If we are to live well the life that Our Father has granted us, we will need to take time each day to allow him to build us up in our spirits and souls.
We need from Our Father Approbation, Inspiration, and Restoration – our A.I.R. Exercises.
Approbation: we need the loving approval of Our Father, to hear him praise us for the progress we are making in the faith. He will tell us when we are being good, when we are living a holy life, when we are behaving wisely, when we are growing in our faith, being filled with his Spirit, growing in grace and living by his power. We can praise him for all that he is and all that he does; we can remind him that we know that he is the Father of Lights who does not change like shifting shadows, that we know that every good and perfect gift comes from him.
Inspiration: we need to hear Our Father’s blessings on our life on a regular basis and to take time for our spirits to bless him. What blessings do we want to hear from him? What is the cry of our heart to him? God delights in those who persistently seek his blessing, just like Jacob did. Also, we need to bless the Lord from our deepest soul, to affirm our commitment to see that he is blessed by our lives, that he is able to live in and through us, that he reign omnipotent in his church, that his name is lifted up and glorified, that his word is proclaimed and honored, and that he is able to delight in us as we walk uprightly, abiding in Christ and walking in his truth.
Restoration: we need to let Our Father affirm his love for us on a regular basis and we need to take time to reciprocate his love – this is our life’s breath. He delights in letting us know how much he cherishes us, and we delight in letting him know how much we love him. He will tell us that we are his beloved children, that he is pleased with us, and that he delights in us. We in turn can tell him that we trust and obey him, that we love him, that we delight in him, and that we are pleased to be in relationship with him.
~Brad Heilhecker
Restored People Community 