Spiritual Fitness Resolutions

As we begin this New Year it is quite common for people to make health & fitness resolutions. Resolutions for the body abound. I am not saying this is a bad thing...my background is in personal training and fitness instruction! I agree with 1 Timothy 4:8 that physical training has value, but we MUST finish reading the verse. As we continue reading we find that there is something that has EVEN GREATER VALUE...in fact, it does not just have value for this life, but the life to come.

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."    1 Timothy 4:8

So what is valued in 1 Timothy 4:8? Paul shares that it is godliness. If we focused on physical training for the purpose of physical health in the first part of the verse, then the last part parallels the first by focusing on spiritual health and spiritual training which will result in godliness.

This verse is a challenge to us in our culture because we so often just focus on the outward appearance, but this verse is showing us the eternal value of the soul's health. 

As I ponder the need for health not only in my body, but more importantly in my soul, I am drawn time and time again to PRAY. I need the Scriptures and I need prayer, but I find that so often I will run to one and struggle with the other. My struggle is with prayer. I am challenged every time I read this quote by Andrew Murray:

"Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray

Every year, I feel the Lord invites me into deeper communion with Himself in prayer. Every year I am offered the sweet reality of being a part of God's world changing Kingdom purposes as I get down on my knees and plead for my family, friends, church, neighbours, city and world. 

The question is....will I respond to this invitation? Will I fall to the tyranny of the urgent or will I be intentional to make prayer a 'non-negotiable' in my schedule? 

Will you respond with me to this invitation to PRAY? Let us seek to find health for our souls and our relationships with the Lord. Could anything else be more important?

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***I find it helpful to allow Scripture to guide my prayers. I love praying through Psalms or books of the Bible. For help on how to do this check out Tim Keller's article on Praying Through the Psalms and his podcast on prayer at Desiring God.