Through my eyes, I saw a beautiful people thrown into fire.

I cried out to God "Bring them water! Cease their suffering!"

But the fire grew, and so did their pain. Out of this, so did my frustration with my God - my supposedly compassionate Father.

The flames licked the air, claiming more lives, destroying more homes, loosing more control.

"God! Look at your people! Haven't they had enough?! Water!" I prayed.

I didn't understand.
But today, one of those beautiful people made it abundantly clear.
I'm praying for the wrong thing!

Water isn't what they need.
I need to pray for more fire.

That sounds absurd, doesn't it? Asking for more suffering, asking to be tried and brought to your knees in pain, to the very brink of brokenness...

But when you go through the fire, you come out on fire.

I saw that myself... how quickly I forgot the faith they showed amidst my prayers for them that life could be easier. But I have never met a people so desperate for a Savior, so passionate about God.

The fire in their life shows in their eyes... it consumes them and becomes JOY amidst LOSS... a STRENGTH amidst WEAK... it brings a depth to their relationship with our God that we should want to attain.

God, I pray for fire in my own life.
I pray that I would lose everything if it means being driven to my knees to seek you.
I pray that I would gain EVERYTHING in the cross.

Father... thank you for the perfect reminder, out of the mouth of your beautiful child, of someone you knew I would listen to... thank you