The Five Pillars of Christianity

If someone aspires to become a professional hockey player but cannot skate, pass, or shoot, they lack the foundational skills necessary to succeed. Other aspects of the game can be developed later, but without mastering the basics, greatness is out of reach.

In the same way, our walk with God demands spiritual foundations. There are five foundational pillars of Christianity that every believer must become strong in to fulfill their God-given destiny. These pillars carry weight with God and determine the stability and growth of our spiritual lives.

Psalm 11:3 (KJV)

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Psalm 82:5 (KJV)

They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

Just as no home is built without first laying a solid foundation, no Christian can grow into maturity without establishing and strengthening these five pillars. For any spiritual practice to become a pillar in our lives, it cannot be engaged sporadically, it must become part of our daily lifestyle.

It takes time, discipline, and consistency to transform a foundational area of the Bible into a true pillar. But once the foundation is secure, all other aspects of God’s Word can be added, enabling us to grow in righteousness, strength, and spiritual authority.

So what are these five pillars?

Prayer

There are multiple levels and dimensions to attain on the platform of prayer. The Bible says we go from strength to strength, from glory to glory, and from faith to faith, and this progression applies directly to our prayer life. Simply talking to God daily will not suffice. For prayer to become a foundational pillar, we must:

• Pray for extended time durations

• Pray according to Scripture

• And continually exceed past our natural limits

Luke 18:1 (KJV)

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)

Pray without ceasing.

Jesus Christ and all the powerful men of God in the Bible prayed fervently and with unction. Before beginning His ministry, Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness for forty days and nights. Moses ascended Mount Sinai and prayed in 40-day increments to receive the Ten Commandments. These are not just stories, they are divine instructions for how we are to approach our prayer lives today.

In Matthew 26:40–41, the night before the crucifixion, Jesus found His disciples asleep while He was praying alone. He asked them, “Could ye not watch with me one hour?” This moment reveals that one hour of prayer daily is the minimum expectation God has for His children. To walk in elite levels of Christianity, we must cultivate a hunger to grow in our capacity to pray. Prayer is not merely communication, it is a catalyst that grants access to the imparting and transforming power of God.

Christians who are deeply rooted in prayer are people of strength, dominion, restoration, and spiritual revolution. It is only when our prayer life becomes structured, fervent, and unshakable that it forms a true pillar in our walk with the Almighty God.

James 5:16 (KJV)

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

fasting

Fasting, when combined with fervent prayer, is a generator of God’s power. We don’t have to be a called minister of God to carry His anointing, any child of God can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit through consistent fasting and prayer. Fasting denies the desires of the flesh and elevates our spirit; when our spirit is heightened, communion with the Spirit of God becomes profoundly more tangible. Fasting fastens us to the Almighty. It enlightens our conscience by exposing new areas of repentance, and unlocks fresh applications of the Word of Faith.

2 Corinthians 11:27 (KJV)

In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

Psalm 109:24 (KJV)

My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

Prolific fasting is not achieved by human strength alone, it is made possible only by the grace and supernatural enablement of God. True fasting must be led by the Spirit. God only empowers those who carry earnest willingness in their hearts, and without prayer, fasting becomes nothing more than a hunger strike. Jesus didn’t just pray for 40 days in the wilderness, He fasted. Moses didn’t just pray for 40 days on Mount Sinai, he fasted. These aren’t just stories for our amusement; they are divine blueprints from the Holy Ghost. If we desire to fulfill our God-ordained destinies as Jesus and Moses did, we must apply these examples in our spiritual walk.

Joel 2:12 (KJV)

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

Luke 2:37 (KJV)

And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Fasting must be part of every Christian's spiritual arsenal. It is a foundational pillar of biblical living. Occasional fasting will not cultivate power—a disciplined faster lives a fasted life, sacrificing food nearly every day, if not daily. We cannot be lovers of pleasure and lovers of God at the same time. A “foodie” mindset weakens spiritual sharpness. If we eat three meals a day every day without restraint, we are operating in the spirit of gluttony. The overconsumption of food dulls spiritual sensitivity and can lead to disconnection from God. We must deny the flesh daily and feed the Holy Spirit within us through fasting and prayer.

Thanksgiving and Praise

God takes gratitude for His acts extremely seriously. We must remain spiritually attentive and give Him His due glory continually. When we operate in uncommon levels of gratitude, we immediately attract the attention of God and the heavenly realm.

We are not to thank God in the same casual manner we thank people. When someone helps us, we may thank them once or twice. But with God, thanksgiving, glorifying, and worshipping are acts of continual devotion, performed with fervency and deep reverence.

For thanksgiving to become a pillar in our spiritual lives, it must go beyond surface-level praise. Our thanksgiving prayers should be highly detailed, intentionally acknowledging what God has done in the past, present, and future. This is why Scripture calls it a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Leviticus 22:29 (KJV)

And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

Psalm 107:22 (KJV)

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Jonah 2:9 (KJV)

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

Just as we are instructed to thank God daily, we are also designed to worship Him continually. Many Christians are accustomed to singing along to worship songs on the radio, mistakenly believing that this alone constitutes spiritual worship. But true worship, the kind that pleases God, requires intentionality and personal expression.

