Friday Fight 58 - Our Breath: Spiritual Depth

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF58.

We all go through different seasons of spiritual growth and eventually see what God was trying to teach us in our struggle to surrender. What about those around us who are struggling? Let's look at some shifts in spiritual focus that may help us understand how others are struggling.

Our Breath – Spiritual Depth

Imagine four glasses representing the spiritual walk of others and their struggles. The heart, perspective, and willingness to surrender to God can all cause spiritual depth to change.

The first glass represents being spiritually half full. This person knows God and surrenders most of the time. Being continuously filled comes from a thankful heart and willingness to forgive. Our focus: Be prayerful.

The second glass represents a half-empty spiritual walk. This person knows God but surrendering is inconsistent, causing a negative perspective of situations. Without awareness, the hurts carried will become too heavy for the glass. Our focus: pray for complete surrender. Be mindful.

The third spiritual walk is a breaking bottom. This person knows and loves God, but refusing to surrender deep hurts causes brokenness in the soul. Complaining, being cynical, and inability to forgive causes anger to quickly become resentment. Our focus: stay removed their anger. Pray against resentment and the brokenness in their soul. Be careful.

The fourth representation has no bottom. This spiritual walk entails a relationship with God but an emptiness in their soul they have not allowed God to heal. Most hurts are self-applied, and attempts to fill this person are seldom recognized; everything flows through them. Our focus: Pray against bitterness and for the emptiness to be restored. Be clear-minded and well-rested on planned visits to avoid being drained. Be Strategic.

Darkness works strategically to ensure no bottom, seeking worldly things for fulfillment. As a result, we may complain, have a skewed perspective, refuse to forgive, and eventually carry bitterness. The goal of darkness is to have emptiness completely consume our spirit.

Why is the glass not full, you ask? Although we strive to be, none of us are Christ. Our fulfillment comes from God, the Word, people, worship, prayer, and remaining thankful. Recognizing the fluctuating spiritual depth of others will help direct our help and prayers. It is not our job to fix people; it is our job to fill where God leads and lift people in prayer. So with our breath, let's pray for the spiritual depth of others.

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 8:39

*Illustrated by Alexis Miller*

Pastor Shannon

New Life Calvert