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]]>God is for us, not against us. So surrendering to Him is for our good. True, it doesn’t always feel that way. Sometimes God allows certain things to happen in our lives that puzzle us. But everything He allows to happen is for pruning, teaching, and refining. There is always a good purpose behind the things that He does and allows.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31
When we are not in a state of surrender, we might miss the opportunity to learn what He is trying to teach us. We might miss the opportunity to grow.
When we choose not to surrender to God, we are essentially resisting Him and refusing to submit to His authority. And by doing this, we are doing ourselves a major disservice. We are basically telling God we don’t need Him, and that we can do a better job.
What Does it Mean to Surrender to God?
So, what does it mean to surrender to God? Well, the first thing we should probably do is look at some verses about surrendering to God.
Verse One:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
In this verse, we are told to submit ourselves to God. The word submit is a synonym for surrender. So by surrendering to God, you are submitting to Him; submitting to His will and power. Resisting Satan is another way we can submit or surrender to God. By choosing God over Satan or our own sinful nature, we are choosing to submit to the Father.
Verse Two:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1
In this verse, Paul urges his brothers and sisters in Christ to offer their bodies as living sacrifices; to live in such a way that pleases God. To surrender and forfeit using our bodies for our own purposes, and to instead choose to do what is holy and acceptable to God.
Verse Three:
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.
Mathew 26:39
Jesus surrendering to God is probably the most profound example we have of surrender. Completely acknowledging the power and authority of God, he fell before Him, petitioning to Him with hope that God would change the outcome of what was to come. Jesus knew that only God had the power to change what was to come. And even after Jesus finished His petition, He prayed for God’s will to prevail.
These are some powerful verses demonstrating what it means to surrender to God. But there are also some really good examples in the Bible of men and women surrendering to God.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Bible Stories About Surrendering to God
Let’s look at a couple of Biblical characters who surrendered to God and what happened as a result.
Jonah
The first example that pops in my head is actually Jonah, who we all know did not surrender to God immediately. Jonah Chapter 1 says “The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: ‘Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me’. Jonah got up to flee to Tashish from the Lord’s presence.”
Jonah was like nope, not doing it! And instead of obeying God, he fled from God. Let’s not even talk about how silly it is to think you can flee from God’s presence.
Jonah is actually a great example of what refusing to surrender to God can look like. Because of Jonah’s rebellion and disobedience, God had him swallowed up by a big fish. Can you even imagine? God was not playing around.
So Jonah prayed from within the belly of this big fish, and God saved Him. So the second time God told Jonah what to do, he did it. He went and warned the people of Nineveh. And the best part is the people of Nineveh surrendered immediately.
Jonah 3:5-6 says “Then the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth — from the greatest to the least. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he issued a decree in Nineveh.”
And essentially the decree called for all the people of Nineveah to call out earnestly to God and turn from their evil ways.
And you know what happened after they did this? Jonah 3:10 says “God saw their actions — that they had turned from their evil ways — so God relented from the disaster he had threatened them with. And he did not do it”.
That’s the power of surrender!
Hezekiah
The second Bible character worth noting who truly surrendered to God was King Hezekiah. After years of Israel being ruled by kings who led them to do evil in the sight of the Lord, Hezekiah gets on the throne and surrenders it all to the Lord.
In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the Lord’s temple and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29:3
In his very first month, he sought out to repair God’s temple.
It is in my heart now to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel so that his burning anger may turn away from us.
2 Chronicles 29:10
He was determined to make things right with God.
He restored the temple to the holy dwelling place it was intended to be, ordering the Levites to remove anything impure from God’s temple. He led his people to turn back to God, to bow down and worship the one and only God. He pleaded with the Israelites to return to God, telling them not to be like their ancestors who were unfaithful to God.
Don’t become obstinate now like your ancestors did. Give your allegiance to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God so that he may turn his burning anger away from you, for when you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land.
2 Chronicles 30:8-9
I can go on and on about King Hezekiah and how he led his people to truly turn back to God and surrender to Him. This story is a great example of how we are to surrender in our own lives.
So, with all that being said, what does it mean to surrender to God?
- It means to obey God.
- It means to give up the impure things.
- It means to praise and worship only God (identify your idols and remove them).
- It means committing to learning His Word (Here is the Apologetics Study Bible that I use).
- It means to give your allegiance (loyalty and commitment) to God.
- It means to acknowledge and honor Him for the holiness that He is.
- It means choosing a life that pleases the one who holds your breath in your lungs.
- It means to submit to His will, and to resist your own selfish, sinful urges.
- It means to always pray for God’s will, even when you desire something different.
- It means fighting distractions hindering you from getting close to God.
- It means committing to knowing who God is, building that relationship, and leaning into the free love that He offers with no resistance.
Why is it So Hard to Surrender to God?
So, if we know that we should surrender, why is it so hard to surrender to God? Why do we often resist the will of God in our lives?
Most of us struggle to surrender to God at some point in our life. Sometimes we can tell God is trying to lead us in another direction, but we stubbornly try to stay our own course. Or, we know that certain choices in our lives are not pleasing to God, but for some reason we keep making those same choices regardless.
And in most cases, I think it boils down to one thing: fear of sacrifice.
Fully surrendering to God oftentimes requires some sort of sacrifice. And if we’re honest, we are afraid to sacrifice things. It can be the sacrifice of certain pleasures in our lives. Or the sacrifice of certain traditions, or mindsets. The sacrifice of letting certain people go, even.
