AS A TORCH CONSECRATED TO JESUS
(A prayer in the spirit: ) Hold me right next to You, my Lord and Sovereign, that the touch of our souls can ignite the warmth of a fire that will burn brightly and call others that are lost in the darkness to also come to Your side.
Just to believe in You is no longer enough--not enough if we want the rest of those who are also a part of Your heart to be called and to come to You. 
The world is too dark for that. 
It's going to take fire. 
It took fire in times of old when the believers met You in the flames. It's going to take the fire of Your Spirit burning in me and on me and through me. 
That can only happen when I touch You, when I am near You. 
To get close to You I must often go through the suffering that You felt, the threshold of dying so that others might live. That is what You did. That is what You called us to do, if that is what it takes. 
I'm learning day by day how to do as You did. To stretch out my arms; to suffer and endure, in order to bring others to You.
Then they will come, then they will come to Your side when they see the flame of not only Your love that sent You to the cross, but the flame of my love for You, that drew me to Your side. 
I am the fuel, You are the light and flame. Let me burn bright together with you. 
I offer myself to You to use me as You will, to create the light that You need in the world. 
The greater the darkness, the brighter the light that is needed, so it can be seen in the farthest places. 
"Let your light so shine" You said.
I thought that meant turning on a little flashlight, or a blub in a nice building to attract people to come. But no, not now, not ever again will that be enough. 
It's too dark; it's too late; it's too urgent. 
Your need for them to come is too overwhelming and passionate. You need and want the hearts of all to come now. 
Only intense heat and the flame of God burning in the hearts of those who know You will even begin to be enough. 
I am not to merely hold the light, but to be the fuel that burns.
Lord, You are no longer to be as a torch in my hand, to be held by me, or used, or set down, or covered as I see fit, as I attempt to bring people to know You. 
But I am to be as the rod of the torch in Your hands, and You can use me as You wish, to draw souls to You.
Your Spirit is the fire and You are the hand that holds the torch. I place myself in Your hand so that Your light can be seen.
I need to be near You. I want to have Your light on me. I want to be held in Your hand. I want to be that close, and never let go of. This way I will truly be useful. 
A flower on the wayside is nice in the day time, and might cheer the heart of the children that are allowed to walk merrily along. But it's no longer the daytime, but the night. 
No one will see Your beauty shining in me if I only want to be a flower in the sunshine. 
You need new tools. You need burning hot ones, freshly lit from the coals of Heaven.
Yes, I want to be transformed into a rod in Your hands, dipped in oil and lit with fire. 
No one will see me. It's too dark. But if they can only see Your fire burning on me and be drawn to You, that is enough.
It will be hot. I will get burned. And I know that without the light on me I look very common or worthless.
--An old charred bit of wood. There is only one place that I am worth something, and that is in Your hands and lit aflame. 
Burn in me, Holy Spirit of God, burn so that others can see the true light and be called to Your throne and can enter into the Kingdom of God. 
I want to be one with You, be like You, shine with Your light, be used of You, and be very near You, always, dear Jesus. 
(Word count: 777)