actual spiritual tools deposited in us by the Holy Spirit.

A New Year Invitation

As we look ahead to a new season, I sense the Lord is inviting us to something. He's not asking us to try harder or to manufacture enthusiasm. He's inviting us to wait on Him for the power to be courageous. To be unbridled in our willingness to call upon His power.

What circumstance have you stopped praying about? What situation have you accepted as unchangeable? What dream have you given up on because it seemed too big?

The name of Jesus still holds authority over all of it.

I'm not talking about name-it-and-claim-it theology. I'm talking about genuine faith that believes God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do. Faith that prays bold prayers. Faith that speaks to mountains. Faith that trusts even when the answer is different from what we hoped.

The Spirit within you is not timid. So why are we?

Every Chance You Get

The song ends with a declaration that has become my new rhythm…

"Every chance I get, I'll bless Your name."

Not when I feel like it. Not when circumstances are favourable. Not when praise comes easily. Every chance I get.

When the weapon is forming against you, bless His name.
When the walls seem to be falling down, bless His name.
When nobody is watching and you could just as easily despair, bless His name.
Because He goes before you.
Because He holds the victory.
Because He is always with you.
Because He is always worthy.

This is what it means to fan the flame. To keep returning to worship. To keep speaking His authority over your life. To keep believing that the Spirit within you is powerful, loving, and disciplined... even when you feel weak, fearful, and scattered.

The gift is in you. The fire has been lit. Now fan it into flame. Call upon the power of the Spirit with unbridled faith. Step into this new season not with timidity, but with holy boldness.

The name of Jesus holds authority over everything you will face.

Every chance you get... bless His name.