But whatever “sacrifice” we are required to make, we have to believe that it’s not for nothing. God is for us, not against us. And that means He would only ask us to leave certain things behind for our good. In order to grow spiritually, we have to understand that our surrender to God is paramount to how far we want to go, and trust that God has our best interests at heart.
Benefits of surrendering to God
Although our main reason for surrendering to God shouldn’t be the benefits, there are some benefits of surrendering to God; some good things we can expect from our surrender.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that submitting to God will make your life easier and suddenly God will rain down blessings from the sky. That’s just not exactly how it works.
However, I think the biggest benefit of surrendering to God is the peace that comes along with it. When you finally learn how to surrender to God and let go, a weight lifts off of you. You know longer feel like it’s all up to you to figure it out. You’ve surrendered to the Most High, and He will help to shoulder your burdens. He will provide and bless you.
When we surrender to the Father, and allow Him to take lead, we can be confident that our life is in the best hands. God can see ahead the things that are to come. He leads us based on the future that He already sees before us. But every choice we make is based on our limited knowledge.
Isn’t it better to let God lead you when He can see what’s coming your way?
Ultimately, when surrendering to God, you’re submitting to a God who loves you, wants the best for you, and will lead you down the path of righteousness. You can be assured that whatever happens in your life, His hand covers it. And that brings me so much peace.
How to Surrender to God?
Okay, so we’ve talked about what it means to surrender to God, the benefits of surrendering to God, and why it’s difficult to surrender to God. But we haven’t really talked about HOW to surrender to God. Maybe you’re asking yourself, how do I surrender to God practically?
How do we actually make the practical steps to surrender to Him? What does it look like to surrender to God in our daily lives?
The first and simplest way to surrender is really just to tell God that you surrender to His will. Go into prayer, and just lay it all out on the table. Tell God, “Father, I surrender to Your will. I surrender my anxieties, my fears, my problems. I invite you, my Heavenly Father, to take the lead in my life. Help me to be still as you guide me through life’s difficulties.”
A heartfelt and serious prayer to God is definitely the first place to start.
But, there are also some other practical things we can do on a daily basis to really surrender our lives to Him. Because it’s important to put action to our words, to show God that we are serious. It’s easy to say “God I surrender” but then continue with old habits that rebel against God.
9 Ways to Surrender to God
Below are 9 ways that we can surrender to God on a daily basis. These are things we can do to start allowing God to lead our lives and help us grow closer to Him.
- Pray for God to replace your desires with His; to align your will with His will.
- Be ready to submit when the Spirit convicts and leads you to let go of certain choices and lifestyles.
- Stop fighting for sin to stay in your life! Admit to God that you are struggling to let go of sin and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you against the temptation.
- Let go of what you think you know about everything! Ask God to fill you up with His wisdom and truth.
- Hold nothing back from Him. Tell Him exactly how you feel, don’t hold back.
- Stop trying to fight all your battles alone. Release yourself from the burden of doing it all alone and hand it to God in prayer.
- Acknowledge your lack of wisdom and knowledge, and completely believe that you know nothing in comparison to Him.
- Completely acknowledge and know that you can do nothing without Him.
- Let go of habits that are allowing sin to sneak into your life. Surrender your taste in movies, music, books, etc, to God.
Conclusion
Surrendering to God is such an important part to growing spiritually. God wants to pour into us, but if we are too busy resisting Him or holding on to things that He is telling us to let go, how can He fill us up? We have to learn to let go and let God take control of our lives, in both big and small ways.
It is our surrender to Him that sparks the beginning of growth and closeness to God that we crave.
It can be difficult to surrender to God at times, especially when you have your heart set on a certain way of doing things, or a certain perspective. However, if we truly trust that God knows what’s best for us, we will eventually take that leap, and just surrender knowing that we are in the best hands there are.
You might also like:
7 Ways to Fight Distractions Hindering Your Spiritual Growth
4 Ways Apologetics Can Help You and Your Family Grow Spiritually
How to Walk with God in Your Season of Motherhood
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]]>The post 4 Ways Apologetics Can Help You and Your Family Grow Spiritually appeared first on .
]]>I know, I know. What does Apologetics have to do with spiritual growth? Isn’t Apologetics all about appealing to the reason and logic of man? Isn’t Apologetics more interested in natural evidence and proving skeptics wrong than it is about growing closer to God?
Well, it can seem that way. But let me challenge your thinking.
Consider scenario #1:
A family sits down for dinner, and the child asks his mom where in the Bible does it say being transgender is a sin. Well, it doesn’t directly say that it is. So, how do you respond to this question?
Consider scenario #2:
Your son comes home after graduating college to share with you that he no longer believes in God. And when you dig deeper, you find out it’s because his boss convinced him God was a fairy tale.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Well, these two examples are real scenarios shared by real mothers. One, from a Christian stay-at-home-mom group I follow on Facebook. And the second is shared by one of the authors in Mama Bear Apologetics.
How do you respond in these moments? Because these scenarios can be any of us. As mothers, parents in general, we want to see our children grow closer to God. The last thing we ever want or expect is for them to abandon God. Especially simply because they weren’t able to get their faith questions answered.
When you study Apologetics, you are preparing yourself as a mom to help your family build a strong foundation in their faith by standing on the facts. And I am going to share 4 ways this can help you and your family grow spiritually.
Here are 4 ways Apologetics can help you and your family grow spiritually:
- Apologetics can strengthen your faith with corroborated facts that help you overcome the doubts that hinder spiritual growth.
