“But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever! Amen” – 2 Peter 3:18
No disciple can ever grow to become like Jesus if he’s not edified or lives a disciplined life spiritually. You can’t follow Jesus if you don’t have a spiritual life. Following Jesus as a Disciple is not done through religious gatherings or activities but in the secret place and it manifests in the public. It is when you have followed Him through spiritual disciplines that men can truly say that you have been with Jesus.
Edification means to build up. Building one’s spiritual life is a process and it starts from the foundation to the final stage – when we get to heaven. Personal and spiritual edification are things you do to build up your emotional, mental, moral, and spiritual life. The more you edify yourself, the more you grow spiritually.
Why do I need to edify myself spiritually?
- It’s a command – 2 Pet. 3:18
- Your life comes first before your service – 2 Tim. 2:15
- God expects you to grow – Heb. 5:11-14
- You can’t bear fruit with spiritual growth – John 15:4-6
- It stabilizes you amid life’s challenges – Matt. 7:24-25.
Effect of lack of spiritual edification
- Perpetual babyhood and dependence for spiritual help
- Instability – Eph. 4:12-14
- Defeated life
- Spiritual dullness and insensitivity
Spiritual edification practises include:
- Quiet time
- Prayer
- Bible intake
- Fasting
- Speaking in tongues
- Silence
- Retreats
- Journaling
QUIET TIME
Quiet time is a time personally set to commune with God, a time to wait expectantly, a time to lay every piece of my life on the altar and to wait for his fire to fall on my hearts, a time to offer a sacrifice of prayer, a time to receive wisdom and strength for the day.
Why observe Quiet Time?
If two people become intimate, they must spend time together. One of the love languages postulated by Gary Chapman is spending quality time. You need to spend quality time with God to become intimate with Him. Knowing God takes time, it does not happen suddenly and it’s a process.
Examples of those who spent time alone with God,
- Moses – Exodus 32:7-14
- Enoch – Gen. 5:22
- Daniel – Dan. 6:10
- Jesus – Mark 1:35
