Apicontent

Experience God’s transformation is through “Spiritual Breathing”.

“Exhale”—by confession—sin

“Inhale”—by faith—the Holy Spirit’s control

Being controlled by the Holy Spirit is a moment-by-moment decision. There are going to be times when you are totally Spirit-controlled and then there will also be times when you are self-controlled. Every believer sins and breaks fellowship with the Holy Spirit at times. Broken fellowship does not mean your sins aren’t forgiven. Jesus paid for all your sins on the cross, once and for all—past, present, and future. Broken fellowship means that you are not abiding in Christ, and therefore are not experiencing God’s supernatural power for a life of purpose and joy. When we are in step with the Holy Spirit, our life results in purpose, power, peace, and hope. These are times when we are walking in the Spirit. 

Being controlled by the Holy Spirit is a moment-by-moment decision. Unfortunately, the sinful part of you will always want your own way … the self-controlled way. A self-controlled life usually achieves short-term pleasures, but more often than not the end result is quite often fear, emptiness, loneliness, and eventually despair.

Romans 12:2 encourages us with these words: “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.”

Walking in step with the Spirit results in purpose, power, peace, and hope.

One of the ways you can experience God’s transformation is through a spiritual discipline called “Spiritual Breathing.” A spiritual discipline is a habit or regular pattern in your life that brings you back to God and opens you up to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you.

Years ago, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill Bright, compared walking in the Spirit on a moment-by-moment basis to breathing. When you breathe, you exhale impurities, and inhale pure air and oxygen. In “spiritual breathing,” you “exhale”—by confession—sin, and “inhale”—by faith—the Holy Spirit’s control. 

Exhale: confess your sin—agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it. Confession involves repentance—a change in attitude and behavior.

Inhale: by faith, surrender the control of your life to the Holy Spirit. Trust that He now directs and empowers you.

Jennifer’s Story

It was Labor Day 1972. I had had it! This time I left Jeff for good. I was miserable and in tears as I drove down Roscoe Boulevard on a sunny day in southern California. I needed to talk with someone—anyone who would understand and give me sympathy. Jeff just didn’t understand me. He was oblivious to my needs. So many times I had tried to communicate with him—but he was too busy watching football, or thinking about his career, or just spending time with other people, especially his family.

The tears were streaming down my face as I pulled into the parking lot at Grace Community Church. We had been attending this church for over a year, and had heard the Bible taught by John MacArthur. I had accepted Christ years earlier and had even been door-to-door witnessing—but the reality of Christ in my life was missing. Jeff had actually prayed with me, and talked about Christian things, but I didn’t understand them, nor could I understand him. If Christ was real in his life, why didn’t he pay more attention to my needs and show more love to me?

The fall leaves were blowing around as I pulled my green Volkswagen into a parking space. The church was large and always had a lot of people and staff around. But on that day, as I looked around for someone, I saw no one; not a car, not a person. It was Labor Day and everyone had taken the day off. My tears flowed openly now. Who was I going to get help from? I thought about leaving—and reached for my keys. But then I decided to read a little booklet someone had given me that was sitting on the floor of my car! This little booklet, entitled How to be Filled by the Holy Spirit by Bill Bright, explained how Christ gives us a new nature which is like Him, loving, humble, non-judgmental, patient, and kind. I read the verse that said, “The Lord will fight your battles.” I had always fought my own battles, and I had been battling Jeff. In the midst of my tears, I cried out to God to forgive me for my sins and fill me with his Holy Spirit. In the middle of that prayer an amazing peace overcame me. My tears of sadness and self-pity were replaced with tears of joy and gratitude.

It was in that parking lot on a hot sunny day in southern California that I met my Savior and Lord. I then read in that little pamphlet how I could not just be controlled by the Holy Spirit, but that I could stay controlled on a moment-by-moment basis. The little section in the booklet called “Spiritual Breathing” taught me to “exhale” (or confess) any known sin in my life when I became aware of it, and “inhale” (renew the Spirit’s control) in my life simply by asking. I was a new person! I no longer looked to Jeff as my source of strength and contentment. In fact, he became incidental to my own walk and wonderful new relationship with Christ. Nearly 29 years later, our marriage has blossomed. Jeff saw the change in me and God dealt with him about his need to surrender his life to Christ and yield his life to the Holy Spirit. Now we are actively teaching others how Christ can give them victory in their lives and marriages. Confession involves repentance—a change in attitude and behavior. By faith, surrender the control of your life to the Holy Spirit.

Another Story … from Matt

Although I was a worship leader in my church, I led a double life. I became addicted to pornography at eleven years of age. As my addiction grew, my cravings became more vile and ugly. Soon I was having all-night pornography sessions on the Internet, and even fantasizing about rape. I was out of control. When a godly man told me about the Holy Spirit’s power to break my addiction, I began looking into God’s Word and memorizing its promises. I discovered God’s awesome power to overcome my addiction. My breakthrough came when I began believing and claiming God’s promises.

