From time to time, a person asks me, “Do I have God’s Holy Spirit?” In most cases, when someone asks that question, they are in a heavy trial or perhaps a very low spiritual ebb. If God’s Holy Spirit is not burning brightly in your life, there is always a reason. Often, it is sheer neglect.

Paul warned in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Quench not the Spirit.” Could that happen today? Yes, it can. We can see an example in the Old Testament that illustrates the point.

Leviticus 6:12-13 say, “And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”

To keep the fire going, the priests had to be attentive. That required putting wood on it daily and ensuring it did not go out. True to human nature, Israel’s priests did eventually fail in their duty, and the fire went out.

The same kind of constant attention is required to keep the light of God’s Holy Spirit alive in your own heart and mind. A fire left to itself will eventually go out. One of the surest ways to quench the Holy Spirit is through simple neglect! Neglect of prayer and study. Neglect the Holy Spirit, and it will become dormant. Given time, it will simply go out altogether.

To keep God’s Holy Spirit alive and active, you must work at it. Remember King David in Psalm 51:10-12. He realized he was on the verge of losing it all. We must ensure that we do not get into this state spiritually; it could be eternally fatal.

Following are two of the most important keys to keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit alive.

The first key is prayer. Often, those who doubt whether they have the Holy Spirit are lacking regular, heartfelt, fervent prayer. Prayer needs to be a daily constant effort. Prayer develops your close personal relationship with God! That gives you His Spirit of power in your life.

It is in daily prayer that we repent before God, and true repentance is a prerequisite to having and maintaining the gift of God’s Spirit (Proverbs 1:23; Psalm 51:2-3, 10-11).

Notice what Paul said in Colossians 4:12: “[A]lways labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” Prayer is essential to your spiritual vitality. You cannot retain God’s Spirit without it. Without prayer, it is just a matter of time before you will quench the Holy Spirit.

The second key is study. God’s apostle has continually reminded us of the vital need to pray and to study. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What is my attitude toward study of God’s Word?

2. How much time do I give to study every week?

3. Do I truly love to study, seeking God’s will?

4. Am I really a seeker of the truth?

5. Has my study improved over the years?

David said that God desires truth in our inward parts (Psalm 51:6). Develop that same desire yourself! We must approach Bible study as a teacher of the truth. Remember, Jesus said that he who seeks shall find (Matthew 7:7-11).

Just as it takes effort to build a fire and to keep it going, it does truly take effort to prove the truth (1 Thessalonians 5:21). However, it takes no effort at all to become deceived. All it takes is neglect!

We have been chosen for salvation “through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Christ stated, “[T]he words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

There is great danger in neglecting prayer and Bible study. These tools are vital to stoking God’s Holy Spirit in our lives and keeping its flames hot and bright. Paul warned Timothy, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (1 Timothy 4:14); and “stir up the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6).

As Christians, we need to remember that conversion does not occur all at once. We must “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). That truly means working day in and day out with daily prayer and study.

As kings and priests of God (Revelation 5:10), we must keep the fire burning. Remember, we are the spiritual altar being built now.

The answer to the question I first raised is based on godly repentance, a valid baptism, the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, daily prayer, Bible study, fasting and meditation, and growing in producing the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25; Matthew 7:20).

Use God’s Holy Spirit, and think on these things.