1. Get up anyway!

This falls right under self discipline! Some of our arch nemesis. This requires truly realizing that our actions are not depicted on our feelings. “I don’t feel like getting up, I don’t really feel like praying right now, I am not in a happy mood to do anything at the moment…” Hate to break it to you, but those feelings are irrelevant when it comes to God, yet that is easier said than done.

• This is not saying disregard your feelings and put everything and everyone else first, nor is this saying God does not care about how you feel, because of course He does. What this is saying is that when you are a child of God, you no longer live for yourself, but for God. So yes, that does mean you have to sacrifice those times of ‘not feeling like it’ and just do it because it pleases God you see?

• In the same way you love your spouse so much that even though you really don’t care for watching that one show your wife/husband loves, you watch it with them anyways because it pleases them. Practice self discipline on yourself as a disciple of God. Wake up those early mornings to have intimate prayer time with Him, even if you are not an early bird.

Pray for your enemy even though they don’t deserve it because in reality…did you deserve to get saved? Whether it was physically, mentally, emotionally? Pursuing after God does not come natural, since we know this, this should make us be aware that when those feelings come, we know what our duty should still be.

2. Remember the reason for your battle.

Why is there such a battle between your flesh and spirit? What is it for? What is the end goal/outcome? Our reason as Christians is to please God. To be different from this world. To dwell with God. realize you were created and are nothing without your creator. To glorify God. To show others the true love of Jesus so they can come to him. To make disciples. You belong to God, therefore you do not live for you; but for Christ.

3. Don’t battle in your own strength.

You have a choice! To let God fight them for you, or to fight in your own strength. Your own strength as in, your own sinful, weak, unstable, changeable, breakable…strength. God’s strength as in unshakable, powerful, everlasting, stable..the list goes on. Why would you want to fight your own battles alone if your creator is willing to fight them with you? As Christians we fight in prayer. Our communication with our heavenly father is through prayer and acts of worship, and it is as simple as talking to Him.

4. Ask your friends to fight with you.

NO, not your friend who wants to take you out clubbing every-time you are going through a struggle or the friend who wants to get you a shot to get you out of your mind for a bit. I mean your brother/sister in Christ who prays for your healing and guides you through the Word. The one that will pray for you even on their time away from you and to walk with you step by step in the ways of Christ. When things get hard and life is just pulling you down in all different directions and you are losing your foundation, that friend is there to correct you and steer you back on the right path. The friend that bases Truth before your feelings. God before yourself.

5. Take time for spiritual refreshment.

Maybe you are in that time and season of your life that schedules get busy, you are tired of the same ol routine, you get complacent and kind of distant from God; refresh yourself. Dive back into the word! Set scheduled times to read the Bible; same with scheduled prayer times. Go on a walk and just talk to God or have coffee with Jesus time! Write a new journal about your spiritual walk or join that new small group! Find new christian music or podcasts! (Just be aware of false doctrine) Just refresh yourself of the joys God has given you and the love he has for you!

6. Remember the testimonies in your life.

Go through your past/history and really recognize Gods’ hand guiding you throughout life. In the hard times, go through scenarios of what happened. How it started, what it was going like, how it ended and where you are today, how did God guide you through that? What was the purpose God had in store for your trial. If you do not have an answer to just these few questions, question yourself why you have not saw any reason for your trials/testimonies. Connect the dots to see the purpose of hardships.

7. Release the peace within you through singing and proclaiming Jesus.

WORSHIP! What better way to express your joy and peace through singing, dancing and just spilling your heart out to your father! Let your emotions run through and just pour them out. The Lord sees your joy and your love for Him. Scream it out!! Why? Because God is good!!

8. Remember whose you are and who you are.

Who do you belong to? We all serve something/someone. Whether its society, the government, your family, your spouse, your career…or God. It is just the matter of who or what will you serve? Who are you? What the world expects you to be? What other people tell you to be to fit in? What society tells you to be like? Or who God says you are. The great thing about these questions is that you are the one who is in control, its all your choice.