Do you have a favorite fire memory? Maybe it was a backyard barbecue on a special occasion, a beach bonfire on the last day of summer, or that cozy holiday tradition of chestnuts roasting. Mine might be the times when I’ve sat around a campfire with close friends to sing silly songs, share stories, or just stare into the crackling flames. Fires like that bring people together.
Some fires destroy, others are used to create. Fires feed hungry mouths, warm homes, and fuel travel. Some fires start slow, and others burn way too fast. My days often begin with a gas flame for my morning coffee; and they end with the single flame of a candle at bedtime.
Author and thought-leader Karl Martin talks about the deeper cadences of a leader’s life in his book “The Cave, the Road, the Table and the Fire.” You can read more about Cave, Table, and Road here, but I wanted to focus on this last one.
For Karl Martin, Fire is the rhythm of intentional review and reflection. But at Novo, we’ve found two more aspects of Fire to be significant as well:
the Fire of examen
the Fire of spiritual power
the Fire of purification toward holiness
Our leadership and staff are taking the whole year of 2026 to pray through and focus on these three Fire themes—and we’re inviting you along for the journey. So let’s take a closer look at the Fire of God in our lives.
The Fire of Examen
Karl Martin says that we gather at the fire at the end of the day to look back and reflect. It’s a place of curiosity, where we review the day and capture lessons learned. If our day, or a season, includes communion with God in the Cave, community around the Table, and shared mission on the Road, the Fire becomes a place where we pause and reflect on what has happened.
Communities that gather around the fire share stories, pass on wisdom, and mine the day’s events for deeper meaning. Leaning into the Examen element of Fire means inviting the Holy Spirit to shine his searchlight of love into our lives as we explore things (Psalm 139:23-24). What went well? What could be improved? What have we learned? In 2026 we want to look back at all that God has been doing in and through us in the last few years. Fire of Love, what do you have to say about the season behind us?
The Fire of Spiritual Power
With this focus, we acknowledge again our utter dependency on the white-hot flame of the Holy Spirit in our lives and ministries. At Pentecost, the early church received “what seemed to be tongues of fire” as fresh anointing to be powerful witnesses of the gospel (Acts 2:3). Paul writes to Timothy, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6).
As disciples of Jesus, we all carry a call to be his witnesses in the world. Fire reminds us that we cannot make gospel movements happen—or accomplish anything of eternal significance—in our own strength. We need the power of God to burn in our hearts as he compels us to reach our neighbors and the nations. And we need the presence of God to move ahead with us, like the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, showing the way and providing safe cover. Fire of Love, go with us and empower our love for others.
The Fire of Holiness
Aware that we witness not only with our words but with our very lives, we want to welcome the refining fire of purification to clean us up and make us holy. Fire isn’t always safe and warm. It consumes, it burns away, it makes new. Scripture reminds us that when the Lord appears, “He will be like a refiner’s fire; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” (Malachi 3:2-4).
We want our lives and our mission to be pure: freed up and disentangled from the sin and distractions that hold us back from the good that God has for us. We need his refining work to burn away the stuff that doesn’t belong. We want our thoughts, our actions, our words, and our attitudes to be more like Jesus. Fire of Love, have your way in our lives to make us more like you.
These are not small or easy things to ask for. Not easy, but so impactful!
Now that you’ve looked into the Fire with me for a moment and seen its importance, what do you think? Would you like to gather round the fire with us as well, seeking the fire of examen, power, and holiness in your own life this year? We’d love for you to join us. Pull up a log and grab a marshmallow stick!
Ready to lean into the Fire with us? This “Fire of God Prayer Retreat” might be the perfect next step. Check it out here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darren Prince lives in Whitechapel, London where he and his wife Pam have served among asylum seekers, immigrants, and twelve-step recovery communities with London’s InnerCHANGE Team since 2007. Prior to that, they directed a ministry to homeless young people in San Francisco, California. Darren served as the InnerCHANGE General Director from 2014–2022 and is currently Novo’s Senior Vice President, shaping internal communications and organizational culture. Darren is passionate about making disciples, teaching the Bible, reading good books, befriending people on the margins, and sipping high quality coffee.