- Apologetics is a form of seeking God.
- Apologetics can teach your kids to identify lies and repel the influence of their non-believing friends.
- Apologetics can help you understand the Bible better.
Keep reading below to dive a little deeper into each topic.
1. Apologetics can strengthen faith with corroborated facts that help overcome doubts that hinder spiritual growth.
Understanding why Christianity is a reasonable worldview backed by strong evidence can really help build that foundational block for your family’s faith. Because when someone presents an objection to you or your kids, you know that no matter what, there is well-researched evidence that supports what you believe. And that can strengthen your faith tremendously.
Studying Apologetics can help answer some of those burning questions that cause that sliver of doubt that we may not want to admit pops up from time-to-time. Doubting God and the Truth of the Cross is a barrier that can prevent us from getting closer to God.
Because instead of focusing on building that relationship with God, we end up spending our time questioning His existence. That doubt can creep in and distract us from nurturing our relationship with God, essentially keeping us stuck.
The wealth of Apologetics content available, from answering questions about why there is evil, to dealing with questions about contradictions in the Bible, can help clear up that doubt before it turns into disbelief.
By the way, if you’re interested, a good book that deals with the question of pain and evil is “Should We Fire God” by Jim Pace. And a good book dealing with some of the “contradictions” is “Cold Case Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace.
2. Apologetics is a form of seeking God.
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
~ Proverbs 8:17
Learning Apologetics is just another way to seek after God. Studying Apologetics as a family is a great way to come together and seek God. Incorporating some time into this branch of study will do nothing but help you and your family learn more about who God is.
God left us pieces of evidence to help our journey in finding Him. For example, the biggest piece of evidence is the Bible! (Although many skeptics don’t see the Bible as reliable.)
Additionally, God blessed us with minds that have the ability to reason. And I am very thankful for the many Apologists who have devoted their time to helping people see how Christianity is the most reasonable worldview from an ethical, philosophical, archaeological, and even scientific point of view.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you
Mathew 7:7
The Bible tells us if we seek Him, we will find Him. Well, Apologetics is a form of seeking God. And God has continued to show up over the years in Apologetics research and studies as we discover new evidence and perspectives that point to Him.
God is all about evidence. It was the evidence of seeing the bright light of the risen Jesus that converted Paul into a believer of Jesus Christ. (Acts 9). It wasn’t until the disciples saw the evidence of the risen Jesus did they believe Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:11). Thomas literally said he would not believe unless he saw.
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe
~ John 20:24-25
God knew that some people would need strong evidence to help their disbelief. He provided evidence for the disciples. And He continues to do the same now through Apologetics. And many have come to Christ because of the work that Apologetics has accomplished. Not only that, many have grown closer to God and knowing who He is because of their Apologetics seeking.
3. Apologetics can teach your kids to identify lies and repel the influence of their non-believing friends.
As a mom of a toddler, I am worried about how the state of the world will influence my son. I started reading into Apologetics before Skyler (my son) was born. But now that he is in my life, studying how to make a reasonable case for the faith is even more important to me.
Our kids’ souls are at stake, literally. And Apologetics can potentially help us answer the one question that might convert our kids to atheism.
Apologetics can help you be a rock for your family because whenever your kids come home with “so-and-so said this”, you’ve studied and prepared for how to handle it. You’re ready. And your readiness will spill over into your children and help them be ready to identify the many lies they will encounter.
This will help them stand strong against the heavy influences they will come across. With facts, reason, and a roaring mama bear in their back pocket, they will be able to resist the attempts of Satan to lead them away from God. Resisting the devil will allow them to flourish spiritually because the enemy will have a hard time getting near them.
4. Apologetics can help you understand the Bible properly.
Another amazing way Apologetics can help you grow spiritually is by expanding your Biblical understanding. I am currently studying through The Apologetics Study Bible which has over 100 articles geared at answering tough faith questions that skeptics use to raise objections to the Bible.
Additionally, each book of the Bible starts with an introduction giving some history and background of the author, information about the culture at the time, and details as to why the book is reliable. Why does all this matter?
Because understanding the cultural context and literary style of scripture can help us properly break down a verse’s meaning. As opposed to twisting scripture to mean something that God and the author never intended for it to mean.
Properly understanding scripture is an important key to getting to know who God is and His ways.
The research that apologists have contributed to the historicity of the Bible over the years is phenomenal. And the results of that research helps us to properly interpret and understand passages.
In Conclusion
So, those are the four ways studying Apologetics can help you and your family grow spiritually. Knowing how to reasonably defend the claims of Christianity can help us bring others to Christ, as we are called to make disciples of all nations. (Mathew 28:19-20).
I know some still view Apologetics as an unnecessary part of the Christian walk. But, I think that in today’s climate, it is more necessary than ever before.
What do you think? Do you think introducing Apologetics to your family will help you all grow spiritually?
You might also like:
6 Tips to Make Studying Apologetics Less Intimidating
7 Ways to Fight Distractions Hindering Your Spiritual Growth
How Christian Journaling Can Help You Grow Spiritually
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]]>And the challenging part is just about anything can be a distraction.
Lately, I’ve been finding a lot of great online Christian influencers that are doing good work spreading the gospel and encouraging other Christians in their faith walks.
However, I had a realization…
I noticed myself start to rely on these social influencers to fuel my spirit. I was starting to tune in to my favorite channels and accounts for a word from God. Yikes!