We are worshipping the King of Kings, the Omnipotent God. Our worship should be filled with personal songs, specific to our experiences, healings, and testimonies. To make our worship more palatable to God, we must:

• Sing new songs

• Sing for extended durations

• Sing skillfully

• Sing with increasing obedience (the greater your obedience, the more powerful your worship)

• Sing during midnight and early morning hours

• Sing wholeheartedly during church services

• Sing in tongues

• Sing while playing an instrument

• Sing with focused attention

• Sing with a joyful countenance—your countenance matters

The truth is: all of humanity was created to worship God. And worship is designed to be continual and sacrificial in nature. When you offer God uncommon levels of worship, you demonstrate mastery of one of the foundational pillars of Christianity.

Hebrews 13:15 (KJV)

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Studying the Word of God

In every field, trade, or skill, there is always more knowledge to acquire. To become highly successful in any craft, one must be committed to continuous learning. Just as it is in the natural, so it is in the spirit.

Our level of intimacy with the Holy Spirit is directly correlated to our obedience and responsiveness to the Word of God. It is impossible to walk closely with God without studying His Word daily.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Acts 17:11 (KJV)

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Many Christians fall into the trap of reading devotionals and Christian books, yet neglect the Bible itself. The only book that must be studied is the Word of God. It is the only living book in history.

Every high achiever in Christianity—past, present, and future—is a diligent student of the Word of Faith.

Another common mistake among Christians is reading the Scriptures without applying them. The blessings found in the Word will not manifest through casual reading. They are activated and sustained only when the Word of God becomes a non-negotiable lifestyle.

Deuteronomy 5:1 (KJV)

And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

Colossians 3:16 (KJV)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Just as the body needs food to survive, the spirit of a born-again child of God requires both prayer and the Word to live and thrive.

Matthew 4:4 (KJV)

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Daily ingestion of Scripture feeds the Holy Spirit within. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of spiritual wisdom and education. Therefore, when we become consistent, disciplined students of the Bible, and allow the Word to dwell in us daily, then — and only then — has it become a pillar in our spiritual life.

Ephesians 4:23 (KJV)

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Proverbs 4:7 (KJV)

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Plantation in the House of God

Every great figure in the Bible who walked in divine accomplishment through the grace of God had one thing in common: deep spiritual commitment to the house of God. Moses, one of the most powerful men to walk the earth by God’s hand, was unwavering in his faithfulness to God’s presence and structure. His accomplishments were rooted in his plantation in God’s sanctuary.

To fulfill your divine purpose and be transformed into the person God destined you to become, being planted in the house of the Lord is non-negotiable.

Isaiah 30:19 (KJV)

For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

Psalm 9:11 (KJV)

Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

Scripture consistently uses the word “dwell” when referring to God’s house. This is not random, God expects His children to be planted in His sanctuary. The Bible calls the church the ground and pillar of truth (1 Timothy 3:15), yet Satan has worked diligently to deceive many believers into downplaying the necessity of church. It is one of his most effective strategies: undermine the value of God's house, and isolate believers from the presence of God.

1 Timothy 3:15 (KJV)

…the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The truth is, this pillar is the most foundational of all five. Without being planted in the house of God, the other pillars—prayer, fasting, studying the Word, and thanksgiving—will not carry much weight, because they are removed from the presence of God.

The church is the tabernacle of transformation, healing, and restoration. Every service missed is a day that could have carried your breakthrough, deliverance, or impartation. It is impossible to experience a truly fruitful Christian walk while living in the bondage of spiritual absenteeism.

When you have the privilege of being part of a Holy Spirit ordained ministry where God continually touches your life, treating church attendance casually grieves the heart of the Father.

Obadiah 1:17 (KJV)

But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Psalm 92:13 (KJV)

Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Psalm 128:5 (KJV)

The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion…

To make the house of God a true pillar, it must become a spiritual non-negotiable:

• Attend all services

• Show up for every prayer meeting

• Engage in fellowship gatherings

Faithfulness is measured in what you refuse to let stop you, whether it be fatigue, inconvenience, or even discomfort.

When nothing on earth is allowed to block you from being in the presence of God through His house, you’ve crossed the threshold. The day you view absence from church as inexcusable is the day you’ve truly become planted and made the house of God a foundational pillar.

Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is…

Mark 14:49 (KJV)

I was daily with you in the temple teaching…

Secure the Foundation

To experience a highly fruitful Christian experience, we must ensure our spiritual foundation is intact. If the foundations are broken, we will lack the spiritual stability required to fulfill our God-ordained destinies.

There are five pillars every child of God must perfect:

• Prayer must become a daily devotion, not a task we engage in sporadically.

• Fasting must become a lifestyle.

• Thanksgiving and praise must flow from our lips continually.

• Studying the Word of God must become our daily source of wisdom and necessary food.

• Plantation in the house of God must become non-negotiable.

These pillars are not to be engaged with casually or occasionally, they must become deeply embedded in our spiritual structure. When these five pillars are in place and strengthened through consistency, obedience, and discipline, our relationship with God will begin to carry true spiritual weight in the realm of the spirit.

Psalm 11:3 (KJV)

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

We are not called to live unstable Christian lives, swayed by the winds of emotion or circumstance. We are called to be pillars ourselves, anchored, fruitful, and unshakable.

If you find yourself weak in one or more of these areas, begin today. God responds to willingness, and the Holy Spirit is ready to strengthen every area that has been neglected. Master the foundations, and God will take care of the overflow.