"But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness"
(1 Timothy 4:7).
In as much as we have physical and mental exercise (training), we also have spiritual training (exercise). Your physical exercise makes you physically fit and strong, and your mental exercise makes you mentally fit and strong as well. How do you get this mental or physical fitness and strength? You do that by giving enough time regularly to those activities that build the mind and body. And it takes serious concerted effort for you to achieve that.
The same goes for spiritual exercise. You need to train your mind and spirit in the things of God to become spiritually fit and strong. You have to exercise yourself unto godliness. That is made possible in the place of prayer and studying God's Word. Some believers find it difficult to spend time in the place of prayer and fellowshipping with God's Word because they aren't spiritually fit. When you're not fit in a particular course, you cannot continue in it for long. But with regular practice, you become good at it.
If you desire to hear and recognize God's voice in your life, you will have to train yourself to know the written Word. You give yourself to God's Word and learn to listen to your inner man. It might be and will be difficult from the start, but you must keep exercising through God's Word.
If you desire to function and be fit in the prophetic, you need to exercise yourself to see and hear in the place of prayer and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. You don't have to be a prophet before you function prophetically. The prophetic is for all of God's people.
If you have to function in the authority of the believer, you have to train yourself in it. You don't stop until you master it.
Whatever spiritual function you find difficulty in is because you have not trained yourself well in the same. Five minutes spiritual workout will not get the job done. You have to spend time and energy daily to become fit. This spiritual training is very vital. Many people fall into calamity because they are spiritually dead and blind. They could not hear when Lord was saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21). They ended up in a sad situation because they did not train themselves to hear and see spiritually. You can avoid that which is not of God by training yourself in God. Exercise yourself to godliness. Hallelujah!
God bless you.
Image Credit: nbcnews.com