Can you relate?
Screen Addition Distracting Us from God
I absolutely love how the virtual world is allowing Christians to reach across geographical barriers and spread the truth to people who may not have been reached. So much good comes from this. We get to build large communities not limited by our proximity and touch more people with the good news of the gospel.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 (ESV)
However, as you’ve probably experienced, the internet can be addicting. And even if we’re spending hours devouring Christian content online, that can still be a distraction keeping us from developing our relationships with the Father.
If we’re not careful, we can begin to rely on these digital platforms and online influencers to feed our spirits. We can start to become lazy Christians, seeking a prophetic word from our favorite influencers instead of seeking God for a word for ourselves.
I have a handful of Christian influencers that I follow regularly because I can tell God is with them. What they teach lines up with the Bible, and they are encouraging and truthful.
But if I’m honest, I personally had to take a step back and take a break from tuning in. I could feel myself start to get too comfortable with depending on their words as gospel.
And this goes for any online experience that sucks you in for hours each week. These simple, fun, and entertaining virtual experiences can quickly turn into countless lost hours that could have been dedicated to relationship building with God.
It’s okay to enjoy some screen time. But be honest with yourself. Are you spending more time staring at a screen than conversing with God?
Spiritual Distractions are Everywhere!
We must be careful not to let anyone or anything replace the word of God in our lives. Not Christian social influencers, friends, family, or pastors.
We all have a direct line to God. Each of us can read the Bible for ourselves, and each of us can receive a word from God without the need for anyone else to intercede.
Additionally, we must be careful not to let anyone or anything distract us from God by turning our attention away from Him.
Spiritual distractions are anything that takes our focus away from God. These distractions are dangerous and can keep us from hearing from God clearly.
We can start to have so many different opinions running through our heads that we can’t decipher which voice is from the Lord.
Distractions can be anything from material possessions, political parties, and celebrities to activities that we enjoy and relationships that we have. You name it, it can become a spiritual distraction, a hindrance, and even an idol.
Distracting us from God and our God-given purpose is exactly what the enemy wants. Because when God is no longer the focus of our lives, we become more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.
7 Ways to Fight Distractions Hindering Your Spiritual Growth
Setting boundaries and priorities are key to making sure life’s little enjoyments don’t become spiritual distractions and hindrances.
However, if you’re struggling to set those boundaries and to organize those priorities, below are 7 specific things you can do to help drown out the spiritual distractions in your life before they become a hindrance.
1.Take a break from social.
Take a break from social media! I strongly encourage anyone to give this a try. Social media is probably the number one reason for internet addiction. And with so many different social platforms to follow, you can easily find yourself locked to your phone for hours, hopping from account to account, soaking in fruitless content.
So, take a break from all the noise of social media and fill that time with God.
If you’re up for a challenge, I created a 3, 5, and 7 day “Take a Break” challenge that you can try. Click below and subscribe to receive your free PDF and start your break today.
2. Take a break from TV/media.
Much like social media, it can be easy to plop down on the couch and glue ourselves to our TV screens. And even watching the news in an effort to stay informed can be a distraction. TV stations have agendas and push narratives, just like any other money-making industry. So we have to be careful here.
So, I challenge you to take a break from any form of media, even if it’s just for 24 hours. Allow the silence to clear your mind, emptying out the many voices and images that TV throws at you, making room to hear from God.
3. Take a break from opinionated (especially negative) people.
This can be a tough one. But if you are able to, take a break from those individuals in your life who are just overly opinionated, especially if they tend to be negative. Sometimes those individuals, no matter their intentions, can put us in a negative space and get us grumbling and complaining. And without realizing it, we can start to take on their perspective instead of going to God about a situation.
And no, you don’t have to tell them you’re taking a break from them. You’re not trying to destroy the relationship. But maybe just skip that usual phone call you have, or miss out on a lunch date, or tell them you’re going to be spending time with family for a few days.
Do what you need to do to stay in alignment with God.
4. Stay heavy in prayer. Pray more than you usually do.
This goes without saying, but stay in prayer. If you’re feeling distracted and disconnected from God, pray constantly. Speak to Him, cast your worries and anxieties at His feet. Ask for Him to remove every distraction and hindrance in your life that is keeping you from advancing in your walk with Christ. Ask Him to show you which things in your life you need to shed and leave behind in order to move forward.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
5. Stay consistent in the Bible.
How can you hear from God regularly if you don’t know His word? We have to stay diligent in reading our Bibles. Allow His living Word to feed your spirit, and use the scriptures to pray over your circumstances.
The next time you notice yourself gravitating to one of your distractions, grab the Bible instead.
6. Get outside and be in God’s nature.
I think most people would agree that there is something calming and peaceful about nature that you just don’t get when stuck inside a building. Nature is God’s direct handiwork, untainted by the hands of man. And I personally feel more connected with Him when I can be outside in it.
You could take a walk, sit on your porch or deck. My favorite thing to do is look up at the stars and moon at night. It just puts things into perspective, reinforces my respect for God, and puts me in awe of Him. It’s easy to clear my mind of distractions and focus on Him when I’m surrounded by nothing but His work.
7. Take some time off work.
Sometimes distractions come from people at your job or your job itself. The last full-time job I held before becoming a stay-at-home-mom was extremely stressful.
I would come home from a long day with no energy, zero drive, and loads of anxiety. That was a huge spiritual distraction for me because I would be too anxious and mentally distracted to truly focus on God.
