The 60-Second Workout for Spiritual Health
Are you sick and tired of being defeated by the same sin in your life over and over again? If so, have you started fighting back like a boxer in the ring? Or are you taking a passive approach while sin and Satan just pummel you with body blows and head shots? My friend, it is well past time to start fighting back in the power of God.
Jesus defeated your sin on the cross. You don't have to be a victim any longer. No matter what your sin, God is able to deliver you, forgive you, and set your feet on a new path. But it is going to require you to be actively involved in the process of daily deliverance.
I want to encourage you to begin spending 60 seconds every hour praying four short psalms. That's just 15 seconds of prayerful meditation on each passage. If will you do this sincerely every hour, it can change your life. God wants to help you. He can give you victory over your addiction. You will experience the renewing power of the Holy Spirit as you "work out" every hour.
Here are four short prayers which will release spiritual healing and divine power in your soul. Focus intently on the meaning of each word as you pray to the Lord in your heart and perhaps even out loud.
"Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." (Psalm 51:2)
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil." (Psalm 141:3,4)
There it is my friend.....your 60-second workout to spiritual health. How badly do you want it? If you always find yourself on the losing end against your addiction or besetting it, it is time to aggressively resist the devil and his schemes against you. You don't have to take it anymore. You really don't. Do you believe that? The first step to freedom is to truly believe that you CAN be free of it. Without that belief, you will never gain the upper hand in this fierce fight.
You can easily memorize these psalms. You can also write them on a notecard and take it with you everywhere. Begin right now. Don't delay. The enemy wants to continue beating you up with whatever unholy desire and bad behavior is dominating your life. Everyone has their own areas of strongest temptation and weakness.
The blood of Jesus washes away sin for the believer through faith in Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit creates a pure heart within those who ask for it. The Lord is glad when His children ask that their thoughts and words be pleasing to God. It is a very simple matter if you stop and think about it. Your path to spiritual health will require consistent concentration upon the things of God. By God's grace, you can experience it everyday by "working out" every hour.
As you embark upon your road to spiritual health, feel free to pray these verses more than every hour if necessary. But make sure you pray them from your heart at least once an hour. Anytime you are tempted, pull out "the Sword of the Spirit" and rely upon the Holy Spirit to use His sword against your foe. God will fight for you. He wants you to stand in His power as you welcome Him into the ring with you. "Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10)
There is no reason for you or I as born again believers to allow sin to dictate its agenda in our life any longer. The Bible makes it clear that our chains to sin were removed the moment we trusted Christ as our Savior. (The 6th chapter of Romans proves it!) Don't believe Satan's lie that you will always be dominated by sin in the area of your greatest weakness. That fabrication comes straight from the pit of hell. We need the truth to set us free.
What time is it right now where you live? I hope you are saying it is "Psalm Time." Spend a minute in genuine prayer with your Lord. Do it over and over throughout the day. Concentrate on the meaning of each word as you speak to your Creator and Redeemer. The enemy never takes a break from his battle against Christians. Why should we?
You have no idea how free you can be until you allow God's Word to trounce your adversary. As D. L. Moody said years ago concerning the Bible: "Sin will keep you from this Book, and this Book will keep you from sin." So go ahead. What have you got to lose by giving this 60-second workout a try? The bell for the next round has just been rung, and you don't stand a chance against your opponent if you go out there again in your own strength.