Fresh Start With GodSample

I love this quote from Jim Ryun, one of the greatest runners of all time: "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." The same is true when it comes to growing in our spiritual lives. Now that you've begun a relationship with God by making a fresh start, it's important that you grow and become strong in your relationship with Him. We do that by establishing habits and disciplines in our lives that nourish and strengthen us spiritually. Those habits and disciplines play a significant role in helping us mature spiritually and become all that God wants us to be. Six key habits that can move every Christian's life forward: reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, fasting, giving, and serving.

Reading the Bible - God's Word guides us, encourages us, strengthens us, and helps us grow. It's what refreshes our hearts and transforms our minds. The key to a changed life is a changed mind. Make it a habit to spend time in God's Word every day and it will produce results in your life.

Here are some practical tips about reading the Bible:

• Set aside a specific time each day to read the Bible.
• Deal with any attitudes in your heart that might keep you from receiving from God - anger, unforgiveness, pride, jealousy, etc.
• Open your heart and ask God to speak to you.
• Take notes on what you read.
• Start small and be consistent.
• Try a Bible reading plan or a one-year Bible if you don't know where to start.

Praying - Prayer is another spiritual discipline that is so vital to our spiritual growth. When we pray, we receive direction, strength, comfort, encouragement, and so much more. Prayer doesn't have to be fancy or overly spiritual–prayer is simply communicating with God. Having a strong daily prayer life keeps us spiritually vibrant and connected to God. It produces a kind of intimacy, power, and depth to our relationship with God that can't be found in any other way.

In Matthew 6:9-15, Jesus gave us a model for how to pray–"The Lord's Prayer."

• Worship–begin by expressing your love to God.

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…"

• Surrender–commit yourself to doing God's will in every area of your life.

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…"

• Provision–ask God to provide for your daily needs.

"Give us today our daily bread…"

• Forgiveness–ask God to forgive your sins and forgive others.

"Forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors."

• Protection–ask for protection over your life.

"And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one."

Worshiping - The third habit that should be present in every believer's life is worship. Worship is simply expressing our love and devotion to God from the inside out. Worship comes from our heart and mind and is expressed with our soul and our strength. It's not just mentally being focused on God, being spiritually committed to Him, or singing songs to Him–instead, worship is an attitude of the heart, something that radiates from every fiber of our being.

Corporate worship is when we spend time worshiping God together with other believers in the setting of a local church. Personal worship is when we connect with God personally through worship, usually in a daily quiet time. They both play a role in our spiritual growth, so it's important that we make sure we're in church, worshiping with other believers, and also taking time to worship God on a daily basis to experience Him in a personal way.

Fasting - Fasting is something you may not be very familiar with, but it's a powerful spiritual discipline that was practiced in Bible times and is still practiced today by Christians. Fasting is simply giving up food, or other things like television, for a period of time for spiritual purposes. One of the reasons fasting is so powerful is that it pushes our flesh down so that our spirit can grow stronger. "The flesh" refers to the physical and emotional desires of our human nature, also referred to as our "natural man." Fasting helps weaken the grip of the flesh over our life and frees us to focus wholly on strengthening our spirit man.

Why We Fast

• To stay in tune with God and remain sensitized to the Holy Spirit.
• To believe for miracles and supernatural breakthrough.
• To keep our flesh weak and our spirit strong.
• To see bondages broken in our lives - strongholds, addictions, and negative habits (spiritual, physical, emotional or relational).
• To receive healing and restoration.
• To prepare us for new seasons ahead.

Giving - Many people struggle in the area of their finances. Their lives are plagued with stress, frustration, anxiety, fear, and they live constrained and limited by their finances. God wants you to experience total freedom in every area of your life, including your finances. How do we experience God's plan for financial freedom in our lives? There are three biblical principles that I believe have the potential to change your life and your financial situation as you regularly put them into practice: tithe consistently, manage responsibly, and build a spirit of generosity.

Tithing is giving the first 10% of your income to God through your local church. This may be a completely new concept to you. Maybe you've heard of tithing, but thought it was more of a suggestion or an idea that the church came up with. The truth is, the principle of tithing comes straight from God and He instructs us to make tithing a regular part of our lives. It may not be easy to do at first, but obeying God's Word always brings blessings and benefits into our lives.

After we lay a strong foundation for our finances by tithing consistently, it's important that we take the next step toward financial freedom and become responsible managers of what God has given us. We could also call this "stewardship." Stewardship simply means managing something that belongs to someone else. Everything we have is from God and therefore belongs to Him. So, we're really not the owners, we're just the managers of what we've been given. It's our job to take good care of what God has given us. Practical tips for managing finances responsibly:

Know where your money is going.

Live within your means.

Work on getting rid of debt.

Start saving, even if it's just a little.

For many people, a generous spirit is the missing link in their approach to finances. Having a generous spirit isn't just about giving away large sums of money; it's more about the attitude of our hearts and minds. It's choosing to live openhanded, rather than tightfisted. When we have a generous spirit, it spills over into every area of our lives. It shows up in our attitude toward people, the words we speak, and the way we give of our time, talent, and treasure.

Serving - The sixth and final habit we're going to talk about is serving. There is something so significant and so powerful about doing things for other people. When we look at Jesus' life, we see that He lived His entire life with other people in mind. Serving is simply giving of yourself to make life better for someone else. If we want to be like Jesus, serving will be a way of life for us. It's an attitude and a perspective on life that says, what can I do to make a difference for someone else?

The local church is the vehicle that God uses to share His love with the world. We have the amazing opportunity to be a part of that through serving. You don't have to be super spiritual, incredibly talented, or aspiring to full-time ministry to serve in God's House. Being available and having a willing heart is all it takes.

Over the years, serving has brought so many blessings into my own life. Some of the most incredible relationships that I have in my life today have come through serving in God's House. It's a great way to make friends who are heading in the same direction and are passionate about the things of God. Another benefit that comes into our lives when we serve is spiritual growth and maturity. It expands our capacity, develops our gifts - even reveals new ones - and it gives us opportunities to put what we are learning from God into practice. Serving is also one of the best ways to get involved and make the church really feel like your church. There's nothing more rewarding than devoting your time and energy to a cause that is impacting people's lives for eternity.

Reflection Questions

1. Which of the six habits needs the most development in your life?

2. What is one small step you can take today to begin establishing some of these habits in your life?

3. What old habits do you need to get rid of to make room for new habits in your life?

4. If you want to go deeper in studying the six key habits, here are some additional scripture references by topic:

Reading the Bible
Psalm 119
Matthew 4:4
2 Peter 1:3

Praying
Psalm 17:6
Matthew 6:9-15
John 15:7-8
1 John 5:14-15

Worshiping
Psalm 30:4
Psalm 47:1
Psalm 66:1
Psalm 134:2
Psalm 149:3
Acts 4:24

Fasting
Esther 4
Matthew 4:1-4
Luke 2:36-38
Acts 13:2

Giving
Leviticus 27:30
Deuteronomy 14:23
Deuteronomy 15
Proverbs 11:17
Proverbs 13:11
Proverbs 22:7
Proverbs 27:23
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 25:14-30
Luke 16:10
John 10:10
John 3:16
1 Timothy 6:17-19
James 1:17

Serving
Proverbs 11:25
1 Corinthians 12:5-7
1 Corinthians 12:27
Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 4:16
Philippians 2:3