So I suggest taking some time off work if this is your situation, and use that time to really lean into the Father.
In Conclusion
Those are my 7 recommendations for removing distractions that are hindering you from growing spiritually and hearing the voice of God. I truly hope you found this list helpful.
What things do you do to silence the distractions?
You might also like:
Helpful Tips for Prioritizing Prayer and Fasting
How Christian Journaling Can Help You Grow Spiritually
40 Things to Pray For When You Don’t Know What to Pray
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]]>Now, the questions is if we know prayer and fasting are so important to our spiritual growth, why don’t we do them more often? Why is it so difficult to pray regularly and just make the time to do it? Why is fasting something we rarely think about?
Well, I know for me, life gets busy and it’s so easy to get overwhelmed from my ever-growing to-do list.
And therefore, it’s easy to get distracted from the things that matter most. We leave prayer at the bottom of the to-do list and get to it if we have time. And if we end up having time at the end of the day, we conjure up some quick, weak prayer that doesn’t really mean anything. We mutter the same repeated words we say every night, and then call it a night.
And fasting, what’s fasting? Fasting is not even on our radars.
So how do we get better? How do we make prayer and fasting a priority in our lives?
How Do We Make Praying and Fasting a Priority?
Well I discovered something that has helped me in recent months with staying on track.
I’ve gotten to the point where praying daily is a necessity, not an after-thought (most days…Jesus is still working on me y’all). And fasting is becoming more and more a part of my spiritual walk, whereas previously, I rarely ever fasted.
But it didn’t start like that. It was hard in the beginning to remember to pray every day, or even to feel like praying if I’m being honest. And I forgot fasting was even a thing.
So, what I’ve started to do is schedule out my prayers and fasts!
Schedule Your Prayers Ahead of Time
If praying regularly is difficult for you because you forget or maybe you just don’t know what to pray for when it’s time, scheduling out your prayers might work for you.
Related: 40 Things to Pray for When You Don’t Know What to Pray
Here are a few ways you can do this:
- Select a time each day you will pray. Make it special. Choose a location, make sure you won’t be interrupted, and keep that appointment like you would any other appointment.
- Add your prayer time to a calendar. If you have a hard time keeping things in your head, write it down. Put it on your calendar each day, and again, keep that appointment like you would any other appointment.
- Assign a prayer category for each day of the week. Maybe your issue isn’t remembering to pray, but having no clue what to pray for when it’s time. This is where I have had the most problems in the past. So, I’ve assigned each day of the week with a different category. For example, Mondays might be the days I pray for my family. And Tuesdays I pray for our nation. This eliminates some of the guesswork on what to pray for.
- Assign a prayer topic for each day of the week. Another thing I do sometimes is brainstorm all of the different things I need to pray for or could be praying for. Then in my prayer journal, I pre-write what I’m going to pray about for the upcoming days. So that way when I sit before God and my mind is blank, I can just open my prayer journal and know exactly what to pray for without having to waste time trying to figure it out.
Schedule Your Fasts Ahead of Time
In the same way that you can schedule your prayers, you can schedule out your fasts.
Decide how often you want to fast. Once a week, once a month, etc. Then on your calendar, write in the specific dates that you plan to fast for the next few months.
In Conclusion
These are just a few methods I use to help me stay on track with prioritizing prayer and fasting.
If we’re truly serious about developing a deeper spiritual life, then we will find a way to make time for the things God asks us to do.
What are some ways you guys stay on track with praying daily and fasting regularly?
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]]>If you talk to any Christian, they will tell you that prayer and fasting are important aspects of the Christian life. The Bible is jam-packed with scriptures on both praying and fasting. Let’s look at a few to begin.
“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” ~ Acts 14:23
“…and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ~ Luke 2:37
“So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” ~ Acts 13:3
“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions” ~Ezra 8:21
“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” ~ Mathew 17:21
As you can clearly see, according to God’s Word, it is highly important that we both pray and fast. And if you study your Bible, you will learn that prayer + fasting is a powerful weapon that God has left to us down on this earth to use against the enemy.
However, is it optional? Do we really have to pray and fast? Isn’t fasting something you only need to do sometimes? Isn’t fasting only meant for certain special people or to be used in times of great trouble?
In his book “The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting”, Mahesh Chavda unpacks the mystery of combined prayer and fasting. He dives deep into scripture to reveal to us just how vital it is to the Christian walk that we both pray and fast as a combined effort.
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But What Exactly is Fasting?
“Fasting is the kale of the spiritual disciplines. We know it’s good for us, but we don’t seek it out on the menu.” (The Gospel Coalition).
I love this quote from The Gospel Coalition. It’s funny, but true. No one wants to fast. It’s hard work and it doesn’t feel great physically. However, the benefits definitely outweigh the temporary pains.
Chavda’s book has an entire chapter devoted to clearing up misunderstandings about fasting. He answers several Frequently Asked Questions about fasting, dives into the various types of fasts there are, what to expect when fasting, what to avoid, and what to fast for.
The chapter, titled “Prayer Pioneers and the Facts of Fasting” is really a very practical guide for those who are ready to start their fasting journeys.
In a nutshell, spiritual fasting is essentially denying yourself food or drink for a set period of time for a spiritual purpose.
“Fasting moves you from the natural realm into the supernatural realm, and that is the only place you can get supernatural revelation, authorization, and power from the Holy Spirit.” (Chavda, 156)
But Do I Really Have to Do the Fasting Part?
