SPIRITUAL HEALTH
We are in the middle of a week of fasting and prayer. Acts 13:2 says in part, "After they were worshiping and fasting the Holy Spirit said”. The truth of this text is if you want to be Spirit led, if you want to hear from God worshipping is part of it but there must be fasting as well.
Far too many people never fast and miss out on Spirit given direction. At key moments in life how crucial it is to hear from God. In those times of decision how important it is to know you are being Spirit led. I would call this a reminder from God more an insight. I have fasted long enough to know this is true but it is always good to be reminded, especially when you are in the middle of a fast.
When you go without food you realize how much you think about food. In fact, for many people the beginning of the year is a heightened time of food focus. The number one New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get healthy.
So many people are on some type of diet where they are watching everything they eat. They put an incredible amount of energy and focus into planning each meal, scheduling their workouts and analyzing their progress. I have spent my life believing and promoting healthy living. From my athletic career to the present day I have always tried to eat well and exercise. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should take care of the only one we will have on this earth.
However, what if the same amount of focus was put on our spiritual health. When you fast there is no focus on food only focus on the prayer. It is a very spiritually enlightening experience. In the end the spiritual is more important than the physical. I Timothy 4:8 tells us, “For physical training is of some value but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
This year try focusing on your spiritual health. Try planning your devotional times, picking what Bible studies you will take, sacrificing to tithe faithfully, risking enough to invite friends to church, identifying what ministry you will serve in and committing to consistent church attendance. If we put as much effort into our spiritual health as our physical health, 2017 could really be an incredible year.
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