Developing a Strong Spirit

From Morning Tea:

"The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble." Proverbs 18:14 AMP

We're each made up of body, soul, and spirit. Our spirit (inner man) is where God comes to dwell. But that doesn't mean we'll automatically have a "strong spirit." No, your spirit is like your body - it must be nourished. Do you want to develop a strong spirit?

First: spend time in God's Word. Why? Because it renews your mind and produces Christ-like qualities in you. Jesus knew the power of Scripture first-hand. He studied it as a boy, hid it in His heart and through it was able to overcome Satan in the wilderness. Your Bible will: (1) feed your soul. "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my hearts delight" (Jeremiah 15:16 NIV); (2) keep you strong in temptation: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word" (Psalm 119:9 NIV); (3) make you sharp: "The entrance of your words gives . . . understanding" (Psalms 119:130 NKJV).


Second: recognize the power of prayer. Listen, "He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray" (Matthew 14:23 NIV). If Jesus needed to spend time in prayer - so do you. John Bunyan said, "You can do more than pray after you've prayed; but you can't do more than pray until you've prayed." Think about that. In prayer you commit it all to God, otherwise who's running things? Just that thought should bring us to our knees. Want to develop a strong spirit? One that will sustain you in bodily pain or trouble? Do these two things!