What does it mean to Thrive Spiritually?
To thrive spiritually is also to build spiritual muscles. The word thrive means to prosper,
to flourish, and to advance. It is God’s will for his children to prosper, which is evident in His
promise mentioned in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God makes it
very clear that he does not intend for us to lack or to fail. To thrive is our birthright. We are
called to thrive in everything we do and every area of our lives. To secure this birthright, we
must first learn how to thrive spiritually. Once we can thrive spiritually, thriving will manifest in
our lives in mental, emotional, physical, relational, and financial aspects. In Matthew 6:33, we
are commanded to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first, and then everything else
will be added to us. This scripture speaks about thriving and gives us an “if-then” formula for
thriving. “If” we seek God first, “then” everything will be added to us. In other words, if we
thrive spiritually, we will thrive overall
How to Build Spiritual Muscles?
Feed on God’s word – Jesus overcame the enemy in the garden of Gethsemane because
he understood that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of the Lord. Seeking God’s knowledge, wisdom, and understanding will
feed our souls with the truth while strengthening our faith, ultimately allowing us to
thrive in our walk with God. In Hosea 4:6, God explained that his people are destroyed
because they lack knowledge. It went on to say that because the people rejected
knowledge, the Lord rejected them. Those whom the Lord rejects will not thrive;
therefore, to secure our thrive, we must secure the knowledge of the Lord.
Obedience to God’s Word – Obeying the word of God requires us to lean not on our
understanding. We permit God to direct our paths when we do not lean on our
understanding. A path directed by God is safe, sure, and prosperous. However,
disobedience to his word results in disobedience to his will for our lives, ultimately
taking us out of His protection. Obedience to God’s word is protection, and anyone
under the protection of God will ultimately thrive.
Trust in the Lord – According to Psalm 125:1, “Those who trust in the LORD are like
Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” Trusting God makes us
unshakable. The unshakable, by definition, cannot fail, fall, or be destroyed, all of which
are the opposite of thriving. Therefore, trust in God is a prerequisite for thriving
spiritually
Prayer – Praying is an important tool and posture in building our spiritual muscles. When
we go to the gym or work out at home, the tool and the posture we use determine the
exercise’s effectiveness, which is evident in the muscles we build. It is the same concept
for prayer. Prayer draws us closer to God; it strengthens our relationship with him by
abasing our fleshly desire. Once our fleshly desires are abased, it paves the way for us to
build our spiritual muscles. When our spiritual muscles are built through prayer, they
manifest in our faith and trust in God. Strong spiritual muscles are also evident in our
communication and consistent interaction with God. Most importantly, having strong
spiritual muscles keeps us in a righteous posture because it strengthens our
communication and interaction with God. As we know, the prayer of a righteous person
accomplishes much, and to accomplish in the Lord is to thrive. In other words, we should
live a life of consistent communication with God through prayer. Therefore, how we
approach prayer is vital to building our spiritual muscles
Orayne Williams,
Head of School
The Exodus Academy