Now, whenever I am tempted, I think about a promise in God’s Word that applies to that particular temptation. I then simply focus on His Word, and pray for the Holy Spirit to give me strength to overcome. There are really four keys to my victory over the bondage of sin. First, I needed to take the time to memorize and meditate on God’s promises. Second, I confess my sins whenever my thoughts are wrong which is the “Exhale” part of Spiritual Breathing. Third, I surrender my thoughts and actions to the Holy Spirit by telling Him I want to please Him which is the “Inhale” of Spiritual Breathing. Finally, I spend time with my mentor and other Christians who hold me accountable and encourage me in my walk with Christ.

As I’ve applied God’s Word to all areas of my life, I have been free from bondage to sin and addiction. God has blessed me with a wonderful Christian wife and family. My wife and I are now teaching others how memorizing God’s promises can help overcome sin and addiction. I feel so free and joyful now that I have turned my life completely over to the Holy Spirit’s control.

First John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.”

Take some time to watch the four-part video series, “Walk in the Spirit” and read “How to Walk in the Spirit” both available on this App. 

Application

Do you ever find yourself making a choice that you know in your heart is not God-honoring, but that you decide to pursue anyway? Even when you’ve committed your life to Christ, you may not always be living the way God wants you to live. The Bible describes two types of Christians: self-controlled and Spirit-controlled.

Self-controlled

You’ve given your heart to Jesus, but you still make decisions that reflect what you want, not necessarily what God wants? This is a time when you are acting in a self-controlled way, rather than in a Spirit-controlled way.

Spirit-controlled

Being Spirit-controlled requires allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life. It is a decision, a free choice for you to make. Self-controlled behavior is caused by a lack of surrender to Jesus. When we act in a self-controlled way, we are trusting in our own efforts to live the Christian life. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can truly experience God’s best for us and can accomplish His work.

The two thrones below illustrate these two types of individuals. 

The throne on the left illustrates a Christian who has given his/her life to Christ but has chosen to continue to rule his/her own life.

The illustration below depicts a Christian who has put Jesus on the throne of his or her life and is allowing the Holy Spirit to control their choices and behaviors.

When you are SELF-CONTROLLED, all your activities, interests, desires, and choices are dictated by self, leading to a life of frustration and defeat (represented by the arrows going every which way).

Galatians 5:19–21 describes the Christian who has self at the center of his life: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!”

When you are SPIRIT-CONTROLLED, all your activities, interests, desires, and choices are directed by Jesus resulting in harmony with God’s plan, (represented by the uniformity of the arrows). This is the abiding life, a life controlled by the Holy Spirit, which results from being obedient to the Word of God.

Galatians 5:22–23 describes a person who is Spirit-controlled: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Todd’s Story

“For three years I had been consumed with the desire to join the elite drinking club for ‘cool’ guys in my high school … the ‘Mavericks.’ Before coming to Christ, I would have ‘sold my soul’ to have been asked to join. Even though I was now a Christian, I thought it would still be okay to join …I could still follow Christ and belong to this exclusive club. I began to seriously consider going all out for Christ and what it might mean to put aside all the things in my life that were self-destructive. As I was trying to make this decision, I got asked to join the Mavericks! I immediately knew that the stakes were high and that Satan was trying to derail my decision for Christ. I didn’t give him the pleasure: I turned my life completely over to God … and God gave me true freedom … and an awesome life!”

As Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service.”

Take some time to watch the four-part video series “Be Filled With the Holy Spirit” and read “How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit“. Giving your life to the Holy Spirit is a decision … a free choice for you to make. It is done by simply putting your life into the hands of a trustworthy God. Just as you came to Christ by faith for the forgiveness of your sins, you must by faith ask the Holy Spirit to control your life. If you desire for the Holy Spirit to be in control of your life, simply pray the following:

“Heavenly Father, I want You to change my life from being self-controlled into one that is Spirit-controlled. I confess my selfish thoughts and actions, and give You, Holy Spirit, control of my life right now.”

Application

Take some time right now to sit in God’s presence. Ask Him to fill the empty places in your life with Himself. Ask Him to allow you to experience His love and for the Holy Spirit to control you completely.

The moment you surrender your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes in … even if you don’t feel anything. He is there, waiting for you to yield to His power. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability and power to live life the way God wants us to.

However, many believers have mistaken the Holy Spirit’s power for an emotional feeling or euphoria. Sadly, when the emotions and feelings depart … or even fail to materialize in some grand way, they think they have lost the Holy Spirit’s power. They don’t believe God’s promise of Hebrews 13:5: “Never will I leave you; never will I abandon you.”

The power the Holy Spirit brings to you is much more than emotions or feelings … although they may be part of how you experience Him. It is through the Holy Spirit that we receive the ability and power to live life the way God wants us to. When you become a Christian, Jesus does not give you a list of rules to follow. Rather, He empowers you by the Holy Spirit to live an intimate life with Him. Every moment of your life, the Holy Spirit is waiting to guide you into a life of significance for God. He will empower you to abide in Christ, love others, overcome trials and temptation and sin, and live for Him. Every moment of your life, the Holy Spirit is waiting to guide you into a life of significance for God.

The Holy Spirit’s empowers you to:

• abide in Christ
• love others
• overcome trials and sin
• live for Jesus

But … He always allows you free choice. How you act and behave is motivated by what you think. Many people fill their lives by chasing after money, sex, or toys and possessions, thinking it will bring them happiness. And, as a result, they waste their lives. Other people leave God out of their lives because they believe life will be boring. They believe God is against fun … and that He doesn’t care about their dreams. They don’t want to trust Him with their future.

