Spiritual Strength

 

One way to measure whether we are really growing strong in spirit is by considering own experience in prayer. The stronger we become in spirit, the sweeter our experience will be in prayer.  Prayer IN the spirit allows us to be regularly filled with an outpouring of grace and supplication that is deeply moving and powerfully refreshing.  Praying in the spirit is a life giving fellowship of God's presence.  

 

Is this how it is with us?   When we "read" or "hear" about prayer, what is our response?  Is there a sweet memory of our last fellowship with our Heavenly Father,  or is there a tinge of guilt we must subconsciously suppress because we sense no real drawing to prayer?  Is prayer a highlight of our day?  Can we sing sweet hour of prayer as a song that describes our own prayer life?  Those who are led by the Spirit live in the fellowship of prayer IN the Spirit; the stronger they become in spirit, the sweeter their savor in prayer becomes and the greater their own filling with the peace of Christ.  

 

Merely sensing the need to pray, or simply being aware that we ought to pray, is no real sign of spiritual strength.  When prayer becomes so sweet that we must steal away and commune with our Father - this is a sign of true spiritual life of Christ being formed in us.

How long do we wait to forgive?

How long can we legitimately hold another person's sin against them?   We certainly can hold others accountable for their sin against us.  Read Matthew 18 and you will see that you can press the matter to the point where the entire church decides to dis-fellowship the person if they refuse to hear all appeals.

So how long should we practically hold another person's sin against them? 

I'm not absolutely sure, but here is a thought to consider towards forming a conclusion.

How long?  How about until you begin to pray?   That would seem long enough.

After all Jesus said, "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if anything you have against anyone, so that your Father, the one in heaven may forgive your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses."

So, I would say that all of us can hold sins against other people all the way up until we decide to pray.  Once we begin to pray, we should forgive.  

In this way we will be able to tell those among us who are praying without ceasing and those who have paused in order to be able to hold others sins against them for a while longer.