Spiritual Keys to Abiding in Christ

(The following is an excerpt from Chapter 8 of the book: Journey into the Spirit Empowered Life, A Guide to Personal, Family and Community Transformation. To purchase your copy of the full book simply click here. Or click here to see endorsements for the book.)

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

When we seek to spend time with God, our goal should be nothing more and nothing less than to connect with Him in a very real way. We cannot afford to miss connecting with Him. He is everything! All spiritual life comes from him. If we desire to have true spiritual life then we must connect with Him. He is what the world around us truly needs. They don’t need more religious rhetoric. What they need is the Person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the deeper we can tap into Him ourselves, the more of His Life we will have to give to others.

It is our intimacy with God that models what it means for the Kingdom of God to dwell among men. Whenever an individual, a family, a local congregation, or even the Body of Christ in a city is living in deep intimacy with God, His Kingdom will be manifested on the earth as it is in heaven. If we find ourselves running dry, don’t blame The Vine. The Vine is right there where He has always been. He is just waiting for us to tap into His sap. It is we who have, for whatever reason, taken steps away from a lifestyle that depends exclusively on Jesus for all of life.

Personal Testimony

By God’s grace, before entering formal ministry work, I had the privilege of reading a book about the life of Rees Howells, entitled “The Intercessor”. It tells the story of how Rees Howells and a small group of Christ-followers, who through their lifestyle of deep and extended intercessory prayer, saw God move in miraculous ways. Eventually God built them up in their faith so that this small company of prayer warriors was affecting the course of nations. Specifically during World War II their prayers were used mightily by God to avert disaster and help to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. This book made such an impression on me that I began to assume that everyone understood that one of our most important functions in “ministry work” was the work of intercessory prayer.

I was soon rudely awakened to the reality that in many sectors of the western world, a lifestyle of prayer and intercession is too little preached and practiced. I began to see that the pattern of ministry in most sectors of the Body of Christ was far from a lifestyle of abiding in Christ. Eventually this religious culture of planning and strategizing without really praying and waiting on God, began to get the better of me.

In time I had almost completely forgotten what God had revealed to me about the importance of prayer and intimacy with Him. I found myself running head long into a lifestyle of unfruitfulness in life and ministry. Trying this and that strategy which all resulted in such little fruit that even I myself was struggling with personal compromise, let alone helping to bring others into a state of revival and transformation.

In retrospect, I look back on this season as God’s means of:

(A) Showing me the danger of the religious system.

(B) Giving me His compassion and grace for those who are still bound by the dictates of the religious system as I myself have personally experienced it.

In a recent conversation with a missionary working in the Middle East among Muslims, without batting an eye he stated that each of the missionaries at their mission base spends at least 6 hours a day before the Lord ministering to Him before even going out into the marketplace to win souls. We may consider that extreme in the western world, but could our lack of fruitfulness personally, in our families, and sphere of influence be tied to a lack of depth in our connection with God? What if we too began to allow the Holy Spirit to so order our lives that we daily started to spend hours with Him in extended worship, prayer, and meditation in His Word? Would we not see a tremendous increase in the eternal fruitfulness of our lives?

Overcoming Sin through Intimacy with God

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12-14

The grace of God is the supernatural empowerment to live in victory over sin. Far too many of us in the Body of Christ are still attempting to live the Christian life in our own strength because we have failed to understand the need to abide in Christ. As a result, when difficulties arise, or besetting sin seeks to keep us in bondage, the only thing that we know how to do is to seek to overcome in our own power. We can be sure that we are attempting to overcome in our own power whenever we fail to have victory over sin. The Holy Spirit of God has never sinned once. Therefore, if we are failing to overcome sin, we can be sure that it is still us trying instead of us trusting God’s Spirit to live His Life through us.

What if instead of focusing on our weaknesses and our inability to overcome sin, we simply sought to fill our lives with the things of God. Is it possible that this dramatically different approach to overcoming sin would cause us to be set free? Is it possible that if we sought to draw into a deeper intimacy with God, that we could watch His Life overcome sin on our behalf?

Personal Testimony

I used to have a little piece of paper on the side of my bed when I was growing up. On the paper was a code that only I understood. It stated “SW10TJDJD”. This code was my attempt to overcome sin. The meaning of these words was, “Stop, wait 10 seconds, think about what Jesus would do, then do what Jesus would do.” It seemed so good and godly to have this means of seeking to do what God wanted me to do. The only problem was that it did not work!

I tried this method for years always failing to overcome sin on many levels of my life. I had not been equipped in what it meant to die to myself and trust God’s Spirit to live all through me. Instead, with all my human resolve, I was focusing on the besetting sins around me, gathering as much strength as I could, and attempting to overcome sin on my own. This pattern led to years of bondage because it was me, in all my human power, attempting to live the Life that only God can live.

Are you like me? Have you ever found yourself attempting to be a “good Christian” through your own efforts? It is not that we are to excuse sin because it is humanly impossible to overcome it. Instead, God expects us to overcome sin, but not through our own efforts. As we discussed in the last chapter, He expects us to overcome sin through our trust in Him. He will live a victorious life through us if we will learn how to abide in Him.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ Revelation 2:7

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ Revelation 2:11

Based on the Word of God, overcoming sin is not optional attire. We must overcome the three battlefields that seek to hinder the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom. We must trust God to move us beyond our past wounds. The main issue is to learn how God expects us to overcome.