What will you choose?

The Bible tells us that God loves us so much that He desires and plans the very best for our future. In Psalm 37:4 we read, “Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers.”

If you accept God’s Word as truth, you will give all your plans and dreams to God. Then, as He transforms your heart, your purified desires will become compatible with God’s desires for you.

Romans 8:32 says, “Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?”

God desires and plans the very best for your future.

Joni’s Story

Joni Eareckson was an attractive, athletic teenager who had everything going her way in life—until she dove head first into a shallow lake and broke her neck. Joni had trusted Christ for salvation in Young Life, but at the time of her accident, she was living for self-fulfillment. Suddenly her world fell apart. She would never walk or be able to use her hands again! Joni’s faith was shaken. Joni says, “In those first few months after my injury, the promises of God seemed anything but true … How could I be expected to believe in God when everything inside and outside of me screamed just the opposite?” Joni struggled greatly until a friend from Young Life named Steve Estes encouraged her to trust God. Through time, and as she listened to God’s Word, Joni began to believe God’s promises. She overcame her despair … by faith … and today runs an international ministry, Joni and Friends, which shares Christ’s love with disabled people all over the world. “Today as I look back, I am convinced that the whole ordeal of my paralysis was inspired by God’s love. I wasn’t the brunt of some cruel divine joke. God had reasons behind my suffering, and learning some of them has made all the difference in the world.” —Joni, A Step Further

The Bible tells us that it is possible to live a life of incredible influence. What might that look like? Hebrews chapter 11 gives us examples of men and women who trusted God in spite of great adversity and opposition. Living a life of faith pleases God and results in a life of power and victory over our circumstances. Living a life of faith comes from the Holy Spirit’s power.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, when God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He performed many miracles, including drying up the Red Sea so they could escape the armies of Pharaoh. The people of Israel saw God’s mighty hand at work, but soon forgot and began to doubt his promise to provide for their basic needs. As God transforms your heart, your purified desires will become compatible with God’s desires for you. Living a life of faith pleases God. It results in a life of power and victory over our circumstances.

God told the people through Moses that He had a place of rest for them to dwell in, called the Promised Land, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” But all they did was complain and doubt God’s promise. (This story is found in the Bible in Exodus chapters 3 through 20.)

The Israelites sent twelve spies to scout out the land and discovered it to be a paradise “flowing with milk and honey.” But there were also giants there. When the spies came back and reported their findings, only Joshua and Caleb were willing to trust God and face the giants. The other ten scouts were afraid and convinced the doubting Israelites they were unable to overcome the giants. For the next 40 years, they wandered in the wilderness because of their unwillingness to trust God. (Read chapters 13 and 14 in the book of Numbers.)

Read Hebrews chapter 11 in the New Testament of the Bible and write down your thoughts about these men and women who had faith and what you can learn from them.

Application

Take a moment to confess your fear and your lack of trust in God. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and empower you to face your giants!

Have you ever thought about what life is really all about? What you have been created for? Why you are where you are? Does it seem possible to you that God loves you and has a purpose for your life?

Your life matters!

Your life is not an accident! 

Psalm 139:13–18 says: “Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. You knew me thoroughly; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence. How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! How vast is their sum total! If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you.”

Imagine, God’s thoughts toward you outnumber the grains of sand on earth! He cares deeply about you! He planned for you to be here!

However … it’s not all about you! What? 

The Bible teaches that God has a specific plan for you … but that plan is specifically tied to how you fit into His eternal master plan. God has given you the freedom to choose His plan or your own plan. To choose wisely, you must understand how life fits into the big picture of God’s eternal master plan, and you must learn from the choices others have made. It’s important to remember that you have the freedom to choose, but not freedom from the consequences of your choices.

All of creation and history exist for the glory of God. Ultimately, we have been created to know God, to appreciate his divine qualities, and to give ourselves to God in worship and service. The value of our existence is derived from our knowing God and pleasing Him with our lives.

God is your loving Father and He planned and designed you to be His child for all eternity. Ephesians 1:3–6 tells us: “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son.”

You are free to choose God’s plan or your own plan.

The Bible is filled with promises from God about His plans for us. God’s purpose for your life is for you to live as His child! John 1:12 says, “But to all who have received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

As God’s child, He will always love you!

We often do not realize that the Bible is filled with promises from God about His plans for us. Here are just two scriptures that tell us about God’s design for our lives.

Ephesians 2:10 encourages us with these words, “For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.”

Ephesians 4:11–16 teaches: “And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love.”

God wants you to live in such a way that you will experience His best, which He has planned for all eternity.

God has a specific job for you to do. He wants your life to fit in with His master plan. He wants you to advance His purposes. God wants you to live in such a way that you will experience His best, which He has planned for all eternity. Whatever your situation, your choice matters. God wants you to submit to His plan for your life.

Second Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!”

In Jeremiah 29:11 we are told, “For I know what I have planned for you,” says the Lord. “I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.”

Application

God loves you. Did you know that? Plain and simple. Right to the point. God loves you! And He wants to have a relationship with you! 

