Spiritual Fitness
Psalm 1:1-3
- Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
- But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
- And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
If you leave a plant to fend for itself, most likely it is going to die.
If you leave a puppy completely to fend for itself, most likely it is going to die.
If you leave an infant to feed himself, clean himself, calm himself, most likely he is not going to survive very long.
Your spiritual man – the renewed man that Paul speaks of in his epistles – requires nourishment and care. That comes from developing a daily walk (daily devotional life) with God. A daily devotional life usually includes a time of Bible reading and study, prayer and worship, and a time of meditating on God’s Word (listening for His voice to speak to your heart). To grow spiritually you must put in the work. In essence, we need a daily workout routine spiritually. Even Jesus took time to pray!
The benefits of a daily devotional life are numerous. You will become better equipped to handle life’s circumstances the way God intends. You will be able to share with others the reasons why you believe what you believe. You will be strong in your faith. You will set an example for others to follow. You will be able to draw from what you have read and the spiritual encounters in prayer that you have had when times of temptation or struggles with doubt arise. You will unlock the power of prayer in your life. Just like a runner is able to run further and further after every run, you will be able to go deeper and deeper in your faith!
Here are some practical things you can do to develop a daily routine of Bible reading and prayer:
- Purchase a devotional book
- Sign up for notifications from a Bible app on your phone
- Create a daily checklist or reminder
- Keep your Bible nearby at all times just in case you have a few minutes throughout the day to read
- Find someone to keep you accountable until you establish the habit
You can do this, and you will not regret it!
IGNITE!