Why We Need SPAs - Spiritual Partnership Activities

It's time for a refresher post about why I write these SPAs every week.  My inspiration comes from Peter's words in 2 Peter 1:3-4.  He wrote:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

The key phrase for these SPAs is "that you may participate in the divine nature."  We are invited to be partners with God so that he can share his divine nature with us.  Read that phrase again.  Seriously.  This is not a moral or ethical statement.  This is a spectacular invitation to actually have more and more of God's life flowing in and through our lives.  He desires to share more and more and more of his goodness, peace, love, joy, holiness and hope with us.

We accept this invitation by living what Dallas Willard referred to as the "with God" life.  Throughout Scripture God calls us to walk humbly with him on a daily basis. I write SPAs, Spiritual Partnership Activities, to provide simple opportunities to partner with God in the moments that make up daily life.  Christ died and was raised from the dead to bring us peace with God and enable us to enjoy  life with Him.  SPAs help us learn to live with a conscious awareness of God's presence as we trust the promises he has made of his presence with us, his power for us, and his love that is always working for our good.

In light of this, I have one small piece of advice for these activities.  Make sure you do these activities WITH God, not FOR God.  You are not trying to earn points with God, you are learning to enjoy life with him.  Be encouraged, God wants to do life with you!

Two Key Spiritual Practices (and a warning)

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right,giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.   Psalm 19:7-8   NIV

   Two key spiritual practices are memorizing Scripture and meditating on Scripture.  We often underestimate the power of Scripture and the life that comes to us through the words of Scripture, but these two practices help us experience that life and power.  When we memorize Scripture a seed of life is planted in our heart.  When we meditate on Scripture, it’s like feeding and watering that seed.  As that seed grows it produces life and wisdom in us.

   This week, write out the above verses on an index card or a piece of paper.  Seek to memorize them by repeating them to yourself phrase by phrase.  Even if you can’t memorize it completely, you will be meditating on it and it will increase your appetite for God’s truth in Scripture.  You might also want to write down the benefits of Scripture listed in these verses in a journal or in the margin of your Bible.

  * WARNING:  Be careful not to treat these practices, or any other spiritual practices, as required activities you must do for God to accept you.  If you fall into this thinking you will become discouraged, not encouraged.  God fully accepts us because of Christ’s work on the cross.  Spiritual practices are simply pathways to draw closer to God and strengthen our trust in him.  That’s what these SPAs are all about.