As we discussed in the last chapter, the key to overcoming is keeping our hearts in a place of full surrender and complete trust in God. But the question arises, “How do I remain there?” It is nice to know that we should live in that place in our minds, but what are some practical components of a Godly lifestyle that can be applied in order to keep us in the reality of being dead to ourselves and alive in Christ?

Personal Testimony

When I first came to really know the Person of Jesus Christ after decades of just learning about Him, it completely changed the course of my life. I wanted to spend every waking minute with Him. His Word was living and active in my life and I drank it in like water. The words of the Bible seemed to jump off the page and straight into my heart. I felt that God was speaking directly to me when I read the Bible. I would spend hours in prayer, just talking to God, loving on Him, and worshipping Him with songs that I came up with right then and there. As a single missionary, I would take some days to just be before the Lord, interceding for His purposes in the nations, and crying out for lost souls to come to faith in Christ. It was a vibrant and active relationship with the Living God!

At that time I assumed that this relationship would go on like this forever. No one had taught me about the “Spiritual Keys to intimacy with God”. It was just that the Spirit of God had so transformed my heart’s desires that all I wanted was Him. What I didn’t see coming was several areas of darkness that began to slowly snuff out the life and intimacy I had with God.

Enemy number one that snuck in without any warning was the religious system. I began to be elevated in my ministry position, moving from a beginning missionary, to a youth pastor, to an assistant pastor, to a regional overseer, to a national coordinator, to functioning globally. Wow, I must be important and successful right?

Yet somehow I began to buy into a lie. The lie that busyness and ministry activity translate into a life that is somehow pleasing to God. More and more of my time was spent in ministry activities, and those times of living fellowship in the Word of God, deep intercessory prayer, and spontaneous worship started to seem like a distant memory. I would still be in the Word on an almost daily basis but it was dry and like I was out in a desert somewhere, picking up a few drops of water so that I could carry on another day. At times I found myself preaching more out of my past experience than my present reality. During this same time period, I began to realize that I did not know how to fulfill my role as a husband, as a father to our four children, as a full time minister and simultaneously remain in a place of deep abiding in Jesus.

Where had the intimacy with God gone? Where did my first love go?

“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first.” Rev. 2:2-5

It is humbling to admit, but God had to take me back to square one before He could use me again for the purposes that were in His heart. He began to show me every way in which the religious system demanded my time in such a way that it nearly forced me out of a place of deep and real intimacy with God. Can you see the madness in this? A soul that is living in real intimacy with God’s Spirit is the only means of ministering God’s Life to others. Yet the way the religious system is set up in far too many places of the earth causes those who are “in ministry” to be in activities to such a degree that they have little to no time for intimacy with God. It is a trap that has taken out some of the most sincere brothers and sisters in the Lord. It has caused countless numbers of souls to leave ministry altogether because they see the madness of it all.

For those who can relate to this testimony, and especially for those in some form of ministry service, I implore you, as your fellow brother in Christ, do not under any circumstances allow the work of ministry to rob you of your first love for God. If you see this has taken place, stop what you are doing, and no matter what the reaction of those around you, pull back into Him and allow Him to restore your intimacy with Him. There is no sense of going on in ministry when we ourselves are in need of ministry. Stop, repent and return wholeheartedly to Jesus. Allow Him to restore you and rebuild your intimacy with Him.

If you will do this, the work that He does in and through you will exceed anything you were doing previously! Intimacy first, then fruitfulness, this is true in human relationships and it is true in our relationship with God (John 15). In the natural, a husband and wife do not have a child without first having intimacy. Neither can we be spiritually fruitful and multiply without first having intimacy with God.

God’s Spirit Gives Us the Desire to Seek Him

As we transition into our discussion on the Spiritual Keys it should be noted that these are not listed here to cause us to go into any form of human striving to attempt to put them into practice. Just as this testimony illustrates, these keys were being put into practice in my life without much formal teaching. The reason I was utilizing these spiritual keys was because they were the desire of my heart and not something I felt like I was forced to do. There is something of great importance in this statement. Only as we desire something will we pursue it. A lack of seeking God often reveals our lack of desire for Him.

As long as these Spiritual Keys are a “have to” and not a “want to”, then something is wrong. There is some form of darkness (pride/unbelief, the world’s system, satanic attack) that is keeping us from allowing God’s Spirit to stir a deeper desire in our hearts for Him. As this darkness is repented of, and God’s Spirit is loosed to kindle a desire in our hearts for Him, no one and nothing will be able to keep us from pursuing Him. Therefore, as we prepare our hearts to lay hold of these spiritual keys, let’s begin with a time of prayer for our hearts to be cleansed and a desire for God to be kindled.

Prayer Focus

Father, I thank You that You have provided spiritual means for me to have an intimate relationship with You. I ask that You would reveal any darkness that I have allowed in my heart that has been keeping me from desiring to seek You. Reveal to me any pride and unbelief in my heart. Reveal any way that the world’s system or the religious system has stifled my hunger for You. Show me any way that demonic forces have sought to keep me from pursuing You.

I choose to turn away from this darkness right now and I trust You to restore our relationship to a place of intimacy. Right now, I receive from You the desire to seek Your face. I thank You in advance for rekindling this desire in my heart for You and I look forward to pursuing You in the days ahead.

