Here are the Keys to Your Fresh Start

Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash

I took a drive this morning. The orchards are starting to bloom and leaf out, the vineyards are coming to life, everywhere there are signs and reminders that a fresh cycle of life has started. God created nature to have a seasonal fresh start. And we need that, too.

Spiritual stagnation may not be inevitable but sometimes it feels that it is. We tend to live in rhythms and that includes our spiritual lives as well. We see those rhythms lived out in the Old Testament prophets and in the New Testament apostles. If they were not immune to that ebb and flow, we certainly aren’t either.

So what can we do to give ourselves a fresh start? Warming temperatures, more sunlight, water and wind all help stimulate plant growth and maturation. Notice that each of these things means more – more heat, more light, more water, more wind. Here are some things that have helped me get a fresh start in the past.

Add a worship service

Many followers of Jesus don’t attend worship as often as they should. When we miss out on worship, we lose out on fellowship, being in a unique circumstance that seems to amplify the presence of God, hearing the word and being encouraged by what is going on in that atmosphere.

Making a concerted effort to be in worship at every opportunity, maybe even more than once or twice a week can make a huge difference to your spiritual strength, your outlook and your joy.

Add more prayer

Trying praying yourself to sleep. If you wake in the middle of the night, talk to God for a while. Add a few more people to your prayer list and begin praying for them.

Discipline yourself to engage in prayers of thanksgiving, praise and worship. Taking the time to just give God something of yourself in this way can be delightfully refreshing.

Give your Bible reading a fresh start

Try using a different approach to your Bible reading. Being more systematic, focusing on inspirational passages or adding five minutes to your reading plan can make a significant difference in your life. Reading the Bible is your opportunity to hear from God. After all, we are consuming the breathed-out word of God! That is always refreshing for your soul.  

Recall what has worked for you previously

You may have already experienced this change of experience. What worked to give you a fresh start last time? Try it again. It may be a combination of these things I already mentioned. It might be something entirely different.

Your turn

If you need personal revival, these simple suggestions will help you. Put a couple of them to work today and see what a difference they can make.