The Secret to a Thriving Spiritual Life

I’ve learned that a thriving life with God doesn’t come from hype but from hunger for God’s Word and His presence. It’s the hunger for Him that will keep us alive and healthy even when life around us may be hard. It’s a daily decision to keep coming to God, to keep gathering what He gives, and to keep giving it away that will change your life in more ways than you know.

My Start to Ministry

I remember that years ago when I still didn’t speak much English, I was caught stealing a bike from behind Goodwill (not knowing it was stealing). I had been taught by my grandpa that things left there were free, but the police was called on me and I felt so embarrassed. Due to the language barrier a Russian girl shopping there translated for me and I was let go.

I was serving as the youth pastor at the time and when I told my pastor what I had done and that it disqualified me from preaching, he simply said, “Just don’t do it again and get ready for tomorrow.” That Sunday, the same Russian family who helped translate to the police visited our church. I preached while dying a million deaths inside, but I made a vow that day to never steal again. That was how my ministry started.

I thought God was going to use me powerfully in this new role, but a few months into serving as the youth pastor, I just wanted to survive. One night, a drunk man mocked me during a message. I remember that I wrapped up the service and went to the bathroom to pray, “God, make a hole, put me there. Rapture me from there.” However, as I went to a local grocery store’s parking lot, preparing to quit, God spoke to my heart saying, “If you don’t quit, you’ll pastor a church where people will come empty and leave full.” Twenty years later, we’re walking into that vision.

What I didn’t know then is that spiritual thriving starts with surrender. It’s about persistent obedience. Now when I look back, I see that this season of my life showed me powerful truths about how to spiritually thrive.

How to Spiritually Grow

1. Ask for Bread

The Bible teaches us in the book of Ruth 1 that there was a famine in Bethlehem (which means the house of bread). Now, in the first verse of Ruth there was a famine in Bethlehem. I want to use this to illustrate a point. Now, Bethlehem represents the Church. It’s not a house of music, media, or fashion. The Bible says it’s a house of bread. In the same way, it says Jesus is the Bread of life and people are hungry for God’s presence.

Bread has a smell that people can easily follow. In other words, our churches don’t need more fog machines or better accessories, they need fire in the oven. The aroma of bread needs no advertisment.

When God visits His people with bread, people come back and they bring others. Jesus simply told us to ask. I encourage you to take time to ask for His presence. Ask for daily bread. Moses said, “If Your presence doesn’t go with us, what’s the point?” (Exodus 33:15).

2. Gather Bread Daily

God gave Israel bread daily. They had to gather it. We have to gather manna daily. Read. Pray. Worship. Seek God. Not yesterday’s encounters—today’s. Gathering gives us strength.

Many are spiritually tired because they’re eating junk. Gather manna like you gather YouTube. Don’t be a chef who starves. Stop feeding on drama. Feed on the Word. Delete distractions. Gather daily.

3. Give It Away

Jesus told the disciples to feed the masses. They said, “We don’t have enough.” He said, “Give what you have.” He multiplies what you give away. Not what you hoard.

Tithe so there’s bread in God’s house. Use your gifts. Speak. Serve. Don’t wait for more. Release what you already have. A hose that gives water stays wet. Give your anointing away.

4. Gather the Remains

Jesus said gather leftovers. Joseph stored bread during abundance. In famine, he had supply. Revival is not hard to start—it’s hard to sustain. Steward what God gives.

Don’t lose bread because of bad stewardship. From deliverance to discipleship. From darkness to devotion. Stewarding leads to generational blessing.

If there’s no bread in your church, maybe there’s no fire in the oven. If you walked away from God, come back to bread. If you’re a pastor or leader, discouraged, start asking again. Start gathering again. And start giving again.

Let the church be a bakery. Let your life carry the smell of bread. People are not hungry for religion. They’re hungry for Jesus—the bread of life.