Having the desire for an intimate relationship with God is critical. When we have a hunger for God, then each of these aspects of seeking Him becomes like gasoline to the fire. As we begin to put these into practice our desire for God will grow and grow until we are consumed by Him!

Jesus is The Way to intimacy with God. If we will allow His Spirit to begin to lead our times of extended fellowship, He will grow us more in one month than we would have grown in a year or a decade through our own efforts. A year of training by the Spirit of God is equal to decades elsewhere. In fact the Word of God says one day in His Presence is greater than a thousand days elsewhere (Psalm 84:10). Think of the multiplication of your time if you spend it in God’s Presence. Based on the Word of God, every day in God’s Spirit is equal to three years elsewhere. Therefore you can accomplish more in one week in the empowerment of God’s Spirit than others will accomplish in 20 years!

Spiritual Keys to a Lifestyle of Intimacy with God

While there are many things that are critical to an intimate relationship with God, we are just going to focus on 5 Spiritual Keys that will help to ensure that we continue to progress in our journey of Christ-likeness. Some devotional books might title these aspects of our relationship with God “disciplines”. The word discipline often implies a sense of having to do something even though we really do not want to do it. Therefore, we are calling them “spiritual keys” to indicate that they are a blessed gift from God. Each one of them can be pictured as a key that opens a door to journey into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. These keys help us to position our lives in such a way that God’s Spirit is released to live more and more of His Divine life through us. The reality is that only God’s Spirit can lead us deeper into Himself, but He has given us spiritual resources to position our lives for His Spirit to work.

These spiritual keys help us to remain grounded in our faith. Without using these keys the spiritual battle that takes place in life is far too great. In time, if they are not established in our lifestyle, we will often find ourselves knocked off the foundation of our faith. For some, this may not result in obvious outward rebellion, but our hearts may subtly drift to a place where we are holding onto our lives and failing to trust God.

I have deliberately not numbered these keys to abiding so as not to create a specific form or singular way of approaching God. From moment to moment, only the Spirit of the Living God has the right and ability to direct us into the Person of Truth. The moment we begin to set a form that God Himself has not asked of us, we begin to step away from the source of Life and create our own means of seeking to remain near to God. We will notice the lack of freshness in our times with God whenever we allow a form that does not cause us to truly depend on Him to fill us with His Life.

If we desire to walk in a greater measure of the Life of God’s Spirit, then we must become increasingly sensitive to His guidance. Only He knows all the specifics of that particular moment in time, and only He knows the specific aspects of Jesus, the Person of Truth, that we need right then and there. Therefore, when you are seeking to engage with God, begin by simply going to Him as a child. Share your heart with Him and begin to open yourself to the leading of His Spirit. He cannot fail to lead you into His Life and liberty.

Spiritual Key: A Lifestyle of Praise and Worship

You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:22-24

Rejoice always;pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes. 5:16-18

We don’t want to stop at the point of just singing a few songs with our lips, but we want to enter into a deep place of true heart-level worship of our King. We want to learn what it means to lose ourselves in His Presence and give ourselves unashamedly over to Him. It is out of these deep encounters with God’s Spirit in worship that we are molded and shaped more and more into the image of Jesus Christ.

I heard something in Uganda related to praise and worship that continues to stick out to me. They have a phase in which they say, “Never miss an opportunity to praise the Lord!” When we realize that worship will be a part of our lives forever and ever, we would be wise to allow God’s Spirit to take us deeper in worship than we have ever known. We will never regret allowing the Spirit of God to take us past where we’ve been into the depths of His Life.

Practical Instructions for a Lifestyle of Praise and Worship:

– The best practical tip is to begin asking the Holy Spirit how He would have you change your lifestyle, and specifically your way of speaking, to become one of praise and worship.

– Practice choosing to give thanks in every circumstance. Continue to choose to do this whether or not you understand the value in it at first. Ask the Holy Spirit to build this into you as part of your lifestyle.

– Practice looking at people and situations around you not as you see them, but ask God how He sees them. Give Him thanks for what He is desiring to do in the people and circumstances around you.

– Consider playing worship music to keep your mind focused on praising God.

QUESTION: Ask God, “How do you want me to go deeper in a lifestyle of praise and worship?”

Spiritual Key: A Lifestyle of Waiting and Listening to God’s Spirit (This can also simply be titled, “Being with God”)

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. John 16:12-14

As we enter into a place of heart-level worship, we begin to empty ourselves of our human understandings. As our human desires and ways are laid down, we can begin to hear the wisdom and ways of God. As we wait before the Lord with a surrendered will, we are prepared to hear clearly what the Spirit of God is speaking to His Church. In this place we receive clear direction from God regarding His character, His purposes, and His ways.

“I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” John 8:26

Jesus stated that He only spoke as He first heard from His Father. Likewise, hearing clearly from the Spirit of God is absolutely essential for every Christ-follower. This is not relegated to the responsibility of a pastor. All of God’s children must learn to be attuned to the voice of God so that they can walk in the confidence that comes from knowing that their thoughts, words, and actions are led by God’s Spirit.

Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

Taking the time to wait on God and hear His will is very critical both in our personal relationship with Him, as well as in our partnership in His work. Knowing His will is what gives us the strength to stand. Knowing the will of God causes us to be able to keep going and not get weary even when those around us may be falling down and failing to persevere.

Only as we know that we have heard from God will we have the supernatural faith that we need in order to step out and continue to trust God’s instructions. As we persist in obedience to the specific direction God has given us, victory will result. Many testify that it was only as they heard clearly from God’s Spirit, and persevered in His instructions, that they saw breakthroughs take place that had not come in any other way.

Learn to rest in God. Get comfortable in His Presence. Take the time to just be before Him and learn to allow His Spirit to set the agenda for your time together. When we begin to allow God’s Spirit to lead our time spent together, we will come to realize just how good a leader He is.

Practical Instructions for a Lifestyle of Waiting and Listening to God’s Spirit:

Apply the three “Done Disciplines” of Rest, Appropriation and Meditating on God’s Character

A. Rest – (Psalm 46:10) Regularly set aside unstructured time with God to listen to what He is speaking to you. This is about building a personal relationship with God.

Ephesians 1:17: I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Matthew 11:29-30: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Rest is being with God without an agenda. It means being ready to listen and hear what God has for you – mercy, grace, love, restoration. You may pray or read Scripture while you are with Him, but that rest is unstructured time with Him, allowing Him to guide you and reveal to you His desires for you.

1. Make time.

2. Find a place apart from your daily activities and distractions.

3. Go where you are physically comfortable while you are with God.

4. It is good to tell God what you want from Him – peace, grace, mercy, etc.

5. Read Scripture while listening for God to speak.

6. Review your day with God and acknowledge His presence during that day.

7. Make being alone with God a regular part of your life.

We are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6): is what we hear when we start resting. We hear the Father telling us what worth He has placed on us and where He has placed us – not just our cleaned up, righteous self, but the still messed up, untransformed self we are when He redeemed us.

B. Appropriation – (Appropriate what you have received in Christ – A New Identity) – Take time to allow the promises of the New Covenant to become a reality in your mind and translate to the decisions of your will.

Ephesians 1:18-19: I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

God has already given you all you need for life and godliness. By faith and understanding you take what you need from His endless resources within you by the power of the Spirit. You can say what you are appropriating out loud or silently inside yourself. By faith, you will come to know it is available.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:11-12

C. Meditate on Who God Is

Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ is quoted as saying, “We can trace all our human problems to our view of God.” So, do you have problems, or do you have opportunities to see God work? Your view of God makes all the difference.

Who is God?

We would encourage you to specifically take time daily to meditate on these three facets of WHO GOD IS:

God’s Unconditional Love for you, and His Unconditional Love for others
God’s Holiness
God’s Omnipotence

Meditating on God’s Love

Ephesians 3:14-19: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Philippians 1:9-11: This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

“I know I am safe with you because you love me; because you will never push me away or cast me out.”

Meditation is done when you are apart from all of life’s distractions. In the quiet, you focus your mind on:

1) Ask God to reveal how much He loves you.

2) Ask God why He chooses to love you.

3) Ask God to reveal how much He loves those who wounded you.

The more you do this, the greater you sense of being safe with God and your trust in Him grows.

Specifics on hearing clearly from God’s Spirit:

– Take the time necessary to quiet yourself before the Lord.

– Actively trust Him to lead your time together.

– Take time to surrender your own will in regards to anything that you may be seeking God’s wisdom on. (Until our will is truly surrendered, hearing from God will be difficult as we are prone to insert our own desires into the process of seeking to hear from Him.)

– Once you have come into a surrendered state of heart, ask God to speak to you and wait long enough to hear from Him with clarity. Don’t pull away too soon as the revelation of God often takes time to unfold. The longer we wait, the fuller the picture He will be able to give to us.

– Write down anything that you believe that you have heard from Him. This will help to solidify what God has spoken to you. Use this written record of what He has spoken as a means to pray into what God has said.

– Allow the Holy Spirit the liberty to expand on any revelation that He has already given to you, through the Word, prayer, circumstances, and the rest of the Body of Christ, recognizing that each of us only sees in part (1 Cor. 13:12).

– On critical decisions it is important to involve at least 2-3 other spiritually sensitive believers who do not have a vested interest in the outcome to join you in seeking God’s will.

QUESTION: Ask God, “How do You want me to learn to listen to You more?”

Spiritual Key: A Lifestyle of Being Filled with the Word of God

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:9-11

Clearly a life that is filled with the Word of God is a key to keeping our hearts on fire for God. While many have a discipline of regularly reading God’s Word, this spiritual key is encouraging us to go much deeper than the normal routine. May we make it a daily priority to spend extended time in the Word of God. May we make it our goal to allow God’s Spirit to teach us how He desires the Word of God to fill us.

At times the Person of the Holy Spirit may lead us to specific passages in which He wants to speak an urgent message that is essential in that moment. At other times He may lead us to study a particular aspect of His character so that our faith is built up for what He knows we will face next. At other times He may lead us to meditate deeply on a single verse, or take time to read large sections of the Bible in order to get a fuller picture of His character throughout history. At other times God may lead us to memorize a particular scripture. In all of this, we should never forget that we have the Author of the book right there with us as we are reading. If we need clarity on a particular passage, why not ask Him for His insight? If we are confused, or we need Him to refresh us so that His Word comes alive again why not ask Him to do this?

