A close-up, warm-toned photo of a person's hands writing in a journal on a desk next to a window. Soft sunlight is streaming in. Bold, white text at the top reads: "Spiritual Disciplines to Maintain Your Ministry."

Years ago, one of my mentors, Jim Wideman, asked me an all important question.

“Are you closer to Jesus right now than you’ve been? If you’re answer is no, who’s fault is that?”

It was a wake-up call for me. And has become a driver of everything I do in my spiritual life. It is too easy to do the work of the ministry, serving God week in and week out, and forget about our own relationship with Him.

We can become a “professional Christian.” A person who reads the Bible, but only to study for the next lesson. A person who prays, but only in front of other people. A person who serves, but only because they’re paid to do so. A person who worships, but only to set an example for those around them.

I'm sure all of us have done one or two of these before. But if you live this way for a while, you’ll find yourself a shell of who you once were spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. Ministry is hard work. It can chew you up and spit you out if you don’t have your spiritual armor on. I have walked through some dark moments during my time in ministry, and it was during those times that I felt God walking me through them. I’m frequently reminded of Psalm 23:4 (KJV):

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.

God never promised everything in your life or ministry would go perfectly. In fact, He promised just the opposite. But He also promises that He will be with us, and we shouldn’t fear it.

Whenever I meet new kidmin pastors, the first thing I tell them is to make sure they maintain their relationship with God and never lose faith. I’ve seen too many people who do this work leave their calling, their church, and their faith. When that happens, it’s a tragedy. Church people can be mean, but God is always kind. Don’t let imperfect people turn you away from your perfect Savior.

So how do you maintain your relationship with Jesus while in kidmin? Here are some principles that have worked for me:

Serve Out of Your Overflow.

I believe that you can only serve out of your overflow. You have to consistently fill your cup, going back to the deep well that is Jesus, so you can serve those around you.

If you’ve been in kidmin for any length of time, you’ve probably developed practices to stay fresh. But here’s the ones I’ve developed over my years in ministry.

Listen to at Least One Sermon a Week

There are a couple of pastors I listen to every week on podcasts. Whether it’s in the car or on a run, the first thing I listen to on Monday morning is a sermon.

It doesn’t really matter who you listen to as long as they speak truth to your soul. I would also strongly suggest that you listen to your own pastor’s sermon if it’s available. If you want to know their heart, they’re expressing it on Sunday morning, and you’re probably missing it.

Read the Bible Daily

One of the best ways to stay close to God is to dive daily into his Word. Reading the Bible is a spiritual practice every believer should follow, pastors especially. Sermon prep doesn’t count either. I strongly suggest you find a Bible reading plan and stick to it. You won’t see a difference immediately, but over the years, you will look back and see the growth.

Pray Daily

Paul said to pray continuously, and that’s a great goal. But to get started, you should at least have a regular time for communicating with God. It can be an extension of your Bible reading time or another time. Whenever it is, it needs to be intentional. Otherwise, you’ll look up and realize you haven’t really prayed in months.

I suggest making a prayer list of people, goals, dreams, desired healing, relationships, the lost and pray through the list. Many churches send out a prayer list every week. You can take this list and add to it. Even if you don’t have the gift of intercession, you should still pray. Prayer takes the focus off you and puts it on God. It reminds you who you are and your place in this world. It’s humbling and uplifting at the same time.

Journal Once a Week

This has become an essential practice for me. But before I started the practice I hated journaling. Nevertheless, I’ve found taking time to write out my thoughts can be therapeutic and clarifying. I find myself babbling less as I pray-write, because I have to focus on each handwritten word.

Journaling has the added benefit of giving you the opportunity to look back and see the prayers you’ve prayed. And more importantly, see how God answered them.

As I was preparing a lesson on God answering prayers, I went back and found a list of goals and requests I had written down for that year. I was broken in the best possible way as I looked at each request that God answered. They weren’t always answered the way I expected or in the timing I wanted, but God had answered them. It’s a precious gift I go back to again and again.

Take a Sabbath

I’m a hard driver and struggle with workaholism. That’s part of the reason I’ve burned out two and half times in my adult life (COVID was the half). The first time I burned out was when I was in college. It was a tough road to recovery. But I put some essential practices in place, most importantly taking a sabbath.

Since Sunday is a workday for those of us in the ministry, it can’t be then. And that's okay. I’ve guarded my off-day since then and used it for refreshment and renewal. Honoring the Sabbath goes beyond mere spiritual discipline. Ignoring it is a sin, and I’m not going down that path again.

This can be harder if you're a volunteer or bi-vocational. But you need to find a day throughout your week to rest, recharge, and worship.

Fast Regularly

This is a new practice I’m adding to my walk, and it’s probably the hardest one yet. But I still believe it is important. There have been seasons in my life where I’ve fasted a weekly meal and others where I fasted for 21 Days of Prayer or Lent. Fasting is a sacrifice. It puts your life in perspective. As you suffer without, you’re forced to turn your eyes to Jesus and focus on him.

Whatever you’re fasting for, be sure to know the what and the why. There are two general reasons to fast:

A fast for a particular need, like what Esther did before she went before the king
General fasting. This is what Jesus referred to when casting the demon out of the boy that the disciples couldn’t.

What you fast is also important. It needs to be a sacrifice, and it doesn’t have to be food. You can fast whatever is taking your focus away from God. Is it social media? Cable news? The Real Housewives? Donuts? Soda? Sugar? Whatever you choose, make sure that when you face that temptation, turn to God.

My dad once told me the difference between fasting and not eating is God. If you’re not taking the time to pray, you’re just starving yourself.

Don’t get so busy doing the work of the ministry that you forget who you’re doing it for. Because one day you won’t be a pastor. You’ll just be you. God knew you and called you before you started. He still knows you when your assignment is done. Make sure you know him even better when all this is over.

I will ask the question again because it’s just that important: Are you closer to God right now than you’ve ever been? If not, whose fault is that?

This is an excerpt from my book Next Level Kidmin. Get your copy today here.