My phone is dead again. It is presently plugged into the charger trying to come to life. Anyone who has had a cell phone knows the frustration of a dying phone while making an important call. I find a similar frustration with my flashlight, golf cart, laptop, and battery powered tools. They are of no use if they have not been charged.
Your soul needs recharged. In Peter’s second letter to the church he writes, “I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,..” (II Peter 1:13, NASB). Everyone needs stirred up. Our souls languish when they are not fed. Fires die without fuel. Peter felt burdened to continually stir up the faith of the believers as long as he was alive. He stirred them by reminding them of the truth of Christ and the power of the gospel. What are some ways to recharge your soul in 2022?
Read the Bible daily. It is difficult to understand the power of the Word of God in shaping our thoughts and strengthening our faith. Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4, NIV). The Bible feeds the soul. The Bible is the very words of God given through chosen people and preserved in written form. Every time you read the Bible you are charging your soul. Peter wrote, “This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory” (II Peter 3:1, NLT).
Worship with others regularly. As a coal grows cold unless it is in the midst of the flame, so a soul grows cold unless he or she is in the midst of others who are on fire for Christ. The habit of gathering with other believers is one of the simplest ways to refocus your life and refuel your faith. Jesus made a weekly habit of gathering with others to read the Scriptures and worship. The Bible says, “When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath…” (Luke 4:16, NLT). The New Testament believers gathered on the first day of the week for fellowship, worship, and Bible study (Acts 20:7). The author of Hebrews strongly insists that it be a part of their weekly lives (Hebrews 10:24-25). Gathering with other believers fans the flame of the faith!
Learn to pray continually. Prayer keeps us connected to God. Yes, we should have special times of prayer, but we should develop the practice of praying through the day. The Bible declares, “…pray continually…” (I Thessalonians 5:17, NIV), and again, “…continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NKJV). Memorize Scriptures and recite them back to the Lord in your prayers. Fill your mind with the Bible and keep your mind on Jesus. Prayer will keep your soul in tune with God.