Journey: A New Believer's Guide to Spiritual GrowthSample

No Spiritual Fasting!

Going without food is hard! Ever fasted for a day or two? It's really, really hard. In today's reading, Jesus had gone 40 days without eating. Can you believe that? Forty days! Most of us get hungry every four hours! 

In today’s reading, Satan is tempting Jesus to eat food, but Jesus responds with the Word of God. Jesus is saying there's more to us than the physical. He's saying that if someone wants to survive, they have to do more than put food in their mouth. They need to eat spiritual food for their spirit person. 

He's also saying that spiritual food comes from God. Jesus is demonstrating that if we want to be at our best, we have to feed our spiritual person not just our physical body. 

 How is your spiritual person doing? Do you have spiritual fatigue? Do you find it hard to hear from God or to be motivated to pray or read the Bible? Sometimes it just takes diving in and jump-starting your spiritual life. Get some extra spiritual calories today by reading a little more and praying a little longer. 

Take time to pray about your spiritual health. Use this list as a guide:  

• Spiritual discernment (hearing God's voice)  
• Spiritual purity (holiness)  
• Spiritual worship (gratitude)  
• Spiritual service (loving others)  
• Spiritual passion (zeal for God)  
• Spiritual faith (trust in God)

Take the next few minutes to think about God in eternity. Think of what heaven would be like. The Bible describes it as a place where angels worship him both day and night. He is also described as unapproachable light. It's a place of complete perfection. Shut out the challenges and trials of this earth and put your complete attention on Jesus. 

Prayer: Lord, show me your heart today. Help me to understand your ways and uncover anything that needs to change in me. Help me to love others the way you love them. Use me today as your instrument in the world. In Jesus' name, Amen.