In all the various ways that the Holy Spirit may lead us to interact with the Word of God, He is using this to fill our minds with the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).

Filling Our Minds with the Promises of God’s Word

The Word of God contains important promises that are available to everyone who has exchanged their life for the life of Christ. It is helpful to learn what God believes about us so that our faith will be stirred to believe as He believes. There are whole books written on this topic but in this section we just want to look at a few key promises that God has given to those who have entered the New Covenant by surrendering to His Lordship and trusting Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Let us begin to fill ourselves with what God Himself has declared about us.

Based on the Word’s of God, as His child you are:

– Loved (John 3:16, 13:34, 15:9, 15:12, 16:27, 17:26, Romans 5:5, 5:8, 8:35-39, 1 Cor. 13:1-13, Eph. 2:4, Col 3:12, Thes. 1:4, 1 John 4:11, 4:16, 4:19, Rev. 1:5)

– Forgiven (Acts 2:38, 10:43, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14)

– Justified and qualified (Romans 3:24, 3:28, 5:1, 5:9, 10:10, 1 Cor. 6:11, Gal 2:16, 3:24, Col. 1:12, Titus 3:7)

– Called to be holy/sanctified/set apart/blameless (Acts 26:18, Romans 1:7, 5:16, 1 Cor. 1:2, 6:11, Eph. 1:4, 3:18, 5:3, Phil. 1:1, Col. 1:2, 1:22, 3:12, 1 Thes. 4:7, 2 Tim. 1:9, Hebrews 10:10, 10:14, 12:14, 1 Peter 1:16, 2 Peter 3:11)

– Protected/Provided for (John 17:11, 15, Romans 5:17, 2 Thes. 3:3)

– Appreciated/celebrated/honored by God/respected (John 12:26, 17:22, 1 Cor. 12:24, Hebrews 2:7)

– Glorified (John 17:22, Romans 8:30)

– Called and chosen (John 15:19, Romans 8:30, 8:33, 11:5, Eph. 1:11, Col. 3:12, 1 Thes. 1:4, 1 Peter 2:9, Rev. 17:14)

– Indwelt with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13, John 14:16-20, Acts 2:38, Eph. 4:30, 2 Tim. 1:14)

– A new creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15)

– Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ/awaiting a glorious inheritance (Romans 8:17, Eph. 1:18)

– Taken out of the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of Light (Eph. 5:8, Col. 1:13, 1 Thes. 5:5, 1 Peter 2:9)

– A part of Christ’s Body (1 Cor. 12:27)

– The Messiah’s official representative/ambassador/and a royal priest (2 Cor. 5:18-20, 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9, Rev. 5:9-10)

– Blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3)

– Seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6)

– More than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)

– The light of the world (Matthew 5:14)

Just one of these great promises is enough to transform our entire lives. If you will consistently take time to mediate on what God has spoken about you in His Word, you will find yourself beginning to live out of a place of being filled and empowered by His Spirit. Consider taking time to mediate on these great promises on a regular basis, and lay claim to them before God in prayer as this is His provision for you in the New Covenant.

Personal Testimony

For many years I sought to mentally claim these promises regarding the New Covenant yet I found myself still struggling with sin. Though these promises brought encouragement I was failing because I did not know that these promises are only made an experiential reality as we are abiding in Christ. It was only after several years of failure that I came to the realization that without fully surrendering my life to God, I could not live in the reality of what God has promised me. Though I was verbally claiming these promises, I failed to experience their reality because my life was still my own.

For instance, I could claim that I am justified and set apart for holiness, but if by my choices I opened a door for lust or anger, then I effectively stepped back into my sin nature which is just as corrupt as it ever was prior to Christ. I was to blame for not experiencing what God had promised me. As I began to surrender myself more fully to God’s Spirit, these promises began to become the reality of my life.

These promises are available to anyone who will abide in the Life of Jesus Christ, because they are true “in Christ.” In this way, we see how vital it is to remain deeply connected to God’s Spirit because all of our lives are dependent upon Him. It is only as we surrender to God and then trust Him that each of His promises become like spiritual diamonds and gold.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 2 Tim. 3:16

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God can rightly be compared to an endless warehouse filled with spiritual treasures. These spiritual treasures reveal various facets about the character of God, His will for Creation, and His ways of fulfilling His plans. The Word of God gives clear guidance for virtually every aspect of life on earth. It contains endless treasures about the knowledge of God because the Author is living inside of us as we go through the Word. Just when we may have thought we have exhausted the treasures of the Bible, God’s Spirit leads us to understand a new facet of Him that we had never seen before. In short, He is able to keep our times in His Word living and active (Hebrews 4:12).

As this element of a Spirit-Empowered lifestyle was implemented in Uganda the Lord spoke to them that a time would come when they would be so saturated in the Word of God, that whenever they spoke, all that would come out would be His Word. May we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into a lifestyle that interacts with the Word of God in a vibrant way so that we can be filled with God’s perspective. As God’s Word comes in it will expose what needs to be uprooted and removed, as well as raise up what needs to be built and strengthened.

Practical Instructions for a Lifestyle of Being Filled with the Word of God:

– Begin by asking God to place a hunger in your heart for His Word. As He answers your prayer, He will give you the desire to read His Word so that this shifts from being something you are supposed to do, to being something you look forward to.