It’s hard to imagine that the God of the universe cares about each one of us individually, but it’s true! God’s love extends to each and every person … and that includes you! There may be times when you don’t feel like God loves you, or when the circumstances of your life are overwhelming and it seems as if God doesn’t care, but the fact remains that God’s love extends beyond all of our circumstances.

God made you in his image—you are His highest creative work! Genesis 1:27 tells us, “God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” You are precious to Him. Luke 12:7 says, “Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” And God is going to love you forever! Psalm 13:5 declares, “I trust in your faithfulness. May I rejoice because of your deliverance!”

God’s love for you isn’t dependent upon your performance for Him. God’s love for you flows out of His very nature. Psalm 119:76 says, “May your loyal love console me, as you promised your servant.” Jeremiah 31:3 reminds us, “In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them. He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’”

God is love. God’s love is so great that He gave his only Son to bring us into a relationship with Him. God’s love not only encompasses the world, but embraces each of us personally and intimately.

First John 4:9–10 explains: “By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

In The Nature of God’s Great Love, Robert Wells writes, “The sad truth is that even though many people today have heard that God loves them, they simply don’t believe it. They just cannot understand or comprehend the reality of God’s love in their lives. They can’t grasp something they cannot see. They haven’t learned how to recognize it and experience it and therefore they don’t know how to embrace it, nurture it, grow in it, or truly enjoy it. And without knowing and realizing that God loves us we cannot possibly have hope in our lives. We will not be aware of the purpose or the meaning that God wants us to have concerning our lives. God wants us to know a lot about him, but the most important thing that he wants us to know about him is the tremendous and awesome love that he has for each and every one of us. That is why the apostle John could write in 1 John 4:8, ‘The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love’” (http://robertwells.tripod.com/godislove.html). 

God’s love is not based upon attraction or performance. It is totally sacrificial and unselfish.

Are you measuring God’s love for you by your present circumstances—either good or bad? The truth is your circumstances are always changing because of daily experiences, relationships, and choices. Maybe you feel as though God is not answering your prayers. God is answering your prayers, but in His way and in His time. His great love for you sees the big picture of your life. You can’t do anything to get God to stop loving you!

Not one of us knows why God loves us. We just can see that God’s love is radically different from ours. It is not based upon attraction or performance. It is totally sacrificial and unselfish. Jesus compared God’s love with the love of a perfect father. A good father wants the best for his children, sacrifices for them, and provides for them. And, in their best interests, he also disciplines them. John 1:12 tells us, “But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children.” God created you to have life that is flooded with meaning and purpose.

You may be thinking, “Yes, I know that God is love, and that I am his creation, but my sin is too great, I’ve failed God too many times. I’ve broken too promises. I’ve made too many poor choices. I’ve walked away from God more times than I can count.” But the good news is that God never says, “That’s it, no more love! I’ve had it with you!” God’s everlasting love means that you can’t do anything to get God to stop loving you!

Robert Wells puts it this way, “God hates our sin, but even as we are sinning he still loves us with that perfect unconditional love. It is a love that is simply beyond the comprehension of the human mind.”

Man’s inability to understand God’s great love is probably best described by Paul in Ephesians 3:19, “a love which surpasses all knowledge.”

In Romans 8:38–39, Paul tells us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Experiencing God’s love requires that you place your life in God’s hands. You need to ask forgiveness of your sins and then ask God to come into your life. If you truly ask God to come into your life and give you guidance, He will! Ask Him to show you the path that He wants you to take and ask Him to help you get started.

Tell Him that you want to trust Him completely with your life and that you want Him to take the lead as you live your life.

Are there times when your life just feels empty? Nothing you have tried satisfies the inner void you feel? God can fill that void and change you in a moment. He created you to have life that is flooded with meaning and purpose. 

Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” —John 10:10.

Perhaps things are going well for you in life, but you are restless or lack peace. You realize that you are separated from God’s love and forgiveness and you fear His judgment.

Jesus also said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.” —John 14:27.

So whether you are simply tired of a life of empty pursuits or are troubled by a lack of peace, the answer still comes down to having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

When you put your trust in Jesus Christ, God will forgive you of all your sins—past, present, and future. You will become His child. He will give you purpose and meaning in life on earth. All of God’s children have the promise of eternal life with Him. God’s love is not based on how good you are or how you feel, it is grounded in His nature of love. His love is part of who He is.

Application

Take some time right now to sit in God’s presence. Ask Him to fill the empty places in your life with Himself. Ask Him to allow you to experience His love.

In order to have a great relationship with God, you need to spend time with Him every day! Just like with your human relationships, the purpose of spending time with God is to get to know and understand Him better.

“I just want to make a difference!” How many times have you heard that … from others and also from yourself? Most people want to know that their lives are significant, that they matter, that they are important. Each one of our contributions to the world around us is different, but each one matters! For the Christian, a life of true significance begins with a close, personal relationship with God.

Everything we are and everything we do is grounded in the relationship that we have with our heavenly Father. The more time that we spend with God, the more we will know and understand His plan for our life. Consistency is critical. Just as plants grow well with daily sunlight and water, we too will grow well when we spend time daily in God’s Word. Plants don’t do well with gallons of water one day and then no water for an entire week. That is how it works for us in our relationship with God as well.

