spiritual fitness – Page 3

Expanded Observations on The Lord’s Prayer

Jesus gave his disciples what is commonly known as “The Lord’s Prayer” as a model for how they (and we) should pray (Jesus’ personal prayer is found in John 17). It can be outlined in four parts: God’s Supremacy, Physical Needs, Forgiveness of Sin, and Spiritual Victory.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge ]

[Jesus said,] “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”
Matthew 6:9-13

Similar to the SemperVerus pledge, Tony Evans, in the commentary on The Lord’s Prayer in his study Bible, says, “Jesus calls his disciples to make a pledge of allegiance to the kingdom of God—to God’s rule over his creation. When Olympic athletes are awarded gold medals, they don’t get to choose the song they hear at the award ceremony. The song played is the national anthem of their country. Similarly, you are called to march to God’s tune.”

He says, “God’s will is what God wants—when, where, and how he wants it. Those who are part of God’s family are to follow God’s rules. He’s sovereign, and he’ll accomplish his purposes with you or without you. The question is, will you get to take part in it?”

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of PRAYER ]

What follows are perspectives of each phrase in The Lord’s Prayer from which we should approach God in prayer:

Sad News: Minority of American Adults Believe in Absolute Truth When Determining Right and Wrong

Fewer than half (44%) of US adults say clear and absolute standards exist for determining moral decisions of what is right and what is wrong. A majority (55%) believe in circumstantial ethics, saying that whether something is right or wrong often depends on the situation, according to Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS).

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge ]

Additionally, only 30% of American adults say it is necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values, while 68% say it’s possible to be moral and have good values without believing in God.

Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge

The fourth element of the five SemperVerus components is KNOW, which emphasizes the importance of educating yourself throughout your life to take advantage of knowledge in a variety of subjects to become a well-rounded individual contributing to your own well-being and of those around you. The SemperVerus principle reads:

IV. Know: becoming a life-long learner to clearly, and with certainty, apprehend situations from which to benefit personally and others.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Bible TL;DR? Try The Concise Bible! ]

That includes the importance of knowing spiritual matters in general—and the lessons of the Bible in particular—to develop and strengthen your soul. Scripture tells us to:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness: How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible? ]

Knowing the Bible is foundational to living a meaningful, productive, and positive life:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Latest Biblical Archaeology Research ]

In his book, The God Who is There, Christian philosopher and apologist Francis A. Schaeffer says, “The Christian is the real radical of our generation, for he stands against the monolithic, modern concept of truth as relative. But too often, instead of being the radical, standing against the shifting sands of relativism, he subsides into merely maintaining the status quo. If it is true that evil is evil, that God hates it to the point of the cross, and that there is a moral law fixed in what God is in Himself, then Christians should be the first into the field against what is wrong.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense In Spiritual Warfare: Know Your Enemies ]

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9-11

The internet offers a multitude of free resources to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Here are a few that SemperVerus recommends:

US Federal Workers Are Now Allowed to Express Their Religious Beliefs

US federal agencies are now required to protect religious expression in the government workplace, according to a new wide-ranging memo—marking one of the most sweeping moves in decades to defend faith and freedoms in the civil service, reports Fox News Digital.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Report: US Government “Weaponized Its Full Weight Against Christians” 2021–2024 ]

The memo is in keeping with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14202 in February and Executive Order 14291 in May. The former aims to eradicate anti-Christian bias in the United States and announce a task force to review government policies and practices that may discriminate against Christians and to recommend actions to protect religious liberties. The latter establishes the task force to enforce the historic and robust protections for religious freedom enshrined in federal law.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SPIRITUAL FITNESS ]

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on July 28, 2025, sent the memo, titled Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace, to government agencies, telling federal workers they are now at liberty to display Bibles, crucifixes, or mezuzahs on their desks; pray in groups while off-duty; invite colleagues to church; and speak about their religious beliefs, even to the public, without fear of reprisal.