Have you ever felt stuck in your spiritual journey, like you're not sure what the next step is? Or maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, wondering if there's more to life. All of us have felt that way at some time-but we were built for more! God has created each of us with a glorious purpose in mind. When we pursue a deeper relationship with our Father, we live a more fulfilled life.
\\ How to Integrate the Spiritual Disciplines Into Your Daily Life So You Can Hear God’s Voice...
A spiritual discipline is any activity that helps us bring our thoughts, feelings, motivations, and actions into alignment with Jesus’ way of living. The practices of Jesus have been recognized for centuries as the core activities of the spiritual life. Disciplines do not earn us favor with God or measure spiritual success.
If you’re just looking for advice and resources to help you take a next step, here’s some good news: Season 8 of the You’ve Heard It Said podcast is all about spiritual practices. You can find information below about the spiritual disciplines covered during Season 8.
Keeping God at the Center
Keeping God at the center of our life is our highest priority. But how do we do this? How do we make sure we are keeping our eyes on the Lord through everything we do?
- In our thoughts: If we keep our mind focused on the Lord, it will help us to keep our heart fixed on Him as well.
- With our time: There is a saying that goes, “If you care about something, you’ll make time for it.” This is true for dedicating time to the Lord through daily devotions, Bible study, church attendance, prayer and meditation, worship, and more.
- With our commitments: When we make decisions and start making plans, it’s critical to keep God as our guide through all of life’s turns. Before making big choices, let’s resolve to bring our commitments to God. Like the psalmist said in Psalm 16:8, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” When we set the Lord before us and come to Him before making decisions, we won’t be moved by the turning tides of our world.
- With our finances: God has promised that He will always provide for His children.
- With our future: We can trust the Lord with our future because He never fails to complete the work that He begins in our life (Philippians 1:6). It’s important to remember we aren’t made for this world, but we are just passing through on the way to our eternal home.
If we are committed to godly living, there are spiritual disciplines we can practice that will help us to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord.
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Core Spiritual Disciplines
Bible Study
Taking time to study God’s Word is an essential part of the Christian walk. The Bible contains God’s instructions to us for godly living. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” All of who we are and how we are to live is rooted in Scripture-we cannot live by it if we don’t know it. For many people, the Bible is one of the first ways to acquaint yourself with who God is. Through the 66 books in the Old and New Testaments, we can see God at work-bringing mankind and the rest of creation to life, caring for them before and after the fall, and sending His Son, Jesus, to earth to save us. If you’re new to reading the Bible, starting small and starting slow is a great way to go. When we read the Bible, we learn about God.
Prayer
Prayer is an important part of the Christian walk, for it gives us the opportunity to talk directly with the God of the universe! Throughout His ministry, Jesus made a point to spend time in prayer with the Father. And the more we talk with God, the deeper our relationship with Him becomes. When we read the Bible, we learn about God. But prayer, guided by the Holy Spirit, turns our knowledge of who God is into a conversational relationship with Him. If you’re new to prayer, again, starting small and starting slow is a good idea.
Meditation
It is also helpful to take some time to meditate on the Lord-to quiet our thoughts and be still in His presence, seeking to hear His voice. Meditation is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word. Christian meditation allows for a precious space in time for a meeting between God, the Lover, and we, the beloved. We can meet with God in ever-growing familiarity and intimacy not because of any of our special abilities, but simply because we come willing to enter into a listening silence. What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart.-Richard J.
Journaling
Journaling creates a written record of God’s provision in our life. Writing down our thoughts and feelings is a great way to unburden our mind-to mentally get matters off our plate and give them to the Lord in writing. And when He answers our written prayers, we have a reminder of His providence!
Fasting
Fasting is mentioned in the Bible on numerous occasions. In biblical terms, fasting is the act of limiting what we consume in order to focus on God. Temporarily abstaining from food helps us master the yearnings of our flesh and it aids us in developing self-control. The Jews of Jesus’ day sometimes fasted ritualistically (not from the heart), but it is meant to be an opportunity for self-examination and repentance. Choosing to fast can help sharpen our focus on God as we recommit ourselves to Him, bring our requests to Him, and listen for His guidance. The discipline of fasting means choosing self-denial without food for a period of time in order to connect with God. In many ways, it works similarly to slowing-by removing something from your schedule (eating), you free up time for God. But fasting comes with an added wrinkle-a growling stomach.
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If you’ve never fasted, it’s good to keep some things in mind. First, if you have health concerns, you should always talk to your doctor before restricting your diet. Second, don’t bite off more than you can chew (pun intended).
Fellowship
Surrounding ourselves with godly people is important. There is a saying, “Birds of a feather flock together,” and this is true! The characteristics of our friends will rub off on us-so it’s essential to surround ourselves with people who have godly traits. These people will keep us accountable, encourage us to grow in our faith, support us through difficult circumstances, and uphold us in prayer.
Service
The Christian mindset is a spirit of servanthood. The Bible says, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). When Christ came to earth, He took on the attitude of a servant-serving others and modeling how we can do the same. As Christians, we are God’s stewards, called to bear the fruit of His kingdom message while bringing Him glory (John 15:16). Let us be good stewards of the Gospel by serving others in the same way Christ served us.
Worship
Worshiping God is an important discipline in the Christian walk, and it is not limited to singing hymns in church. We can worship God every day, wherever we are. We worship Him through prayer, silent reflection, song, dance, or even a simple declaration: “Great are You Lord!” The discipline of worshiping God consistently, throughout our day, will bring us closer to Him.