Somewhere along the way, fasting has become optional.
Fasting has become this thing that is only meant for the most devout, overzealous, super-religious Christians. And most everyone else either never bothers to fast, only fasts during great times of need, or if their church holds a yearly fast.
Chavda writes: Jesus expects you to fast and to pray. In Mathew 6:5-7, He didn’t say “When you feel like praying…” No, He said three times, “When you pray…”. Not if. In the same way, Jesus didn’t say, “If you should someday decide to try to fast, although I know it’s almost impossible for you…” in Mathew 6:16-17. No, He said ‘When you fast…”. He didn’t give us the option not to fast” (26)
As Chavda points out, per scripture, prayer and fasting are not optional! He uses scripture to illustrate that fasting is not merely a suggestion or something done when things are going horrible in your life.
“If you are a Christian, then you pray. If you are Christian, then you fast.” (26)
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The Power of Fasting and Praying
If you read Chavda’s book, you will learn how prayer and fasting releases anointing and the power of God. The mystery of healing and even expelling demonic strongholds is in prayer and fasting.
Chavda shares several personal experiences where he has encountered demonic spirits and was able to harness the power of God to expel those demonic strongholds on the person the spirit was attached. Over the years, He has also been able to release healing into many people’s lives while under the power and anointing of God because of prayer and fasting.
He has done a lot of missionary work, converting thousands to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And he credits prayer and fasting and spending true time in the presence of God. He writes:
“Being filled with the Spirit does not make you ready to move into the fullness of your calling in power. We need to submit to the discipline of the Holy Spirit, and during that time frame God will disciple us in the crucial works of prayer, fasting, and the skillful use of His Word as a weapon.” (22)
I love that Chavda uses the word “submit”. We must submit and surrender to our Father, stripping ourselves, and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us.
More Great Quotes from Chavda’s Book
“I want you to see that fasting helps release the power of the Spirit in our lives.” (22)
“Demons cannot stay around too long when a person fasts, because fasting unto God creates a totally different atmosphere that welcomes the holy and repels the unholy. That is why demonic spirits get very uncomfortable around a person who fasts.” (33)
“We are still expected to be in the gospel-preaching, demon-defeating, disease-healing, prisoner-freeing, oppressed-releasing — and yes, dead-raising – business of Mark 16:24-18!” (57)
“It is through prayer that souls are “birthed” into the Kingdom of God.” (144)
“We must ask the Lord of the harvest to impart to us the spirit of evangelism and to bring upon us unusual signs and wonders to confirm our faithful preaching of His Word.” (144)
What You Will Get from this Book?
Chavda does an excellent job outlining what fasting is, why we need to fast, and what we gain from doing it. The book is filled with scripture that supports his message. And he shares tons of personal experiences and encounters that he has had with healing people and casting out demonic spirits all through the power of prayer and fasting.
Here is just a brief list of what you will get out of reading this book…and this list only scratches the surface.
- Jaw-dropping stories from Chavda’s own experiences describing his spiritual breakthroughs because of prayer and fasting.
- A powerful Bible supported message to Christians about the hidden power of prayer and fasting, and how we can also harness this power.
- A list of 12+ specific benefits we can receive from prayer and fasting, all scripture supported.
- A list of 9 Biblical reasons why we fast, which can help us understand why we need to be fasting today.
- Encouraging and empowering words from a man of God who was led by the Spirit to conduct twenty-nine 40-day fasts over several years! Can you imagine doing just ONE 40-day fast?!
- Guidance and practical instruction on how to conduct your fast, using Jesus as your model.
- Motivation to get you started on your fasting journey and inspiration to keep you fasting long-term.
- And there is so much more you will gain from reading this book.
Visible Power of God is Needed
We are in a time where the visible power of God is needed. People are hungry for Truth, but they are finding “their” truth in all the wrong places. And people are not just hungry for Truth, they are hurting for Truth.
Our world is in dire need of truth that changes lives, not just pretty words and weak prayers that sound good and mean well. Prayer and fasting has the ability to release real, actual, visible power from God, in the name of Jesus.
And we as Christians have access to this all powerful God who wants us to release this power and revival into today’s world.
Chavda writes: “Now I understand that God has given me a mandate to help restore this truth about fasting to His end-time Church. Fasting is an extremely important aspect of the New Testament lifestyle of the end-time Church. God asked me to conduct 29 40-day fasts because of the fundamental truth that you cannot impart something that you do not have” ~ (12)
I strongly encourage you to read this book. If you don’t want to buy it, see if your local library has it. It just might propel your spiritual growth by miles.
If you’re ready to unleash the power of prayer and fasting in your life, purchase your copy via the link below. Not only will you be purchasing a great book, you’ll be supporting a faith-based business, Christianbooks.com!
The Hidden Power of Prayer & Fasting
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Mere Christianity: Book Review
Spending time with God: FREE “In His Presence” Daily Checklist + Journal Prompts
Be Honest, Are You a Lukewarm Christian?
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]]>Lukewarm Christianity…it’s a big topic, and a pretty big issue. But, before diving into the rest of the post, I think it’s first important to see what the Bible has to say about the dangers of lukewarm Christianity.
I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
~ Revelations 3:15-16
Let’s read that again. “I will spit you out of my mouth”.
That’s intense. As we can see, God takes the issue of lukewarmness very seriously. It’s no joke.
I confess, God recently had to readjust my understanding of what it means to be a lukewarm Christian. You see, I had a specific image in my head of what a lukewarm Christian looked like.