– Ask God’s Spirit how He would have you fill your life with the Word of God.

There are many ways that the Holy Spirit may choose to take the Word of God and help us to receive it into our hearts.

Practical ways to fill our lives with God’s Word:

While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. Nehemiah 9:3

– Read large amounts of scripture (for example, reading 5-10 chapters at a time)

If reading that much on your own is difficult, another way to consume larges amounts of scripture is to listen to a live person reading from the Word or through an audio/video resource.

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Joshua 1:8

– Meditation

When reflecting on the scriptures you have read ask yourself some simple questions, “How did I see God in what I just read? Based on what I just read, what did I learn about God’s character? Based on what I just read what lifestyle adjustments do I need to make in order for my life to be in alignment with the will and ways of God? Based on what I just read, what does God believe to be true about me?”

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. Ezra 7:10

– Study

Allow the Holy Spirit to direct you as to how He wants you to study His Word. There may be times in which He has you study certain themes that will take weeks or months, such as studying the lifestyle of Jesus Christ. As His Spirit leads you in the study of His Word, He will build a deep understanding of this theme in your heart.

And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:3-4

– Memorization

Consider taking time to memorize the Word of God and allow it to fill your heart and mind. If you will fill yourself with God’s Word, just as Jesus experienced, it will come to your mind in your hour of need.

Each of these ways of receiving the Word of God has a unique quality and importance therefore we would encourage you to regularly ask the Holy Spirit to help you remain in a place where you are being filled with His Word.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

Jesus said that if His words remained in us, that we would have power in prayer. There are areas of the world where people do not have access to a Bible and some believers even risk their lives to hold onto portions of the scriptures. For those of us who have the written Word available to us, we ought to take advantage of this tremendous privilege. We have the freedom to fill our lives with the teachings of Jesus, as well as to personally read the record of God’s dealing with man from the beginning of creation through the birth of the Church. This is a resource we should view as a key to our relationship with God.

QUESTION: Ask God, “How do You want me to fill my life even more with Your Word?”

Spiritual Key: Lifestyle of Prayer and Intercession

Too often people come to God in a very religious way. They may be speaking in their normal manner to those around them, but when someone suggests that they pray there is a tendency to launch into a very formal and solemn means of speaking. In some instances, they may even include dramatic intonations in their voice that they would never use in ordinary conversation with their fellow human beings. This religious way of approaching God is completely unnecessary and can hinder us and our hearers from entering into an intimate relationship with God. Instead, begin prayer by coming to God like a child. Give yourself the liberty to just be yourself with God. He already knows everything about you any way.

I know from experience that in certain settings, especially public ministry, that there can be a strong pressure to say a prayer that impresses others. Instead, may we make up our minds today that we are no longer going to perform for a human audience. Some of us have gotten in this habit to such a degree that we pray this way even when we are all by ourselves with God.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Matthew 23:14

Jesus spoke against prayers done out of pretense. Instead, may we make a choice today that we are simply going to go to God as our Abba Daddy. We are going to talk with Him intimately as a Father who loves us and cares for us and knows us even better than we know ourselves. Away with pretense. Away with performance.

Yes to being yourself with God. Yes to talking with Him as your friend. Yes to bearing the depths of your soul to Him and allowing Him to speak to you in your innermost parts. Yes to asking Him to fill you with His heart for those around you. Yes to receiving His heart for the nations.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27

As was previously mentioned, a critical element in our prayer lives is taking time to listen to God. Due to the fact that God knows all things, it would be unwise of us to spend the majority of our prayer time talking to Him about what we think should happen. Why not take the time to listen to what He wants to share with us? Only He knows the way forward. Why not ask Him what He believes we need to pray for?

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

As the Word of God and worship begin to become more and more a part of our lives, we will begin to tap more deeply into God’s heart for us, our families and the world around us. As His heart begins to fill us, we will begin to long to see what is in His heart become manifested on the earth.

This is where prayer begins to flow supernaturally in our hearts as we long for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. As we see the contrast between what is currently being experienced, and what God actually desires to see happen, we are led to petition God for an answer. It is this type of prayer that is born out of the heart and will of God which begins to give birth to the Kingdom of God on the earth.

And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. Luke 22:41-44

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12 (NIV)

Jesus knew deep prayer. There were times that He prayed through the night. It was following one of these all night prayer times that He selected the 12 disciples (Luke 6:13). We should ask ourselves a question, “If the Son of God Himself needed to pray this much in order to abide in the Father, how much more do you and I need to learn how to remain in a constant state of prayer?”

Many of the heroes of the faith lived a life of intercessory prayer. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses stood in the gap for the Israelites on Mt. Sinai, David prayed throughout his life from a shepherd boy to his kingship, Daniel fasted and prayed for the fulfillment of the Word of God given to Jeremiah. Men and women of God throughout the history of the Church have modeled the necessity of a lifestyle given over to deep seeking of God in intercessory prayer.

