SCH 077 Four Self-Care Hacks for Improving Your Personal Spiritual Growth

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Recent events convince me I need to continually improve my personal spiritual growth. Without growth, I lose power and focus.

Personal Spiritual Growth is a Form of Self-Care

“She belongs to me!” The student lay on the floor, body writhing and fists clenched. She moaned and giggled and called out again, “She belongs to me!”

Her arms flailed with supernatural strength. Some of us continued to softly sing, while others rebuked the devil and others read scriptures over the student. A holy battle raged. One I had never witnessed before. The type of battle one thinks only takes place in Africa where witch doctors reign.

We continued to sing, pray, and rebuke. Some of us questioned our rightness with God. Did we spend time each day on personal spiritual growth? Did our collective faith have the power to cast out demons in Jesus’ name?

A few days before, during a similar episode, the student had identified herself as Legion. More than 30 minutes passed before she called out for the very first time, “Jesus, save me!” The room erupted in cheers of praise for Jesus’ victory over the evil one.

And now the journey begins. We will need to mentor her in personal spiritual growth, lest the clean place in her soul remains empty and available for a return visit (Matthew 12:44).

Jesus longs for relationship with us. He stands at the door of our heart and knocks, but we have a part to play, too. We must spend time each day in personal spiritual growth. Going to church and learning in community has its place, but nothing helps us grow more quickly in our faith than spending time each day getting to know God better.

Today’s podcast has four hacks to help you identify ways to nurture your personal spiritual growth. As we spend time at the feet of Jesus we will discover a desire to know him more.

Show Notes

Books on prayer you might find helpful:

Praying Woman: How to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say, by Sheila Walsh

Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days, by Kay Arthur

God, I Have Issues: 50 Ways to Pray No Matter How You Feel, by Mark Thibodeaux

His Way to Pray: A Devotional Study of Prayer, by W. Phillip Keller

Information on Sabbath Rest:

Six Self-Care Hacks to Help You Find Sabbath Rest

Self-Care Hacks to Help You Increase Your Creativity With Sabbath Rest

Discover the Adventure of Sabbath Rest

True Sabbath Rest

Learn to Abide

True You: Letting Go of Your False Self to Uncover the Person God Created, by Michelle DeRusha

A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23, by W. Phillip Keller

Books About Yielding

Jesus Over Everything: Uncomplicating the Daily Struggle to Put Jesus First, by Lisa Whittle

Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas

In His Steps, by Charles Sheldon

Download your FREE Self-Care Checklist!

Recent events convince me I need to continually improve my personal spiritual growth. Without growth, I lose power and focus. #prayer #sabbathrest #yield #abide #selfcarehacks #podcast #selfcaresunday

Come Back Next Week

Next week I’ll talk about habit-forming and the secret to successfully forming new habits.

11 Comments

Thank you for hosting Anita.
Bless you,
Jennifer

Oh, how I want the clean places in my soul filled with things of God! Thank you for the two stories – I love the energy and determination of your students!!!

What a powerful story and message, my friend! Thank you for sharing it and hosting this party.

Shelbee

Now that I am subbing on the reg’lar, your school -based stories feel so meaningful to me.
Michele+Morin recently posted…How to Cope with Frustration, Disappointment, and Fear at Christmas Time

Your podcast had 4 great tips to grow in our spiritual lives. Sometimes we make it so complicated, and it doesn’t have to be. (Abiding and stewing, such opposites, thanks for that reminder.)
Theresa+Boedeker recently posted…Mary and Christmas

Love the emphasis on personal spiritual growth; and thanks for the resources. I will be checking them out, especially the ones on prayer and rest. Our church is going to do a challenge in 2022 – 100 days of doing 100 minutes a week of prayer. Comes out to just a tad more than 14 minutes a day.
Jerralea+Winn+Miller recently posted…There’s Someone Knocking at the Door!

Always love your insight ..such a blessing to read! Have a Merry Christmas with your family!

xo
Valerie

Wow-you’re definitely right–personal time with the Lord and in His Word IS self-care! Thank you for the link-up!
Amy Jung recently posted…Am I Embracing The Weakness of My Humanity?

Love that the school children saw the possibilities of the snow and not the limitations.
Debbie Wilson recently posted…How Did Mary Show Faith the First Christmas?

I like the link you make between the snowball effect and developing good spiritual practices. It’s so true that if we start small and let others help us growth can happen!