Five Ways to Develop a Healthy Spirit

I fell in love with the sport of cycling over a decade ago. Over that time, I’ve had the opportunity to train for and participate in several long-distance endurance rides. I’m often asked, “How do you ride 50, 75, or 100 miles in one day?” The answer: year-round, full-body strength training. For a cyclist, training begins in the off-season; it’s in the off-season that hamstrings, quads, and glutes are built, core muscles developed, and upper body strengthened. A cyclist who trains their body to bear under heavy weight in the off-season will reap the benefits of efficient muscle utilization, endurance, power production, better performance in the crucial late stages of the race, and resilience to injury.

Proverbs 18:14 says, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?” To sustain means to give support or relief to; to supply with sustenance or nourishment; to support the weight of; to buoy up; to bear up under. Simply put, a healthy spirit will keep you from falling apart.

I immediately think of Daniel as someone who possessed a healthy spirit. The Bible records that Daniel had an “excellent spirit.” (Daniel 6:3) We might also say Daniel had a healthy spirit, which enabled him to bear under the weight of extremely difficult circumstances. If ever there was someone who had cause to complain, hate his employer or give up, it was Daniel.  He was taken captive from his country; forced to become a eunuch; lived the rest of his life in servitude to foreign kings; and persecuted for his faith. Yet there is no record that Daniel uttered any complaint. Not one. Remarkably, Daniel thrived in his captivity, both spiritually and Positionally.

So how can I develop a healthy spirit that will enable me to not only survive, but thrive during difficult seasons?

Producing a Healthy Spirit

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Here are a few spiritual “exercises” that, if practiced on a regular basis, will produce a healthy spirit and enable you to endure and bear under the weight of difficult seasons.

1. Get in the Word

Paul describes God’s Word as milk and meat ―

“Like newborn babies, crave the pure spiritual milk [of the Word], so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

I Peter 2:2 [NIV]

“I, my brothers, was unable to talk to you as spiritual men: I had to talk to you as unspiritual, as yet babies in the Christian life, and my practice had been to feed you, as it were, with milk and not with meat. You were unable to digest meat in those days …”

I Corinthians 3:1-2 [Phillips]

Infants can’t eat solid food, their diet is primarily milk. But as a baby grows he requires more nourishment. A child’s growth would be stunted if a mother never gave her child solid food. There is a season to drink milk, but a time will come when you’ll need to start digging into the meat of God’s Word. God’s Word is like protein for our spirit; without it your spirit will not grow. A regular diet consisting of God’s Word will cause your spirit to grow and flourish; without it you will be weak, anemic and subject to spiritual sickness.

2. Declare the Word Over Your Life

Our words are weapons, they can create or destroy, and the words you speak will either build up or tear down your spirit. The Bible tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21. As powerful as our words are, the Word of God is more powerful. His Word trumps every circumstance and every word ever spoken over you. As you read God’s Word begin to declare it over your life. Here are a few examples:

• I do not have a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

• I am a person of great worth and value. I am not a mistake; I am a marvelous work of art I am full of love and beauty, wonderfully and perfectly created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27, 31; Psalm 139:14)

• I am a joyful person. My joy is not dependent on my circumstances or how I feel

• My joy is increasing daily, and I have been created to experience fullness of joy (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 16:11)

• All my children are taught of the Lord and great is their peace (Isaiah 54:13)

Declaring God’s Word out loud will transform your life, your spirit and even your destiny.

3. Pray in Tongues

Praying in tongues (or “praying in the Holy Spirit”) is a vital key to developing a healthy spirit. Paul said, “The one who speaks in tongues advances his own spiritual progress … .” 1 Corinthians 14:4 [Passion]. Jude also asserts that praying in one’s prayer language is essential for spiritual growth and personal strengthening.

“But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit.” 

Jude 20 [Amplified]

Interestingly, science has documented medical benefits of praying in tongues. Dr. Carl Peterson, a brain specialist, conducted research on the relationship between the brain and praying in tongues. Dr. Peterson found that during extended periods of praying in tongues the brain releases two chemical secretions that are directed into the immune system. These secretions boost the immune system 35-40 percent, promoting health and healing. Other studies suggest praying in tongues is associated with a reduction in stress and greater emotional stability. These intriguing studies merely support what the Bible teaches, and Christians since Pentecost have experienced praying in tongues edifies the spirit.

4. Engage in Personal Worship

Personal worship is far more than singing along with WOW’s Best Worship Songs of the Year, dancing in your living room, or rockin’ out to a powerful faith ballad while driving down the road. Jesus said,

“From here on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.” 

John 4:23-24 [Passion]

Worship is an act of intimacy. As we pour out our worship and adoration, we open the chamber door to a one-on-one encounter with the Divine Lover. His Spirit comes and connects with and releases into our spirit. We are energized, perspective is changed, faith and hope are renewed. We are strengthened, encouraged and even healed. Worship is a powerful tool for developing and maintaining a healthy spirit.

5. Guard Your Downtime

In the original language of Daniel 6:3, “excellent” carries the idea of pre-eminence. Daniel was someone whose spirit was pre-eminent over his flesh. He realized the eyes, ears and even the mouth are entry points into the spirit and refused to follow the ways of the hedonistic Babylonian culture. (Daniel 1:8) Daniel had an excellent or healthy spirit because he pursued Godliness.

You cannot develop a healthy spirit without exercising self-control, saying “No” to the flesh. What you do in your downtime, the things you watch on television and the internet, the people you associate with, and what you read or listen to, can pollute your spirit. You will reap what you sow into your spirit. Paul explains this principle of sowing and reaping:

“Make no mistake about it, God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest. The harvest you reap reveals the seed that was planted. If you plant the corrupt seeds of self-life into this natural realm, you can expect to experience a harvest of corruption. If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap the beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit.”

Galatians 6:7-8 [Passion]

You must guard your downtime from the toxicity of the world to maintain a healthy spirit.

Get Started 

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It seems like the hardest part of exercise is getting started, right? But if you can start, you’ve won half the battle. Begin today, in the off-season. Listen to one of our podcasts or spend ten minutes worshiping Jesus and thanking Him for all He’s done for you. Do it again tomorrow, the next day, the day after and the next day after that. Little by little your spirit will grow stronger, healthier, more resilient. Be encouraged! The more you practice these spiritual disciplines, the healthier your spirit will become. Difficult seasons do not have to rob you of your joy!

Author: Crystal Dartt a member of Legacy Church

As a church we do not believe in doing life alone. We want to pray with you.

To submit a prayer request visit

www.legacychurchri.com/prayerandpraise

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