We can gain a lot by spending a lot of time in God’s Word … but then if we don’t spend any time with God for a week, we may find ourselves “wilting.” The bottom line is that in order to have a great relationship with God, we need to spend time with Him every day! Just like with our human relationships, the purpose of spending time with God is to get to know and understand Him better.

“Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” —John 15:9–10

We’ve already spent a lot of time talking about the importance of hearing, reading, studying, meditating on, and memorizing God’s Word. We also discussed how taking time to pray makes a huge difference in our lives. So by now, you should be spending at least some time with God. Hopefully this is enjoyable for you! It may not always be easy, but as you develop a daily discipline of spending time with God, you will find yourself not only growing closer to Him, but also experiencing His power in new ways. 

When you spend time with God every day you will be more in tune with what He wants for your life. You will be able to get your mind off the world and worries around you and focus on His faithfulness to you. You will find it easier to worship Him and to experience His great love and power. 

Set reasonable goals for your time with God so that you can maintain spending time with Him every day. Maybe it’s only 15 minutes in the morning, or 20 minutes at lunch time. If you don’t have more time than that, don’t set a goal for 30 or 40 minutes … you will become discouraged and frustrated. Ask God to give you the desire and discipline to take that time with Him every day. Keep it simple. The goal of your time with God is to try to grow closer to Him. It’s not to check off your list. Don’t add extra burdens to this focus. “I have to make at least 15 observations.” “I have to write at least 5 pages in my journal.” “I have to pray for at least 45 minutes.” The goal is to spend time with God and to grow closer to Him.

Don’t be disappointed when progress in your Christian life doesn’t happen as quickly as you would like it to. Growing as a Christian is a lifelong process! God is patient, and He will never take His love away from you. Remember, the Holy Spirit will empower you when you choose to obey Him.

Your daily time with God is time to look to Him and listen to Him as He speaks to you through His Word. Plan a specific time and place the night before. Have your journal that you are using for Bible study and prayer ready. You don’t necessarily have to write something every day. There are no rules or pressure. Simply enjoy His presence and wait for His direction. 

When we spend time with God every day, we are able to experience His power. We are able to find His strength. When you take time out of your day to specifically spend time with God, you are intentionally acknowledging His presence in your life.

Ephesians 3:20 promises: “Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think.”

Isaiah 40:31 says: “But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.”

God gives you this great promise that you can make yours every single day: “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear, but of power and love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7)

When we spend time with God every day, we are reminded of who He is and His great love for us. God is with you every moment of every day and night! When you finish your specific time with Him, ask the Lord to come with you wherever you are going next. Make it a definite invitation. “Lord, I’m going to go to work now. Would you please come with me?” Of course, He is going to be with you, but this will remind you of His very real presence.

Application

Pick a time that will work for you to spend time with God, and stick to it for the next week. Record the ways God directs and leads you during this time.

Blessing comes through obedience. There’s no other way to put it. It is only when we obey God and live life His way that we truly experience Him and all that He has to offer us.

Obedience is a key concept in how we relate to Almighty God. Our obedience comes out of our relationship with Him; we obey Him because we love Him!

“I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God.” —Ephesians 3:16–19

That’s what we all want … to experience God’s power, and His love, and His grace. But all of that blessing comes through obedience.

The entire Bible is full of evidence that God is serious about obedience. He wants us to obey Him. If you type “obey” into the keyword search on the online Bible reference Bible Gateway (www.biblegateway.com), you will come up with more than 200 references … here are just a few:

“Then Samuel said, ‘Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams.’” —1 Samuel 15:22

“You must obey him and keep his commandments and statutes that I am giving you today.” —Deuteronomy 27:10

“Give me understanding so that I might observe your law, and keep it with all my heart.” —Psalm 119:34

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” —Luke 11:28

If we’re really honest, the main problem for us when it comes to our obedience of God is not ignorance, it is defiance …we don’t obey God because we don’t want to. That’s a tough admission. The Bible records a consistent recurring scenario: God’s people do not listen to Him, they do not take Him seriously, and they repeatedly disobey His commands. After a period of time God punishes them. And as a result, they experience terrible, serious, and painful consequences. This happens over and over and over. “They would not listen” is a tragic, common phrase in the Old Testament!

Are you serious about trusting and obeying our loving heavenly Father? Unfortunately, many Christians look, dress, act, talk, lie, cheat, and participate in the same godless activities as non-Christians, and therefore our ability to impact our hurting world is seriously compromised. The question is not “What does God want me to do?” but, “Am I willing to do what God wants me to do?” 

Never think that your relationship with God is a matter of Him saving you and then handing you a bunch of rules to obey! That is simply dead religion. A relationship with God brings about a changed life, a desire to do what He wants you to do that stems from your relationship with your heavenly Father! 

We cannot obey God in our own strength. It is because of our relationship with Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit motivates and empowers us to obey Him! Our act of obedience is to surrender our lives to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to make us Christ-like.

As an example, let’s consider love for a moment. On our own, it can be almost impossible sometimes to love others. But because of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is actively at work in giving us His supernatural love for others. God’s love is forgiving rather than judgmental, patient rather than irritable, and compassionate rather than easily angered and embittered towards others. We obey God’s command to love others through the Holy Spirit working in us.

