David and his army of 600 men returned home to find their city burned and their families and the rest of their possessions gone – the result of an Amalekite raid.  (1 Samuel 30:1-5)

David was distressed.  The men were distraught and talked of stoning their leader.

“But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God,” (1 Samuel 30:6b) and called for a prophet to come so David could inquire of the Lord’s will.  Once David heard what God wanted him to do, he and his men followed through and were able to recover their wives, their children, and all the things that had been taken from them.  “Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken.  David brought back all.” (1 Samuel 30:19).

The key here is verse 6b: David strengthened himself in the Lord.  The Hebrew word used here for strenghten is “chazaq” which literally means to tie fast, to bind strongly.  It signifies strong adhesion (Blue Letter Bible app).

In response to a potentially catastrophic situation – their families might be dead for all they knew, and the men were angry enough to kill David – David caught hold of the Lord tightly.

Can you see David doing that?

He seized hold of the Lord with both hands.

He bound himself to God and asked Him what to do.

The seizing, the binding, the holding tightly…this strengthened David.

The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how David strengthened  himself here…I’m reading into the situation based on the original Hebrew word used.

But, we know from other verses of scripture, there are many instances in Psalms for example, exactly how David strengthened himself in the Lord at other times.  And we can read story after story of how other people in the Bible made themselves strong by turning to God.  So, we can learn from God’s Word and apply this knowledge to our own lives.

5 Ways to Strengthen Yourself in the Lord

• Pray
• Read
• Write
• Worship
• Fellowship

PRAY – Time spent in prayer binds you to the Lord

Romans 8:26: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  

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There is no one, right way to pray.  As the scripture above explains, when we can’t even think what to say in our own prayers, the Holy Spirit will mediate on our behalf.  However, I have heard of an acronym for PRAY to guide you when you go before the Lord.  (I have heard it from several different sources and explained in a variety of ways over the years.  While I cannot give a specific source citation, I can tell you that this isn’t my original material).

P = PRAISE – Begin your time with God by praising Him because He is worthy.  Thank Him for His blessings.  Sing Him a worship song.  Recite Bible verses that show gratitude and thanksgiving.

R = REPENT – Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.  Ask God to help you truly repent and turn from that sin back to Him.  Ask God to show your sin to you and convict you so you cannot commit that sin again.

A = ASK – Share your prayer requests with God.  Talk to Him about the suffering and needs of others as well as things that are troubling you.  Ask Him to help you make a decision.  Talk to Him about your job, your health, your relationships, your future.

Y = YIELD – Finally, tell God that, above all else, you want His will to be done even if it is different from your desires.

Hint – as you seize the Lord with both hands in prayer, He will change your heart.  He will convict you of things you weren’t even aware were sins.  He will reveal His will and begin to change your heart to reflect His plan.

Make prayer an every-day priority.

Read – Time spent reading the Bible binds you to the Lord

Exodus 24:7 – Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people.  And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.

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Scripture is God’s love letter to us.  It is God’s Word.   His Word teaches us.  It encourages us.  It strengthens us.  It rebukes us.  It points us to God.  The more you read your Bible, the more you understand who God is and how much He cares for you.

Take time to read your Bible each day.

Write – Time spent writing about your faith binds you to the Lord

1 John 5:13 – I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Write your prayers.  You’ll have a written record of them and can go back to this when God answers you.

Journal about what you learned in the scripture you read.  Sometimes when I do this, I ask God questions about what I didn’t understand and write out what he teaches me from the story.  Other times I may paraphrase verses or summarize Bible stories, explaining in what happened in my own words.  The exercise of journaling helps me glean more meaning than reading alone.

Write or journal about your faith journey as often as possible.

Worship – Time spent worshiping binds you to the Lord

Luke 4:8 – And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ “

Sing God a worship song.  Dance to worship music on the radio.  Do you play an instrument?  Learn to play worship music on your instrument.

Prayer is also worship.

Go for a walk and admire the things God created.  Praise him for the warmth of the sun and the singing of the birds.

Serve in a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter.

Show kindness to a stranger for no reason.

Go cheerfully to your place of employment and do your work to the best of your ability.

Love and care for your family.

Let everything you do worship the Lord.

Fellowship – Time spent in fellowship with other believers binds you to the Lord

Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Participate in a church service.  Attend a Sunday school class/life group.

Invite friends to a fellowship meal at your home.  Share a meal with someone in need.

Join a Bible study group.

Focus on Christ-centered conversation with friends.

Find a Christian mentor or become a Christian mentor to someone “younger” in the faith.

The idea here is to be in community with other followers of Christ.  To talk about Him.  To worship together.  To read scripture and study the Bible together.

Participate in Christian fellowship whenever you get the opportunity.

Spending time with God in prayer, reading scripture from His Word, praising Him in Worship, writing to Him or about Him, and joining in Christian fellowship guide you into a deeper relationship with Him.  All these are acts of binding yourself to the Lord your God.  Hold onto Him tightly.  He is your Rock and your Shelter.   Like David, a man after God’s own heart, you, too, can strengthen yourself in the Lord.

{ This post was written as part of Five Minute Friday’s Link Up }