I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30

To enter into the heart of God and feel His agony for the state of His Church, to experience His desperate longing for the salvation of lost souls, is a privilege and responsibility of every child of God. According to the Word of God this is not reserved for a select few who are believed to be intercessors. Every member of Christ’s Body has been given the privilege and responsibility of allowing God’s Spirit to use them as an instrument of prevailing prayer that ushers in the Kingdom of God from heaven to earth.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

As our love for God grows in intensity, the level of prayer in and through us ought to always be increasing. There should be a deeper hunger for lost souls which causes us to groan for them to enter the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. We should believe God to give us a deeper longing for His purposes to take place in our community, which causes us to cry out to Him in prayer. As this prayer life deepens, and as we begin to see more and more answers to prayer, intercessory prayer will begin to become a treasured part of our lifestyle.

Practical Instructions for a Lifestyle of Prayer and Intercession:

– Just as one of the disciples asked Jesus, you too can regularly ask God’s Spirit, “Teach me how to pray.” (Luke 11:1)

– Take time to wait before the Lord and ask Him, “What is Your will for this person/circumstance?” As you have heard from Him what His will is then you can pray with the utmost confidence that what you are asking for will come to pass because you know that it is God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).

– Ask God’s Spirit to help you to see that person/circumstance as He sees them. In this way you will begin to have a greater understanding of God’s heart. As His heart becomes our heart, prayer will begin to flow towards that person/circumstance.

– You may consider recording specific prayer requests, as well as specific answers to prayer. This will allow you to regularly bring these targeted requests before the Lord. As you remember the victories that God has already brought to pass your faith will remain strong and immovable.

One of the ways that Satan seeks to deceive us into prayerlessness is to get us to believe that the character of our God is not really good and that our prayers will not make a real difference. When you have pages of answered prayer in front of you it is virtually impossible for this lie to stand for very long. Hold up these answers to prayer from the past, and then march forward in faith as you pray for current situations. Know that these prayers will make a difference!

QUESTION: Ask God, “How do you want me to live out a life of effective intercessory prayer?”

Spiritual Key: A Lifestyle of Accountability and Mutual Submission

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

No matter how mature we are in our faith in Christ, we need regular fellowship with other believers. Specifically, even within a larger Body of believers we should have at least one or two other close relationships with whom we are open and honest and who we allow to hold us accountable. While we should seek to be in fellowship with all believers in a general way, it is vitally important to have several other Christ-followers that we are deeply real with and who are aware of our faults, and who can support us in prayer and admonishment. These close companions in the faith should be those who challenge us to go even deeper in our walk with Jesus. When we spend time with them, this should stir a greater hunger in our hearts to surrender and trust Jesus even more.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)

Having a support group of this nature is a key to our spiritual growth. Jesus modeled this type of relationship with the twelve, and He even had three within the twelve in which He revealed more of Himself (Matthew 17:1). There is no substitute for having this type of deep relationship with others who are seeking to walk closely with God.

Practical Instructions for a Lifestyle of Accountability and Mutual Submission:

– Ask God’s Spirit to reveal to you at least one or two people within your sphere of influence that you can begin to view as accountability partners.

– As God reveals to you who you should entrust yourself to in this way, take the step of faith to ask them about establishing a relationship of this type.

– Make a decision to be the one who gets vulnerable first, even if they have not yet gotten vulnerable with the difficulties that they are facing. In this way, you are modeling the depth of relationship that will be critical for you to have in the days ahead. In time, God can cause them to share struggles and prayer requests with you too.

– If you have a spouse who is a believer in Jesus, he or she should be one of the people that you view as an accountability partner. If you do not yet have this level of relationship with your spouse, begin asking God’s Spirit to go before you and establish this level of love and trust in your marriage.

– Persevere in these relationships until a depth of trust is built between you, where you can share anything that you may be facing, and receive encouragement from those who are following Jesus alongside you.

QUESTION: Ask God, “How do You want me to have greater spiritual accountability with other believers?”

Real Intimacy with God Is the Goal

When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:10-11

We read that God spoke with Moses “face to face” as with a friend. Has this been your regular experience with God? Do you regularly come away from your time spent with Him aware of who He is in such a real way that you are transformed?

Our goal in pursuing God is to really know Him as our friend. We are seeking a deep and real encounter with the Living God. One encounter with God is more valuable than years of simply going through religious disciplines. Therefore, do not allow yourself to fall into a routine of utilizing the spiritual keys yet failing to actually meet with God. Push past this by asking God to revive you once again.

For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:15

Only the Holy Spirit Can Guide Us into Jesus

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13

We all desire to walk in freedom. The Word of God tells us that the Truth sets us free and that God’s Spirit is the Living Truth. Truth is a Person. Therefore, if we want freedom in our lives and freedom flowing through our lives to others, then we must seek the Person of Truth.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

There is a reason we have endeavored to lay a foundation of the Holy Spirit being our Guide into deeper intimacy with God. All too often, especially in the Western culture of human effort, individualism, and self-sufficiency, we can be deceived into attempting to get closer to God through religious striving, rather than coming to Him as a child and allowing Him to lead us. We must be broken of human striving if we desire to enter into the life that is truly led by God’s Spirit. When you come to God, come in faith, believing that He will give you wisdom and direct your time of fellowship. Then proceed however His Spirit leads you.

We serve a creative God. The God we are seeking intimacy with is more than able to keep our times with Him fresh, vibrant and alive each and every moment of every day! If we ever find our time with Him lacking life, there is a good chance that we have allowed unconfessed sin, or we have begun to lean on a form of godliness, that is limiting His Spirit from truly guiding us into His Life.