Many Christians are able to put on a good front, which appears loving, while holding deep grudges and resentments inside. Christ’s love is totally different; it begins on the inside. When we confess our sin of resentment, God’s love takes over.

Galatians 2:20 explains it this way:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Biblical obedience is be enabled when we surrender to the control of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be accomplished in any other way! 

Application

Choose one area where you are disobeying your heavenly Father and find a verse of scripture to memorize and apply to that area of your life. Thank God for the Holy Spirit’s power to help you become more obedient.

Additional Study

Soul Prescription: Experience True Healing and Freedom by Bill Bright & Henry Brandt. God longs to see you living in the joy and freedom that He promises in his Word, but sometimes we choose poorly and end up with destructive habits. This book presents a unique, methodical, and biblically based approach to eliminating sin habits so that you can live a victorious Christian life.

Grace Rules by Steve McVey. There’s a big difference between living by the rules and letting God’s grace rule you. If you’re living by the rules, you’ll always be exhausted. You’ll feel that you’re not doing enough for God and that if you don’t quite measure up, He will be displeased with you. But God never meant for the Christian life to be that way! His love for us isn’t based on how we perform for Him. He sent Christ to set us free from rules. He didn’t call us to serve Him in our own feeble power, but to let His power flow through us—a power that is without limit! What’s more, this power is already available to us right now. God has provided everything we need for a truly meaningful, joy-filled life here on earth—all because of His marvelous grace. Rest in God’s grace, and let Him live through you—because grace rules!

When you invited Jesus into your life, you became a part of God’s family! When we are joined together with other believers who are growing in Christ, we encourage one another and help one another stay focused on our mutual faith. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is; how smart you are; what kind of job you have; if you are a man, woman, teenager, or child; or how much money or stuff you have …you are part of the family of God. And you need to get to know the other members of your family!

“So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” —Ephesians 2:19–22

You, along with all other Christians of all time, make up what is known as the body of Christ, the Church. Jesus made a promise to you and me. When we come together, with Him as our focus … He is there:

“For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.” —Matthew 18:20

Every part of the body of Christ is important. And every part is interrelated. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. One of the main reasons many Christians live defeated lives is that they have isolated themselves from other believers. They think they can go it alone. That they can stay connected to Christ without being connected to His body, which is made up of other believers. It is important that you find a church or some type of group of Christians to connect with in order to grow in your relationship with God. 

Throughout the New Testament of the Bible, Paul tells the early Christians that they are each vital “parts” of the “body of Christ.” The need to stay committed to God and to each other. The commitment of the early church was so strong, and their love for one another so great, that within three hundred years, Christianity spread throughout the entire Roman Empire. Those Christians truly changed their world for Christ!

Every part of the body of Christ is important. And every part is interrelated.  

Think about your personal, physical body for a moment … every part has an important function and every part is interconnected.

Likewise, the body of Christ is also interconnected. There is a very important passage in the Bible that talks about this interconnectedness of the body of Christ. Read this passage and then write down what the Holy Spirit puts on your heart.

“For in fact the body is not a single member, but many. If the foot says, ‘Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,’ it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. And if the ear says, ‘Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,’ it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. If they were all the same member, where would the body be? So now there are many members, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you,’ nor in turn can the head say to the foot, ‘I do not need you.’ On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential, and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity, but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member, so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another. If one member suffers, everyone suffers from it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it.” —1 Corinthians 12:14–27

Think about how this perspective keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. No matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. Our heavenly Father has given each one of us distinctive gifts that are needed in the body of Christ.

You are a part of Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this! Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. Some of the “parts” that God has formed in his Church, which is his “body” are: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, organizers, those who pray in tongues. But it’s obvious by now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete body and not a gigantic, unidimensional part? It’s not all Apostle, not all prophet, not all miracle workers, not all healers, not all prayer in tongues, not all interpreters of tongues. And yet some sometimes we want to compete for so-called “important” parts.

Coming together with other believers in Christ’s name is similar to hot coals, which keep each other hot when lumped together. However, a coal that is separated from the others will soon grow cold. Like logs burning in the fireplace when you separate them, the fire goes out. You need to be connected to other believers in order to be encouraged to continue your relationship with God and for you to encourage others! Each person is a unique creation of God. Our heavenly Father has given each one of us distinctive gifts that are needed in the body of Christ.  

Refer back to the 1 Corinthians passage above:

Satan is very clever in convincing many Christians that they are not important to Christ’s work on earth. Many leave the job of doing God’s work to those with gifts that are more obvious or appreciated. God’s Word is clear that each gift is vital to his kingdom!

Application

Additional Study

You Were Made for More by Jim Cymbala. This book will help you come to a deeper understanding of the nature and character of God and how He works in the lives of His children. Some relate to God as a stern judge instead of as a loving Father. Some struggle with the idea that growing in faith entails doing more—more studying, more serving, more Bible reading. All you really need is a closer relationship with God—He’ll do the rest!

In one way, your role in the church is similar to a player on a basketball, football, or soccer team. Unless each player uses his skill and talent to play, the game could be lost. To win, each player must do their own job well. As an important part of God’s team, you need to play the position He has gifted you to play!

