Bible study and prayer, along with eight other disciplines, are like the ten fingers on our hands: The more of them that are strong and engaged, the firmer will be our grip on life.

1. Bible Study Paul referred to the Gospel as “the word of life” (Philippians 2:16). The Bible is God’s Word given to man by God himself (2 Peter 1:21)—and it is alive (Hebrews 4:12)! The first task of any who would maintain a firm grip on life is to know thoroughly what God has said about life by knowing His Word.

2. Prayer Prayer is the source of God’s counsel, comfort, and guidance for individuals. We can talk with God as our Father (Romans 8:15-16), enter boldly into His presence at any time (Hebrews 4:16), unburden our heart to Him (Philippians 4:6-7), and receive His counsel and guidance (Luke 22:42). Who could hope to get a grip on life without staying in constant communication with God?

3. Stewardship God owns everything—everything—including our very life and breath. What we have, we were given by Him to administer for His glory and purposes. Stewards have one responsibility: faithfulness to carry out their master’s wishes (Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Corinthians 4:2).

We lose our grip on life because we won’t loosen our grip on what God has given us. Take God’s challenge. See if your grip on life doesn’t get stronger the more faithful you become as a steward (Malachi 3:8-10; Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11).

4. Worship Paul described people who had lost their grip on life because they “worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). We, too, worship things that ought to be used—cars, homes, positions, power—and use the one “thing” that ought to be worshiped: God himself.

5. Personal Evangelism The church as a whole is to take the Gospel unto the uttermost parts of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). “You are a Christian today because somebody cared. Now it’s your turn” (Warren Wiersbe).

6. Missions We can pray, give, host missionaries when they come to our church—we can be involved in reaching the world. If we’re not involved in missions somehow, we don’t have a firm grip on life because we don’t see the world as God does: lost and needing a Savior.

7. Service Scripture tells us every believer in Christ has been given a spiritual gift with which to serve the body of Christ and help to reach the world (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12, 14). To serve means to have a good grip on life—to understand that life has to be about producing, not just consuming; about giving, not just getting; about dying to self, not just living for self.

8. Mercy The person who truly understands mercy will show mercy to others, for “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Being freely merciful toward others is an indication that you know God has been freely merciful toward you (Matthew 10:8; Ephesians 4:32).

9. Wisdom and Knowledge The fear—reverence, awe, worship, exaltation—of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7a; 9:10a). When Solomon stopped fearing the Lord, he lost his grip on life; and God released His grip on Solomon (Proverbs 1:7b).

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use” (Galileo).

10. Spiritual Warfare Having a grip on life means understanding that we live in a world temporarily under the domain of Satan (1 John 5:19). But it also means not giving up because Jesus Christ came into the world to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). What could be better than being in a war that you know you’ve already won (Romans 8:31-39; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28)?

We must add to Bible study and prayer those disciplines that will allow us to gain and maintain a biblical grip on life and never let it go. We miss our high calling in Christ Jesus if we fail to do so.

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This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah’s devotional magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.