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(Click here Preparation studies for your youth group!)

It’s important to grow your life in Christ. And it’s especially important to prepare spiritually for Nazarene Youth Conference 2007!

When we accept Christ into our lives His grace brings forgiveness, restoration and completely changing our life. Sometimes we can coast along in our Christian life, not really being serious about our commitment to God. Other times, we’re defeated by sin and disobedience in our life and grow discouraged by our spiritual failure. Sometimes we simply don’t incorporate the habits of the heart that the Holy Spirit can use to grow our faith.

Think about your life and where you could develop the habits that you need to grow in Christ. Can you get up earlier? Take time during each day? Spend the last few moments of your day? It’s important to set aside time each day to give God room to move in our life. Any time, but a regular time, is important for those habits to develop in our lives.

1. Read God’s Word every day. It’s critical to growing spiritually. Check out what King David thought about God’s Word in Psalms 19:7-11. He meditated on the Word of God every day (Ps. 1:1-3). So any Christian that wants to grow spiritually, to prepare their heart for God to do amazing things in their life, must develop the habit of reading God’s Word every day!

Think about making a plan and sticking to it, such as, reading through the entire Bible in one year. That would be about 3 chapters a day. You can find plans on the internet on how to read through the Bible in one year, you can even purchase a “one year Bible” to help you stay on track.

Maybe you could read one chapter of Proverbs every day. That would take you about a month to complete the book.

How about focusing on reading the New Testament in one year?

Reading God’s Word every day will feed your soul and grow your faith by leaps and bounds.

2. Prayer is so important in a Christian’s life. Too often we think we’re too busy to pray. But we’re not. It’s through prayer that we find mercy and grace to help us live a Christian life. Through prayer we find a deep peace to guard our hearts against straying from Him. It’s so important to spend more than a few moments in prayer every day.

Just as we must listen to God daily through His Word, so we must talk to Him daily if we are to grow; have you developed the habit of praying regularly?

3. Attending church regularly is extremely important to grow as a Christian. When we grow in God-breathed fellowship we encourage one another to stay strong in our faith. Plus we can become accountable to encourage and motivate each other to live strong for God. Don’t miss a worship service. Figure out how to get involved in small group Bible studies. Develop spiritual relationships with stronger Christians, they’ll help you grow!Choose to serve in the church, God will use that to grow you even stronger in your faith. Ask your Pastor what you could do around the church to help him and the church to grow. Seek to understand what God has gifted you to do . . . and do it with all of your heart and strength!

4. Make sure and participate in the daily devotions that ’ll be available at waterfirewind.com beginning in January 2006. Maybe start a small group with some of your friends who are also attending NYC ’07 so that you can spur one another along to grow in grace. (Click here for Daily Devotional)