Final Practical Encouragement Related to the Spiritual Keys

At this point we have moved beyond just sharing about the wonderful harvests that were seen in China, Taiwan and in other parts of the world. We have taken the time to get down into the soil and discuss the types of seeds that were used, where to purchase the seeds, how the soil was plowed, how to keep the soil irrigated, how to take care of the plants, how to harvest and distribute the crops when they come in. We hope that you will continue to pour over these Spiritual Keys until they become a part of your lifestyle with the Lord. You may even consider re-reading the two sections on the Heart of a Spirit-Empowered Life multiple times to give God’s Spirit the opportunity to bring deeper revelation. We hope that this lifestyle will remain at the heart of your life for as long as you live. May your attitude be, “Lord, whatever it takes for this to become a reality in my life, I am willing.”

In this process of establishing a Spirit-Empowered Life, we are not looking for a quick fix but we are seeking to learn what it means to dwell in Jesus in such a way that this lifestyle remains. Rather than thinking of this like a race in which we are trying to get all the spiritual keys figured out and into practice as quickly as possible, think of this as a journey with God’s Spirit in which He is teaching you how to put this lifestyle into practice. Be thinking in terms of taking weeks, months, and even years to allow the Holy Spirit to grow and mature each aspect of this lifestyle to such a degree that you are consumed with the Life of God Himself. First start in your individual life, and then out to your family, and then to your sphere of influence.

Throughout Church history, as this lifestyle has been held up as the normal way to walk with Christ, it has been used of the Lord to bear much fruit. The fruit of this type of lifestyle in Uganda has resulted in a national level impact, as the Gospel of Jesus Christ has affected virtually every sector of life. As Taiwan took up a similar challenge to raise this standard of walking with Jesus across their nation, they have begun to reap similar national level fruit. In just four years time, they have seen the number of Christ-followers nearly double with hundred’s of thousands coming to Christ in a nation that had been resistant to prayer and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Could something similar take place in your nation if this same standard was put in place across the Body of Christ in every sector of life? We believe it is not only possible, but that it is in fact the desire of God to see this take place. If He is for us, who can be against us? If we will pay the price to establish a Spirit-Empowered lifestyle across our nation, we can believe God to respond in power just as He is doing elsewhere.

Opening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” Acts 10:34-35

Practical Instructions

– Ask the Holy Spirit for His Guidance in this process. He is your leader and He will guide you into all Truth (John 16:13). If you don’t rely on Him you will be prone to go into your own human efforts to try to quickly get all the spiritual keys up and going immediately, or you may be so overwhelmed by the thought of doing this that you don’t even begin with one. Instead, rest yourself in God’s Spirit and allow Him to lead you in this process. He is a Faithful Guide. He has never failed even once to produce the fruit of perfection.

– Some of us have various elements of this lifestyle already in place in our lives. Others of us have few if any of these keys in place. For those who have already begun this journey, rather than assuming that we are already fulfilling everything that God would ask of us, let us bring every one of these Spiritual Keys to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to take us deeper. For each Spiritual Key there is always a deeper place that God can take us, no matter how long we have walked with Him.

– Consider taking just 1 Spiritual Key at a time and allow the Holy Spirit to take you deeper in it until He has really unlocked a door and you have entered in nearer to the heart of God. Once that Spiritual Key is in place begin to move on to the next one, and then the next. In this way, you are allowing the Holy Spirit to take you on a journey deeper into Him that will last the rest of your life. That is the goal. The goal is not to quickly set about trying to pick up every key in such a haphazard way that they will be lost in a matter of days, or weeks. Our hope is that we will allow the Holy Spirit to build a pattern of walking with Him that will cause these spiritual keys to continue to deepen for the rest of our lives.

Discussion Questions:

Out of the 5 Spiritual Keys mentioned in this chapter, which one do you feel you are actively putting into practice the most? What does this look like for you and how has this spiritual key impacted your life as you have put it into practice?
Out of the 5 Spiritual Keys, which one do you feel you are walking in the least right now? What impact do you believe that this has had on your life by not walking in this spiritual key?

Action Step:

Take time to ask God how He would have you begin to put into practice one of the spiritual keys. You may consider choosing the one you are weakest in, or simply allow His Spirit to lead you to where He wants you to begin. Write down any immediate steps that He asks you to take and begin to put them into practice.

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Prayer Focus:

Only God can establish these Spiritual Keys in our lives so that they remain vibrant and alive and part of our ongoing lifestyle. Take time to pray into this, asking God’s Spirit to teach you how to use these keys to position yourself for greater fruitfulness.

Father, I thank you that you have given me spiritual means of drawing near to You. I desire to learn what it means to put these spiritual keys into practice in every area of my life. I confess that I have not been practicing____________. (Share any specific areas that you have not been putting into practice. Make a decision to repent and agree to put these spiritual keys into practice).

I ask that You would teach Me how to order my life in such a way that I make more time for us to be together. Thank You for hearing my prayer and teaching me ways that I can draw near to You. I love You!

(Share your heart with God regarding any way in which He may have spoken to you through this writing.)

(To purchase a copy of the full book: Journey into the Spirit Empowered Life, A Guide to Personal, Family and Community Transformation simply click here. Or click here to see endorsements for the book.)