Over the years, I have known many Christians whose spiritual lives have ground nearly to a halt. Oh yes, they still love God and are determined to live their lives for Jesus Christ. But their inner fire seems to have gone out. Their devotional lives are dry, and ministry efforts feel more like a duty than a joy. If that describes you (or someone you know and want to help), read on for a spiritual recharge, kind of a heavenly shot in the arm. Here are seven simple, biblical prescriptions for such a spiritual “jump start”.
Mark 9:20-24...(23) [Jesus said,] “Everything is possible for him who believes.” (24) Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
(1) ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED.
•• The
father did believe in Jesus’ ability to heal
his son. But he also openly confessed that his faith wasn’t at the level he
knew it should be. So he cried out to Jesus, “Help me overcome my unbelief!”
•• You
know full well if you need a personal spiritual renewal. And it is just as
certain that the Lord knows it! But as the father did in these verses, you would do well to voice your need to the Lord. Just be
open and transparent before Him. Here are some possible examples.
• “Lord, I do love you, but I’m
kind of dry right now and need your help to recover my joy.”
• “Lord, I believe the Bible, but
I’m having a hard time really expecting some of its promises to work for me.”
• “Lord, I know I should pray; help me to get back on track
and do it.”
••
God will certainly honor this type of humble, honest, sincere confession to the
Lord of our need for a personal awakening within.
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Psalm 85:6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
(2) ASK the Lord for a PERSONAL REVIVAL.
•• In
essence you are saying, “Lord, I want revival, but it will have to start with a revival in my own heart. And only you can cause that to happen.”
• Make
this appeal on the very personal level. Appropriate the verse for yourself: “Lord, will you not revive me again?”
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Psalm 51:1-4, 10 [King David, under conviction over his adultery with Bathsheba] Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. [2] Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. [3] For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. [4] Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight ... [10] Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
(3) Seek God to FORGIVE, to CLEANSE, and to burn out the CHAFF in your life.
This, of
course, applies broadly to all of us who fall short of Jesus’ perfect stature. But
the context of these verses is speaking of sin in our lives that has not yet been dealt with and repented
of before God. Like the Song of
Solomon’s “little
foxes that spoil the vines” (2:15), even seemingly small,
often hidden areas of carnality can spoil our own personal vineyards. With all your heart,
soul, and mind, cry out to God: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” And the clear conscience resulting from genuine
repentance can be a springboard to personal awakening, spiritual
renewal, and growth. Without this clear conscience, it is not possible to move
forward in a vibrant walk with God.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. [3] He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
(4) Are You Recognizing God’s HUMBLING, TESTING, and TEACHING?
You may be
experiencing hard times in your personal “desert”. But not all hard times can be blamed on the
devil. Sometimes
God in His
all-knowing wisdom is humbling us, testing us, and teaching us in the midst of
troubling circumstances. A difficult
time in your life may be permitted by God “in order to know what [is] in your heart” (vs. 2). The verses above show that at times God may even lead His people into a
desert experience “to test
you ...
whether or not you would keep his commands” (vs. 2). Vs. 3 indicates that God is wanting “to teach you that man ... [lives] ... on every word ... of the Lord”. Have you begun to neglect your time in God’s word, the Bible? If so, remember God’s “teaching”
lesson — that is, that we will find true life in God’s word.
Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
(5) REJOICE in the LORD!
At first
glance, if you are in need of a personal spiritual renewal, this may sound
empty, like someone telling you, “Be warmed; be fed”, but failing to give you the clothing or food you
need. But in reality, according to
Christian counseling professional Dr. Jay Adams, rejoicing in the Lord is a powerful prescription for recovery from a downward emotional or
spiritual spiral. If you are feeling spiritually dry, cast down, or stagnant, determine to rejoice in your heart before the Lord.
Don’t dwell on your circumstances, but rather rejoice in Him. Praise Him, worship Him,
declare to Him how blessed and glad you are to have Him as your heavenly
Father, and Jesus as your Savior. And you will find that any heaviness of soul will begin to lift as
you put on the “garment
of praise”
(Isaiah 61:3).
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
(6) Consciously CAST your CARES on the LORD.
This takes
personal discipline, and it is not intuitive or easy for many of us who tend to
internalize our worries, cares, and
anxieties. But much relief
can come to our souls as we deliberately cast our cares upon the Lord, asking Him to resolve them and to bring aid, comfort
and encouragement to us. If we don’t do this, the opposite process often takes place, and we are “choked with [the] ... cares of this life” (Luke 8:14, KJV), we are “choked by life’s worries” (Luke 8:14, NIV). And then our
personal spiritual growth takes a distant back seat to the stresses of modern
life.
Matthew 3:11 I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
(7) Finally, look to JESUS for a RENEWED BAPTISM “with the HOLY GHOST and FIRE”.
There is a
“fire” that is kindled within us via
the baptism with
the Holy Spirit.
If you’ve not received the powerful baptism with the Holy Spirit,
with the evidence of speaking in tongues, look to Jesus to grant you that
experience, with its heaven-sent infusion of power (Acts 1:5,8). If you have already been baptized
with the Spirit, ask Jesus for a rekindling in you of the fire you once felt. Jesus intends that
we “keep our
lamps
burning” (Luke 12:35), so He will surely
give us the ability to do that if we ask Him.
Summary of Seven Principles for Spiritual Renewal:
1)
Acknowledge your need (Mark 9:24).
2)
Seek the Lord for personal revival (Psalm 85:6).
3)
Pursue forgiveness and cleansing from all sin (Psalm 51:1-4,10).
4)
Consider if God is perhaps humbling, testing, and teaching you in your current
“desert” experience (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).
5)
Rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4).
6)
Cast your cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7).
7)
Seek to be continuously filled
with the Holy Spirit and fire (Ephesians 5:18; Matthew 3:11).
Follow these principles while remaining faithful in prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance, and you will find that personal awakening and spiritual renewal are ready and waiting for you!
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