Additional Spiritual Disciplines
Richard J. Foster develops a threefold typology of inward disciplines (meditation, prayer, fasting, and study), outward disciplines (simplicity, solitude, submission, and service), and corporate disciplines (confession, worship, guidance, and celebration).
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Dallas Willard divides the disciplines into two classes: disciplines of abstinence (solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, and sacrifice) and disciplines of engagement (study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, and submission).
Other writers categorize other activities, including journaling, dialogue, witness, stewardship, and listening, as disciplines.
Here’s a concise description of twenty disciplines:
- Solitude: Solitude is the most fundamental of the disciplines in that it moves us away, for a time, from the lures and aspirations of the world into the presence of the Father.
- Silence: Silence is a catalyst of solitude; it prepares the way for inner seclusion and enables us to listen to the quiet voice of the Spirit.
- Prayer: Prayer is personal communion and dialogue with the living God.
- Journaling: Keeping a spiritual diary heightens our understanding of the unique process of spiritual formation through which God has been taking them.
- Study: The discipline of study is central to the process of renewing the mind in such a way that we can respond appropriately to the truths of God’s Word.
- Meditation: Christian meditation focuses the mind on the nuances of revealed truth.
- Fasting: The spiritual discipline of fasting is abstention from physical nourishment for the purpose of spiritual sustenance.
- Chastity: The discipline of chastity is relevant to all believers, whether they are single or married.
- Secrecy: The practice of secrecy is dependence on God alone for what should and should not be noticed by others.
- Confession: This discipline sets us free from the burden of hidden sin, but it requires transparency and vulnerability in the presence of one or more people whom we implicitly trust.
- Fellowship: For some people, enjoying community is not a discipline but a delight.
- Submission: The discipline of voluntary submission to others as an expression of our submission to Christ is based on the biblical mandate for us to seek the good of others rather than our rights.
- Guidance: The discipline of guidance involves the recovery of spiritual direction.
- Simplicity: The discipline of simplicity or frugality refers to a willingness to abstain from using these resources for our own gratification and aggrandizement.
- Stewardship: The related discipline of stewardship encourages us to reflect on our lives as managers of the assets of Another.
- Sacrifice: Sacrifice is a more radical discipline than simplicity in that it involves the occasional risk of giving up something we would use to meet our needs rather than our wants.
- Worship: To worship is to be fully occupied with the attributes of God-the majesty, beauty, and goodness of his person, powers, and perfections.
- Celebration: Celebration focuses on all that God has done on our behalf.
- Service: The discipline of service does not call attention to itself but concentrates instead on the needs and concerns of others.
- Witness: To witness is to choose to go beyond our circle of believing friends and to walk dependently in the power of the Spirit as we invest in relationships with those who have not yet met Christ.
Slowing Down
Many of us are so busy, it can be difficult to find the time or space to make room for our relationship with God. And that’s where the spiritual discipline of slowing comes into play. There are many different ways you can choose to slow down. You can schedule fewer activities, or turn off all electronic screens for an afternoon, or drive the speed limit.
Caring for Creation
Before God created mankind, He created everything else in all of creation. And after God created humanity, He tasked them with working the earth and caring for all of His creation. Just keep in mind, caring for the earth doesn’t mean the weight of saving the earth is on your shoulders. Like so many other spiritual practices, it’s best to start small. Recycling or gardening are both ways to get started. Buying organic produce or sustainably-made clothing and products are also options.
Hospitality
Not everyone thinks of hospitality as one of the spiritual disciplines, but it takes practice and it makes us more like Jesus, like every other practice on this list. Hospitality means loving others the way Jesus has loved us. If you’re new to the practice of hospitality, know that you don’t have to open your home and cook food for dozens of strangers (although, if that sounds fun to you, more power to you). Hospitality can look like striking up a conversation with a neighbor you’ve never met, or making your church a welcoming place, or inviting someone you don’t know well to lunch.
Embracing Passive Disciplines
We’ve talked a lot about active spiritual practices so far-ways we can take charge of our spiritual growth. Sooner or later in our lives, we’ll face trials and struggles. And it can be easy in those times to resist the pain of our present circumstances and doubt God’s goodness and plan for our lives. But when we choose a different response-when we choose to lean into God during those times and trust Him-our faith grows.
The Purpose of Spiritual Disciplines
The Spiritual Disciplines are useful means but inadequate ends. The disciplines of the faith are never ends in themselves but means to the end of knowing, loving, and trusting God. As we implement them in a consistent way, we cultivate holy habits. As these habits grow, they guide our behavior and character in such a way that it becomes more natural for us to live out our new identities in Christ. Our daily choices shape our habits, and our habits shape our character. Our character in turn guides the decisions we make in times of stress, temptation, and adversity. In this way, the godly actions of maturing believers are outward displays of increasing inner beauty.
If we fail to see these disciplines and habits as responses to divine grace, we will slip into the trap of thinking that they have value in themselves. Those who think this way suppose that when they meditate or fast, they are spiritually superior to those who do not. Their disciplines become external, self-energized, and law-driven. They are tempted to quantify spirituality by reducing it to a set of external practices rather than an internal, grace-drawn process of transformation. Instead, we must see the disciplines as external practices that reflect and reinforce internal aspirations. Spiritual growth is inside out, not outside in; our focus should be more on the process of inner transformation than on outward routines. This understanding will free us from thinking that the disciplines we practice are magical in themselves or that others should be engaging in the same activities that we practice.
We were built for more than the routine of everyday life. Adopting these godly habits will help us take the next step in our Christian walk as we seek God with our whole heart. Today, choose to go deeper with your relationship with the Lord. Realign your priorities with God’s and develop habits that will help you grow closer to Him.
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