Basically, if you didn’t do certain “works”, you were lukewarm. If you didn’t go to church every Sunday, constantly tell people about God, go to Bible study every week, etc., etc., in my mind, you were considered lukewarm.
And, ironically, this image I created of a lukewarm Christian was me!
Let’s Start with Salvation
So, naturally, I started to feel condemned and overwhelmed. How in the world can I keep up with all the demands of being a Christian? How can I ever become as good as the missionary overseas building schools for those in poverty? How can I make it to church every Sunday when I barely can keep my house clean and cook dinner on time every night? How many times should I read the Bible a week to make it heaven?!
Well, God told me something eye opening.
You see, going to church, reading the Bible, attending regular Bible study, and volunteering to help those in need are all VERY IMPORTANT aspects of a Christian lifestyle.
The Bible says that faith without works dead.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
~ James 2:14-17 (ESV)
HOWEVER, it is not these deeds that bring us our salvation!
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
~ Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
You see, I started to fall into the trap of believing I had to “perform” in order to be saved. That I had to complete so many hours of “Christian deeds” before I could be invited into the gates of heaven.
Now, it’s important that I add this. Please don’t misunderstand me. As the scripture says, faith without works is dead. We should be fellowshipping with other Christians. We should be helping others, sharing the gospel, and of course reading the Bible.
However, we MUST remember it is NOT these WORKS that SAVE us.
We are saved by God’s grace alone; by the work He did on the cross. Period.
Related: Do You Accept God’s Grace or Not?
No set number of “Christian deeds” will save us because only Jesus can save. And if we think we can do enough on our own to enter the gates, then we are missing the entire point of His death and resurrection. We become prideful in our Christian works.
So Then…What Does it Really Mean to be a Lukewarm Christian?
Lukewarm Christianity might not be what you think it is. So, what is the lukewarm meaning?
Whether or not we are lukewarm is not judged by works and deeds. It is judged by our relationship with God. Are we all in, or not? Are we sold out for God, or not?
And the depth at which we let Christ into our hearts and get to know Him intimately will be evident in our works.
In other words, when you truly accept Christ, He will begin to mold you into a new person. Your wants will change to align with His will. You will start wanting to read His Word regularly. You will start wanting to fellowship with other Christians. You will start to have a heart like Jesus and want to help others in need.
Works alone mean nothing. But works combined with a rich and intimate relationship with the Father is what we should aim for.
God wants your heart more than He wants your works. And he definitely wants your heart BEFORE you start doing work in His name.
That’s why He was able to save the gentleman hanging next to Him while on the cross. That man was a thief and did not spend his life doing good deeds. But when he accepted Jesus into his heart in that moment, he was saved.
God doesn’t want a “go through the motions” Christian. He doesn’t want a Christian who reads the Bible just to say she/he did it. He wants you to actually study His Word, pray to receive understanding, and apply what you read.
He also doesn’t want a lazy Christian. Someone who essentially stamps Christian on their forehead, but doesn’t seek Him, spend time in His presence, pray to Him, or read His Word to get to know Him.
There are a lot of people who are Christian by title only. They have one foot in the world doing as the world does. They sin (unashamedly) like the world without repentance, and even celebrate sin. But then they try to claim salvation in Jesus once confronted about their sins.
Ultimately, God wants your heart.
If you truly accept Jesus into your heart, you WILL start to see Him work inside of you. If you truly love God or are trying to, it will become evident in how you walk, talk, act, and carry yourself. It will be evident in the things you say and the activities you participate in.
These actions. will not save you, but they will be side effects of you receiving Jesus
How Do You Know if You’re Lukewarm?
Okay, so if it’s not about what we do or don’t do for the Kingdom, how can we know if we are lukewarm?
Here is a table illustrating the difference between lukewarm Christianity and being a true Christian.
| Lukewarm | No intimate relationship with God |
| Lukewarm | Christian works with no intimacy with God |
| Lukewarm | Christian by name only, unashamedly behaving as the world. You accept God’s grace without repentance and have no relationship with Him. |
| A true Christian | An intimate relationship with God that flows through and: 1) leads you to do good works, 2) leads you to repentance |
It’s really that basic. Are you working to develop a close relationship with the Father, or not? If the answer is no, I am not…you are lukewarm.
What to Do If You’re Lukewarm?
After re-educating myself on what it means to be lukewarm, I still had an eye-opening revelation. I was still lukewarm!
I had been a lazy Christian. Not spending consistent, regular time in God’s presence. I was not prioritizing reading the Bible and putting God first. I did not have the intimate relationship with God I thought I did.
Sign-up to get your FREE “In His Presence” Daily Checklist. Click HERE to subscribe and receive your free checklist.
And because of my lack of relationship with God, my desires stayed consistent with the world. I had stamped Christian on my forehead, but my life didn’t have any evidence of it.
Because I hadn’t truly let Jesus into my heart and truly spent time in His presence to get to know Him, there was not much evidence of Him in my life.
So, what can you do right now to stop being lukewarm?
SPEND TIME GETTING TO KNOW GOD ON A DEEP AND INTIMATE LEVEL.
Spend time in His presence, and everything else will be added to you. The works will come; God will lead you to where he wants you to use your spiritual gifts. But right now, He wants you to come to His throne and spend some time with Him. And then He can equip you to do his very good work.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
~ Mathew 6:33 (ESV)
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
~ Psalm 37:4
So, it’s time to be brutally honest with yourself. Are you a lukewarm Christian? If the answer is yes, what are you going to do about it?