Prayer is one of the most incredible privileges we have. We actually are invited to come directly into God’s presence and talk with Him about whatever is on our hearts and minds. And He promises to listen and respond! Prayer is the means God uses to give you what He wants for you. God does not just respond to your prayers; He responds to you as a person.

People “pray” all the time these days! But who are they praying to and what are they praying about? When you are praying, God is listening … and He will answer. Is it important to you? The dictionary actually defines prayer as, “An act of communion with God, or another object of worship, such as in devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving.” Hmm … does it seem to you that the people you know are “communing” with God? Are they praying with “devotion”? Prayer is when we take the time to talk with God! The God of the universe! The God who created you! The God who has all of the answers to all of life’s questions!

Suppose you were having lunch with a friend one day and your cell phone rang.

You answer and an unfamiliar voice calls out your name.

You ask, “Who is this?”

The response? “I’m your heavenly Father. I’m calling to talk with you because you’re my child … and I haven’t heard from you for a while!”

Prayer for the Christian is really a conversation with God!

But the “conversation” can be a little tricky, because sometimes it feels like a one-way deal: Us talking and God listening. It takes a measure of sensitivity to hear God’s responses back to us!

God wants you to know Him so well that you will always feel like talking to Him … even when you sin. Prayer is one of the most incredible privileges we have. We actually are invited to come directly into God’s presence and talk with Him about whatever is on our hearts. And He promises to listen!

Prayer is when we take the time to talk with God … the God who has all of the answers to all of life’s questions.

When you invited Jesus into your life, you began a relationship with God that is very personal and intimate. All relationships need good communication to be healthy. Jesus’ death for you on the cross made it possible for you to talk directly with your Father in heaven. Your Father wants you to seek His guidance, comfort, peace, and intimate companionship at all times … not just when you want things. He actually desires your companionship!

Dan DeHaan, in his book The God You Can Know, was hard at work in his office one day when his son opened the closed door, came in and sat down quietly. Dan asked, “What do you want?” The boy said “I didn’t want anything, I just wanted to be with you.” He didn’t want money, he didn’t want to go out that night, he didn’t want help with his homework. No, he said, “I just wanted to be with you.” Have you ever felt that way about God? We so often just barge into His presence, reel off our selfish list of wants and take off! God wants you to know Him so well that you will always feel like talking to Him … even when you sin.

Prayer is a dialogue between two persons who love each other. It is a means God uses to give you what He wants for you. God does not just respond to your prayers; He responds to you as a person. W. B. Hunter, in his book, The God Who Hears, said, “Prayer is not a blank check which can be cashed for anything we have enough faith for… we must learn to want what we get!”

All relationships need good communication to be healthy. Your Father wants you to seek His guidance, comfort, peace, and intimate companionship at all times … not just when you want things.

Why pray? The Bible is filled with reasons and promises regarding our conversation with God:

• God wants us to pray. “Be devoted to prayer.” —Colossians 4:2
• God is listening. “Come to me in prayer.” —Jeremiah 29:12
• God answers our prayers. “I will respond, I will hear.” —Isaiah 65:24
• God wants an intimate relationship with us. “Draw near to God.” —James 4:8
• God wants to bless us. “Your Father … gives good gifts.” —Matthew 7:11
• God wants to meet our needs. “Receive mercy and find grace.” —Hebrews 4:16
• God wants us to be protected. “Stay awake and pray.” —Matthew 26:41
• God wants to conform our perspectives, desires, and will to be like Jesus Christ. “Clothe yourself with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” —Colossians 3:12
• God’s kingdom is built through prayer. “Above all, pursue his kingdom and righteousness.” —Matthew 6:33

Prayer is sharing your heart with your heavenly Father, who desires a relationship with you.

Our relationship to God is as a child to a parent! The act of prayer is to have fellowship with our heavenly Father! Relating to God as your loving Father prevents legalism, fear, a critical spirit, or jealousy. An incorrect concept of God will bring forth an incorrect response to Him. It is important to see Him as He is! When you pray you have the incredible privilege of talking with the King of the Universe! You can actually know Him and have His guidance and protection made real to you. Our lack of influence and fruitfulness is primarily because we don’t really believe that God can and will act on our behalf!

Prayer is the natural result of meaningful time in the Scriptures where God reveals himself to us. It is there we learn that God wants us to think of Him as our Father. The term “Father” is applied to God 189 times in the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) alone! Prayer is one way God reveals His will to us, and where personal battles and battles for others are won.

“I, the LORD, do these things. I, the LORD, form the plan to bring them about. I am known as the LORD. I say to you, ‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.’” —Jeremiah 33:2–3

James 4:2 tells us, “You do not have because you do not ask.”

Almighty God is our heavenly Father and He wants us to talk to Him. Prayer is not the end in itself, but the means used to know and develop intimate fellowship with God! The Holy Spirit helps us pray. Faith makes our prayers effective. God’s Word teaches us who God is and how to pray. Prayer is the means whereby God moves in the accomplishment of His mighty operations on the earth. We can’t fully understand this enormously important concept, but we can believe it.

The Bible records many specific, detailed examples of prayer making a difference in the real world. It is the major means of becoming a fruitful witness for Christ. Someone once said, “The divine order is first to talk to God about men, and then to talk to men about God.” When you are praying, God is listening … and He will answer.

