Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour

so that you will be able to stand firm… Pray in the Spirit at all times… and

be persistent in your prayers. Ephesians 6:10-18

I used to be frightened of water because I wasn’t a strong swimmer, but

as a younger adult I spent a lot of time weight training. As my body got

stronger so did my confidence in the water. I learned then not to be

afraid, and now, even though my muscles aren’t as strong as they once

were, my confidence in the water remains because of the experience I

gained whilst strong!

During my time in the fitness environment, I reflected a lot on the

comparison between building the physical muscle and the spiritual

‘muscle.’ Just as lifting weights builds muscular strength, we can build

spiritual strength through our spiritual disciplines like prayer, meditation,

Bible study, worship and fellowship and our confidence in God builds too!

The strength and confidence we build during our spiritual ‘exercises’ can

then carry us through times of challenge, change, sickness or trauma.

The Bible reassures us that when we are weak God’s strength works in

and through us. So, if we can go to the gym to get physically strong, what

do we do to ensure that we are spiritually strong? The Apostle Paul said:

“Pray all the time, with all kinds of prayers and be persistent in prayer.”

Constant contact with God makes us strong!