But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7)
Your spiritual life is greatly influenced by the habits you cultivate. An excellent Christian life does not happen accidentally. You have to give attention to the things that build your spirit. Prayer, studying the Word of God, fellowship, worship, church attendance, witnessing, giving, and serving are not burdens placed upon you to make Christianity difficult. They are spiritual exercises that help you grow.
There are habits that strengthen you, and there are habits that weaken you. The same way a person cannot become physically strong by merely talking about exercise, you cannot become spiritually strong by merely talking about prayer and the Word. You have to practise them. Make prayer a part of your life. Make studying the Scriptures part of your life. Make fellowship with God’s people part of your life. What you repeatedly practise eventually becomes part of the way you live.
Don’t wait until you feel spiritual before doing spiritual things. There will be days when you feel excited and days when you don’t. Your commitment cannot be controlled by your emotions. A mature Christian learns consistency. You pray because you are a child of God. You study the Word because you are a child of God. You fellowship because you are a child of God. You give because you are a child of God. You serve because you are a child of God.
Cultivate godly habits until they become natural expressions of your Christian life.
Prayer:
Dear Father, I thank You for the grace to grow in excellence and godliness. Thank You for giving me Your Word, the privilege of prayer, and the fellowship of the saints. Thank You that I am not without direction concerning how I should live. I receive grace to cultivate habits that strengthen my spirit and honour Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.