Scripture reveals a history of people that rode spiritual roller coasters. Israel struggled to string together two righteous kings in succession but only a few times. Elijah went from the high of Mt. Carmel to the low of wanting to die within only a few hours. Peter, the Rock, was the most fickle of all the disciples.

When it comes to our walk with God, it's difficult to sustain a sense of dynamic power, life and vitality. Often we do well for a while and then our vitality wanes.

Yet the Apostle Paul's concept of the christian life was one of being "renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4.16) and transformation that increases from "glory to glory" (2 Cor. 3.18).

It seems that the ability to sustain spiritual growth eludes many believers. Below I've listed a few practices that can help us sustain spiritual renewal:

I must value God's Manifest Presence
It's hard to believe, but it is possible to take the presence of God for granted. Strangely, some people even grow too familiar with God, treating Him like a buddy that will be there when they're ready, instead of the Sovereign Lord to whom we respond. When David prayed "Do not cast me away from your Presence" in Psalm 51 he was recognizing the need to value God's nearness in our lives.

I must expand my understanding of Jesus
Jesus is the only worthy object of our affection and He is magnificently compelling. His appearance is enough to cause the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders to worship Him continuously in Revelation 4. As we expand our view of Jesus based on scripture (not limiting ourselves to the Gospels, but exploring the entire Bible) we will be fueled by a fascination with Him.

I must obey what God commands
Nothing hardens our hearts and quenches our passion for Jesus quite like willful rebellion. As we walk in obedience to Him we stoke the fire of love for Him.

I must invest in others
Streams of living water should flow out of us. This helps maintain fresh water and avoid a stagnant reservoir. As we pour our lives upon others, serving them to the glory of God, we multiply the effect of God's work in us and subsequently encourage ourselves.

I must stay hungry for God
Jesus said that those that "hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied" in Matthew 5. Hunger is a sign of health, and unlike natural food you maintain your hunger by eating. By living on the words that come from God's mouth we develop our spiritual appetite.

I must study revival history
Biblical history and church history are replete with stories of mankind's response to the sovereign work of God in renewal and revival. Whether it's an OT survey or christian biographies, familiarizing ourselves with what God has done in the past encourages us and fans the flame of our devotion.

I must pursue emotional health
Emotional dysfunction derails both personal and corporate renewal. Listen, bad days are going to come. You're going to get hungry, angry, lonely or tired at some point. If you sabotage the work of God in your life because of some fleeting emotion you will never be able to sustain renewal.

I must increase my expectations of God
If anyone can handle high expectations, it's God - as long as those expectations are based on scripture. Expecting God to be faithful, to provide, to convict of sin - these are expectations that should be through the roof. Expecting Him to answer your prayers in the specific way that you want them to be answered will inevitably get frustrated and can lead to cynicism.

I must make repentance joyful
If we view repentance as a sour experience we will resist it at every turn. If we view repentance as a joyful opportunity to align ourselves with God and His truth we will be quick to repent.

I must maintain a clear and compelling vision of the Kingdom
If I lose sight of what the Kingdom of God looks like I will undoubtedly turn my attention to some lesser good (or even evil). If I become enamored with church growth or attendance or a financial blessing or some other focus, rather than the Kingdom of God I will begin to drift.

I must keep Jesus the emphasis
Many personal and corporate renewals and revivals have been sidetracked when the renewal became the focus of the renewal. When we get obsessed with maintaining a feeling, an emotion, a rhythm, a routine or anything other than a daily, dynamic walk with Jesus we run the risk of getting distracted.

Undoubtedly there are more keys to sustaining personal and corporate renewal. What practices have you found helpful to keep fresh with God? Comment below to share your thoughts.