Roots to A Healthy Christian Life
1. How does God describe those who have
accepted His healing in their lives?
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the
LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters,
and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat
cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of
drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8
2. What exhortation does the Apostle Paul give
us in Colossians 2:6,7?
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in
him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein
with thanksgiving.
Note: Our Christian "roots" do not function by
some magical process. Just like a living
plant, they need to be carefully and lovingly cultivated if they are to grow
strong and healthy. Just as we need
food, air, water and exercise for our bodies to be strong and healthy, so we
need the spiritual equivalents to give life and strength to our spiritual
life.
3. What
is the first "root"?
Pray without ceasing. I Thessalonians 5:17
Note: Prayer
is the all important lifeline that connects us with Heaven. We cannot have a healthy relationship with
someone unless we talk to them
and spend time with them. So we cannot
have a good relationship with our Saviour unless we talk with Him.
4. The Saviour is our example in all
things. What did Luke record about
Jesus' prayer life?
And it came to pass in those days, that he
went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12
Note: Jesus sought a quiet and private place to pray to His
Father, and He spent the whole night
praying! Is it any wonder that His life
was filled with the power and blessings of God?
We know that He was God the Son, but He prayed as a man to His Father,
just as you and I are to do.
5. Do we
pray in order to convince God to help us?
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if
any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20
Note: We need air in order to live. Yet air does not force itself upon us. It is there, waiting, actually pressing to come in and give us
life! But we are the ones who must breath, and accept its life-giving flow.
Prayer has been called "the
breath of the soul". When we pray,
it is simply letting God in—giving Him permission to employ His omnipotent
powers to alleviate our distress.
6. What
should our prayers be like?
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as
the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter
into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is
in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for
they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye
therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of,
before ye ask him. Matthew 6:5-8
Note: Jesus said that we should not use "vain
repetitions". They should be
personal, private prayers, rather
than formal, "prayer book" prayers.
7. What does the Holy Spirit do for us when we
pray?
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered. Romans 8:26
Note: There are times when we cannot put into words exactly
what we are feeling or want to say to our heavenly Father. But the Holy Spirit understands and knows
what we mean.
8. Besides our private prayers, is there also
a place for public prayer?
Again I say unto you, That
if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask,
it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew
9. What attitude toward God should we exhibit
in our prayers and in our lives?
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us
kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of
his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm
95:6,7
Note: Reverence
should always be displayed towards our Friend, the Supreme Creator of all the Universe! We
should kneel in awe, humility and love when possible. (for further study,
read also Isaiah 45:23; Philemon 2:9,10; Daniel 6:10; 2 Chronicles 6:13; Psalm
141:1,2)
10.
On what specific occasions did Jesus and
the apostles pray?
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread,
and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he
began to eat. Acts 27:35
Note: Paul said, "pray
without ceasing." Not only should
we thank God at mealtimes, but often during the day we can praise the One Who
gives us life at each moment.
11.
If we willingly turn a deaf ear to God's
commandments, what will our prayers become in God's sight?
He that turneth away his ear from hearing
the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. Proverbs 28:9
Note: The Lord expects us to listen to Him in love if we
expect Him to listen
to and
answer our prayers! Friendship requires
mutual trust and admiration—it is not one-sided.
12.
What is the second
"root"?
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
Note: Regular Bible study is one of the most important means
of cultivating a living relationship with Christ. If prayer is the "breath" of the
soul, Bible study is our spiritual "food and drink", indispensable to
our spiritual life.
As with prayer, however, we completely
control the time and effort we put into personal Bible study. No one can eat for us. Neither can anyone else study the Bible for
us. If we neglect personal, frequent
Bible reading, we pay the inevitable price of spiritual anemia and
starvation.
13.
What was Jesus' last commission to the
disciples, the third "root" of a strong Christian experience?
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
Note: The very first impulse of the renewed heart is to
share with others the good news.
Just as we cannot be healthy without physical
exercise, unless we witness, our spiritual "exercise", we will grow
stagnant and atrophied in our spiritual being.
14.
How do we go about the work of sharing
Jesus?
Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith
unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things
the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. Mark
Note: There is no formal, set way to do so. Opportunities often come unexpectedly. We need not be learned or have years of
experience and practice—all God asks of us is for us to tell of our own experience.
A witness in a court of law is not asked
to tell what he has heard, or thinks about something, but only what he has personally seen. We are to tell what we, ourselves, have seen,
heard, and felt of the transforming love of God!
15.
What will Jesus do for us if we share
our faith?
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever
shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in
heaven. Matthew 10:32,33
16.
Who did Jesus promise to send to give
power to our witness?
But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
CONCLUSION
And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached
through all the world for a witness to all mankind; and then the end will come. Matthew
24:14
Do you want to help Jesus come sooner
by making prayer, Bible study and witnessing an important part of your life?
My response to Christ is:______________________________