Warm Up the Engine Before You Start the Day

Why You Must Begin Each Day in God’s Presence

Oct 28, 2023

In the early 2000s, a well-known Christian leader in the UK was leading revivals and conferences around the world. He was gifted, anointed, and in demand. But beneath the surface, he was spiritually exhausted. He later confessed that in his busyness, he had stopped spending quality personal time with God. He was giving out, preaching, traveling, but never really "warming up" his spirit each day.

One day, he collapsed in the middle of a ministry assignment, physically and emotionally drained. It took months of counseling, rest, and spiritual renewal to recover. He later said:

“I had been trying to run a high-performance vehicle on an engine I never warmed up.”

That story hit me again recently.

I’ve been driving for a while now, and like many drivers, I used to believe it was just routine to warm up the car engine in the morning. I never questioned it. I assumed it was tradition.

But recently, I looked it up and discovered the real reason. Warming up the car allows oil to circulate properly to every moving part of the engine. Without this warm-up, you risk damaging the engine’s pistons. They can wear out prematurely or even warp when driven cold.

Then a deeper thought hit me:

If warming up the car engine is that important, how much more important is it to warm up my spirit, the real engine of my life, before I face each day?

Many believers are suffering from unnecessary wear and tear. They step out each day with a "cold" spirit—unprepared, unrested, unrefreshed by the presence of God. A few hours into the day, they’re frustrated, distracted, emotionally depleted.

You may not feel the consequences right away. A car won’t break down the first time you skip a warm-up. But over time, neglect will show. So will your spiritual life. You will pay for your truancy.

Skipping time with God each day may not seem like a big deal until one day you hit a crisis and realize your “engine” can’t carry you through.

Friend, don’t wait for a breakdown. Warm up your spirit. Daily. Let the oil of the Holy Spirit reach every part of your inner life. Open your Bible. Meditate on God’s Word. Pray in the Spirit. Sit in silence before Him. Receive strength for the road ahead. Let your soul soak in grace before the pressures of the world hit.

Stop stepping out with a dry, cold heart. Stop dragging your inner man into chaos without proper spiritual lubrication. You were never meant to run on yesterday’s fire. You need a fresh warm-up every day. Take care of your spirit. It’s the engine that powers your life.

Warm up the engine—daily. Start your day in the presence of God. You’ll go farther. You’ll last longer. And when the storms come, you’ll still be running strong.