The thoughts shared on this blog are designed to challenge and encourage those desiring to walk with Christ.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Spiritual breathing

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.


One of the things that we do quite naturally if we are healthy is breathe. We don't have to think about it we just do it.

I want to introduce you to a concept that Campus Crusade for Christ founder the late Dr. Bill Bright called "spiritual breathing". It is a concept that if practiced will transform your spiritual life. Spiritual breathing first acknowledges that people sin even after they are saved. Many Christians are in denial about that idea, but the bible says in 1 John that if we say we have no sin we are liars and the truth is not in us. The idea is to recognize it when we sin, and to confess it right away.

When we sin, we know that we have grieved the Holy Spirit. We often just go on about our business without doing anything about it. We try not to think about it and often just try to suppress it in our thinking until the Holy Spirit reminds us about that sin some time later. Dr Bright suggested that what all Christians ought to do when they sin is confess and ask forgiveness right away. Do not let long periods of time go by with unconfessed sin in your life. When you sin, don't wait until the invitation after the Sunday sermon to get right with God. Confess your sin to the Lord immediately. Sin breaks fellowship with God. You can sense it when you disobey the Lord that your fellowship with Him is broken. Confessing sin restores fellowship with the Lord. Confess your sin, then ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit, appropriating His fullness in your life again. Continue walking in the Holy Spirit now that your fellowship with God has been restored. IF you practice this it will become as natural as breathing....thus the term "spiritual breathing".

Let's review the process of "spiritual breathing". When you sin, confess it to the Lord right away. Do not wait. Claim 1 John 1:9 which says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit understanding that it is God's command to be filled with the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 5:18). Understand that the bible teaches us that we get what we ask for when we ask according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14-15 above). So now having restored fellowship with God, walk in the fullness of the Spirit.

Practice this art of "spiritual breathing" and you will have less time in your life with unconfessed sin in your life. As you keep short accounts with God, your fellowship with Him will deepen.

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