As a child of God it is critical to cultivate a strong relationship with The Father. This must be practical not merely sentimental.
Prayer must be honest relevant and purifying. Our greatest need is a pure and contrite heart. But this comes with a fiery searching blaze of God’s refining fire. It attacks our self-centeredness and crushes the ego we so much protect and resent at the same time. The paradox of our willingness and unwillingness to let go our pride is a gridlock to our spiritual growth. Only an inspired intentional and intense fellowship with God can help us allow him wrestle ourselves from ourselves.
Satan knows this so he does all he does to prevent such regular encounters with God: he makes us busy with work, husband, wife, children, friends, “church”, financial pursuits, and many “very important things” we can not trade for a painful flesh-killing regular encounter with the lover of our souls. The hater works hard to excuse us from meeting the lover! You must breakthrough this blockade. My dear, give yourself to true prayer…much of it.
Secondly, understand that the Bible is God’s solemn word and the only true access to his mind, purpose and will. If you loved God, you would love his word; no excuses. So, at least engage the spirit of the word through:
1. Effective daily quiet time for daily guidance in his will
2. Monthly personal thorough Bible studies for in-depth understanding of the word so you are not carried away by the so many misleading sermons and doctrines unleashed by gain-saying people masquerading as “men of God” and
3. Regular routine reading of the Bible to appreciate the divine narrative of humanity and eternity; so that your faith his vitally reinforced in your spirit and sub-conscience. Read the Bible through at least once every year
Third, Invest in soul winning: actually, literally, save sinners from hell. Teach the word of God to those the Lord brings your way, in your sphere of influence, and help them grow in the knowledge and love of Christ Jesus. If you don’t succeed in winning souls, it could be an indicator that your soul is not really won. Like begets like. Be a truly reproductive Christian. Spend your God-given resources to love and win sinners to the Saviour, knowing that we were all sinners in time past.
Forth: seek and enjoy vital refreshing and reinforcing Christian fellowship. Clear the clutter and identify the many good brethren the Lord has placed within your circle of life at every stage of the journey, and humbly engage in the sweet fellowship of these sister and brothers, two, three or more, the Lord ministers to you through them and to them through you.
Be focused diligent and consistent in these things. Our God is with us!
By Emmanuel Mensah