PRAYER FOCUS

Spiritual Renewal at DaySpring & Unity of the ChurchMatthew 6:33

What is spiritual renewal? Where does it happen? How does it happen? How often should this happen? How does it relate to me as a Christian? These are great questions that we want to know about. 

Renewal means the act of renewing or the state of being rejuvenated. The Apostle Paul in writing to four different churches (Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, and Colossae) talks about renewal:

Do you see where this spiritual renewal is happening? It is in your inner man, your new self, and in your mind. GOD is the one who is doing the renewing through the Holy Spirit. He is the one who sends and gives grace, strength, and power to our minds and hearts into our inner beings.  

What happens to us if we do not eat? We get weak. It is the same for our inner spiritual being. How do we stay strong and healthy? You all know the answer to that — Like opening up the fridge or our pantry, open up our bibles. You can choose either to read it or listen to it. Choose any method necessary to get the word of GOD into your minds and hearts so that GOD has something to work with and on and through you. Of course as we eat daily and often, so must we also read/ listen daily. We need to keep our strength up, don’t we? It is His word that renews and strengthens us; reminding and showing us how He is at work in us to shape and transform us into the person he wants us to be. Along with our reading of his word, let us talk to Him in prayer. If we want to get to know somebody, we talk to them. So it is the same with GOD. We talk to Him to tell Him what is on our minds and hearts. He knows it already, but I believe He wants us to talk to Him like a regular person. Our relationship will then grow tremendously. Colossians 4:2 says to “devote yourselves to prayer….”  

Since GOD is the renewer, what do we do? We have to submit and surrender ourselves to Him. It most certainly is one of the hardest things we must do. It’s not in our nature. Once we do it, it can become easier and easier the longer we walk with LORD. Matthew 5:6 says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When our hearts and minds are like this, hungry and obedient for Him, the result will be a love for Him and a love for our brothers and others.  
Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1-4:
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling.”

We certainly couldn’t have said it any better than Paul here. When we want and allow GOD to work within us, to transform us into the people He wants us to be within the communities we are living in, to GOD be the glory. And if you don’t think you are living up to GOD’S calling right now, submit and ask Him to do the work within your heart. He is ready and able to do it now.