Deepening Your Ministry Through Prayer and Personal Growth

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The spiritual and physical aspects of life were important, but I had failed to consider another area essential to healthy ministry—emotional strength. I needed a third gauge on the dashboard of my life.
—Bill Hybels

For many of the years I've served in ministry, I monitored myself closely in two areas, continually checking two gauges on the dashboard of my life.

I thought that was enough.

First, I kept an eye on the spiritual gauge, asking myself, How am I doing spiritually? Apart from Christ I can do nothing. I know that. I don't want my life's efforts to be burned up because they were done merely through human effort, clever tactics, or gimmickry. I am gripped by the fact that I must operate in the power of the Holy Spirit.

To keep my spiritual gauge where it needs to be, I have committed myself to the spiritual disciplines: journaling, fasting, solitude, sacrifice, study, and others. Like many Christians before me, I have discovered that these disciplines clarify spiritual issues and pump a high-octane fuel, providing intensity and strength for ministry.

Even though the pace of ministry has dramatically quickened in the past few years, I honestly don't think I often misread my spiritual gauges. Looking at my life's dashboard, I can tell when I am spiritually half-full, three-quarters full, or, sometimes, full.

When I'm full spiritually, I can look at my life and honestly say I love Jesus Christ and I'm attending to my spiritual disciplines and keeping myself open to the leading of Christ. When I'm spiritually full, I don't need to apologize for my motives. I can truly say: "I'm not in ministry because it gives me strokes. I'm excited about the fruit being borne through the ministry of Willow Creek."

Second, I have monitored ...

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