You might also like:
40 Things to Pray for When You Don’t Know What to Pray
How to Get Excited About God and Stay Excited
Do You Accept God’s Grace or Not?
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Christian journaling has been a powerful part of my spiritual walk. Even before I kept a spiritual journal, I kept diaries and journals as a kid.
I can still remember my first lock & key diary that I got back in elementary school. I would write down my deepest, darkest 9-year-old secrets, and lock it up for no one to ever to read. (Although, I’m pretty sure my sister figured out where the key was.)
But there is something therapeutic about having a place to mind-dump all your thoughts and feelings. A place to get it all off your chest, and then reflect.
Benefits of Christian Journaling
So, why keep a spiritual journal?
Well, one of my favorite parts about journaling is reflecting. Reading back over my experiences and how they affected me and what I learned from God.
When I look back over my “God” journals, a few things happen. Three major benefits come to mind:
One, I see how much I’ve grown spiritually. It’s nice to see that I’ve made progress, even if it’s just a little.
Two, I can see how much I’ve NOT grown. Let’s be honest, we’ve all hit those spiritual walls. That season we just didn’t put a lot of effort into getting to know God. That will show up in your journals.
You’ll see questions that you wrote down years ago, and realize you still have the same questions. Why? Because you didn’t seek as you should have. Or Bible verses that you initially wrote down to return to later with notes or commentary, and the page is still blank. This usually motivates me to do better moving forward.
And three, You’ll come across verses that God gave you during tough times, or maybe you wrote down a prayer request that God answered. This will encourage you and remind you who God is and how He shows up.
Christian Journaling Ideas
So, what types of things can you write about in your journal?
Well, there are so many different things you can write about in your Christian or spiritual journal. And it really depends on you and what your spiritual needs are.
Here are 8 different ideas for using your spiritual journal.
8 Christian Journaling Ideas
- Write down “god” moments. Anytime God speaks to you, lays something on your heart, or answers a prayer request. This practice is good for developing a “history in God”. Do this enough, and you’ll have a log of moments to look back over for encouragement.
- Write down your prayers. You could either write down your prayers word for word or summarize what you prayed about for that day. As God answers your prayers, you could go back and write down what His answers were.
- Bible study notes. As you study the Bible, it’s important to take notes. You might come across a verse that stands out to you or a verse you might have questions about. A journal is a great place to write down these things. Write down your thoughts on the passages and see where God takes your understanding.
- Questions for God. I’ve at times had entire pages where I just wrote down questions I have for God. Whether it was questions about a particular story in the Bible, or more general questions like, why does God allow evil (a pretty big one). I can then pray over these questions asking for God to help me understand.
- Gratitude journaling. You can use your journal to write down what you’re grateful for every day. This is always a great practice for obvious reasons. Oftentimes we get so busy and overwhelmed with our minor daily frustrations, we need a “perspective check”. Doing this makes you realize things could be worse, and they are in fact a lot worse for a lot of people.
- Bible journaling. I have not tried the Bible art thing myself. This is where you draw, color, and/or illustrate scenes from the Bible, or what’s on your heart as it relates to scripture that you’re reading. It’s a growing trend, and lots of people enjoy doing it. I personally just don’t know if I would get anything out of it. But that’s just me.
- Dreams. Do you dream a lot? Does it often feel like God is speaking to you through your dreams? Write them down. And pray over your dreams for Biblical interpretation.
- Write down favorite scriptures and quotes. You can use your journals just to write down your favorite Bible verses or spiritual quotes. You then have a great place to go back to for encouragement.
How to Keep a Spiritual Journal
So, we’ve gone over some different ways in which you can use a spiritual journal.
But the next big question is what kind of journal should you use?
And oh, boy! There are so many to choose from. I have to admit, I’m a bit of a journal junkie. Like I mentioned before, I’ve been keeping journals since I was in elementary school.
There is just something magical about picking out just the right journal. The journal becomes your trusted friend that accepts you, flaws and all, with no judgement. It’s a safe place to jot down your spiritual questions, concerns, experiences, Bible notes, favorite scriptures, and so much more, without the judgement of anyone else.
So, it’s important that you choose the right journal.
You could go simple, and just get a journal with a cute cover, like the one below by Punch Studio that I use for my dreams. The cover is fancy and elaborate. But the inside is simple, with notebook pages for me to write on.
As far as I can tell, this particular one is no longer selling. But here is a great alternative (also includes the cutest little bird on the cover). And here is one that is more similar in style to the one I use, minus the bird, and has pink colors.
You could get a journal that has inspirational verbiage scattered throughout the pages. That could be in the form of scriptures, inspirational quotes, or even prompts.
If you’re looking for a simple prayer journal with easy prompts, I’ve been using this one (picture below). It’s simple, consistent, and has little encouragements scattered throughout the journal.
You could even build your own journal! Buy a binder, print off some cute pages and a cover page, and customize the journal to your liking. I love this idea because you can change it up as often as you’d like.
Conclusion
Spiritual journaling can be a great way to help you grow spiritually. I have been doing it for years, and I don’t regret it. I’ve written everything from my favorite scriptures, to messages I received from God.
I highly recommend that you give it a try.
What will you use your spiritual journal for?
You might also like:
40 Things to Pray For When You Don’t Know What to Pray
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Do You Accept God’s Grace or Not?
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