“Without the oil of the Holy Spirit, our lives become lifeless, and our light is extinguished. The secret place is where we buy oil. As we come aside to commune with our Lord, we are renewed in the Holy Spirit, and our oil levels are replenished. 

“If we are not filled with the oil of the Spirit, we will not survive the chaos and calamities of the last days…The foolish virgins had a ‘get by’ mentality. They invested themselves in the secret place only to the degree that their ministry responsibilities seemed to dictate. The wise showed their diligence by garnering a depth in God that was greater than their present ministries demanded of them. 

“It doesn’t cost much to get oil for ministry, but it will cost you a lot to get the oil of an intimate relationship with Jesus. Then, when the ministry time is over, you’re still a burning love-flame for Him. 

“The oil of authentic relationship is bought at the cost of investing time and energy in the secret place. The foolish will allow urgent matters of the moment to pull them away from the secret place after having a minimal filling. The wise will stay and continue to be filled with oil until their hearts are energized by their love relationship with Jesus. 

“The bridegroom’s delay has a way of distinguishing between the foolish and the wise. It reveals those who had developed their own personal history of a living relationship with the bridegroom. 

“We will need a reservoir in the Spirit if we are to sustain through the hour of trial that is to come upon the entire earth (Revelation 3:10). The point of the parable is—buy oil! Devote yourself to the secret place until your heart is overflowing with love and zeal for your Beloved. Then, make it the first priority of your day to keep that oil replenished. The secret is right here: The secret place is the threshold for resourcing the replenishment you need to sustain through the dark night of Christ’s delays.”—Bob Sorge

My Prayer

“Yes Lord. I will not bow to the pressures of the urgent and fail to refill myself daily with Your Spirit. I need You Holy Spirit. My life is barren without You. I don’t need You just for ministry. I need You for me. I need the oil of God that never runs dry. Refill me Holy Spirit. I will not be like the foolish virgins. Please Lord, may I never be like them. As Your return delays, I know that there is a possibility of sleeping, but Lord may I have such an overflow of Your Spirit, that I am ever ready to rise and move with You whenever there is a need to. I need more than the usual. I need more than what is required. Fill me to the overflow so that my reservoir of God is full and waiting to manifest. I want more of You, Jesus. I want more of You. Amen.”

The Challenge

 Seek the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. Seek God, not for ministry, but for who He is.