Take time to listen for God’s response—through His Word, through other people, through an idea or thought brought to mind by the Holy Spirit. Pay attention to God’s answers!

Application

Additional Study

Author and speaker Evelyn Christenson was known for her passion for prayer and the gospel of Jesus Christ. She wrote many books; two great books to add to your collection of spiritual helps would be What Happens When Women Pray and What Happens When God Answers Prayer.

Related Lessons from Series Two: Empowered by Christ

Pray with Confidence

We serve a great God! And that great God loves us unconditionally and wants what is best for us! God is your perfect heavenly Father and you can pray with confidence knowing that He is listening and will answer your prayers!

(Go to lesson)

Different Ways to Pray

We can pray in many ways! The important thing is to take time to be still with God. Enjoy His presence. Allow Him to speak quietly to you. Let the Holy Spirit fill you. Take time to be with Him every day.

(Go to lesson)

This next series of lessons is about the Bible and the importance of using it to grow in your relationship with God.

Many Christians say they love God and want to know Him better, but they don’t do anything to actually learn more about Him. They say they want to serve God, but they don’t take the time to read His Word to find out just how to do that. Take time to read the Bible—it will encourage you every day and strengthen your relationship with God!

By taking the time to read God’s Word on a regular basis, you will grow spiritually and be able to stand firm when difficulties and deceptions come into your life. Every moment of every day your mind is flooded with information … most of it from the world’s viewpoint. The Bible is the primary way that God communicates his desires for His people to His people! The Bible is nothing less than the words God himself chose for us to hear! The Bible is God’s “Road Map” for your life. The Bible is your guide to righteousness peace and stability.

Your life and the decisions you make are greatly influenced by what goes into your mind and heart. In order for God’s viewpoint to prevail in your life, you must really study God’s Word … and not just for a few minutes each day. 

The Bible is not just one big book, but actually a collection of 66 smaller books written over a period of at least 1600 years by about 40 different authors. Everything the authors wrote was inspired by God.

God will not love you more because you read the Bible, but the Bible is His way of helping you to grow in your relationship with Him. Your relationship with God has been sealed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ … now it’s time to learn more about God! By taking the time to read God’s Word on a regular basis, you will grow spiritually and be able to stand firm when difficulties and deceptions come into your life.

If you received a special letter or email from God … telling you how much He loves you … giving you guidance and direction for your daily issues … would you read it? Would you keep it, treasure it, memorize it, and continually think about it … like a letter you receive from one of your cherished friends? That’s exactly what the Bible is … God’s letter to you! 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.” —Colossians 3:16

“Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” —2 Peter 1:20–21

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.” —Hebrews 4:12

In the early 1700s (!) author Matthew Henry said: “If you want to get close to God, you must study his Word.” The Bible is the primary means that you have to know God and what He wants for your life.

The whole Bible can be summed up in five words: Preparation, Presentation, Propagation, Explanation, and Consummation. As we look at all of scripture, we find that the whole Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Preparation—The entire Old Testament

Presentation to the world—The Gospels

Propagation to the world—Acts

Explanation of how to live for Him—The Epistles

Consummation of everything in Him—Revelation

The Bible is God’s “Road Map” for Your Life

If you were trying to drive to a distant small town you had never been to before … would you drive by your emotions and instincts … or would you look at a road map? While the road map won’t tell you what’s just around the curve, or how bumpy the road is … it will keep you from heading in the wrong direction, giving you guidance for your trip.

The Bible provides the “road map” for your journey with God. It gives you God’s wonderful promises for each step of the way.

“The road of life can be a baffling route indeed: smooth at times, but sometimes full of potholes…one day a well-marked expressway, the next a maze of detours. But your heavenly Father has provided a road map—the Bible—to keep you moving in the right direction.” —Closer Walk New Testament

Every day you do things out of habit. You get up, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, go to school, go to work, etc. In order to make God’s Word part of your life—you need to make it one of your daily habits. Pick a time, then pick a quiet spot and spend time reading the Bible and thinking about how it applies to your life. Once you have done it for thirty days, you will have established a habit that will change your life!

God’s Viewpoint

The Bible gives you God’s answers to all of life’s most important questions regarding:

God’s Nature

Your Purpose

How to Grow in Christ

Moral Decisions

Relationships / Sex

Emotions / Comfort

Trials / Death

Henry Brandt and Kerry Skinner once wrote, “Your love for God is demonstrated by the place that His commandments occupy in your life. You must study His Word to learn what His commandments are.”

To follow God’s Word as life’s guidebook requires a familiarity with the commandments and a keen sense of the place that they have in God’s order. A serious study of the Bible will give you an understanding of what God requires of you and what you can expect from God … for it is the Bible that is the guide to righteousness, peace, and stability.

Application

Additional Study

You may find it helpful to obtain a copy of What the Bible Is All About by Henrietta Mears. Dr. Mears was one of the great Bible teachers of the 20th Century. As Christian Education Director at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, she built one of the largest Sunday Schools in the world and wrote a curriculum that was in such high demand that to publish it she founded her own publishing company! Such notable Christian leaders as Richard C. Halverson, Luis Evans Jr., and Bill Bright were among her students. Dr. Billy Graham once said of her, “She is certainly one of the greatest Christians I have ever known.”