People often talk about practicing spiritual disciplines. You may wonder what that means and why it's significant.
The practice of spiritual discipline promotes spiritual growth among followers of Jesus Christ. People have practiced spiritual disciplines since Biblical times as ways of experiencing the power of God.
Many spiritual disciplines can help encourage spiritual growth, but today I will focus on four you can use regularly to maintain your spiritual health.
Bible Study
While this may seem obvious, daily time in the Word is not a habit for many. God does not ask us to spend time in His Word for His sake but for our own. In the Bible, we can learn the very mind of Christ. It is there that our Heavenly Father meets us, speaks to us, protects, and guides us. Reading God's Word daily keeps us grounded in truth, illuminates our understanding of God's will, deepens our devotion, and spurs us into service. Here are some resources to help you get started:
How to Read the Bible: 6 Tips for Effectively Reading God's Word
Prayer
Although many of us know the importance of prayer, describing why it matters is remarkably difficult. The discipline of prayer is essentially about aligning our hearts with God's. In prayer, we express our devotion to, and dependency on, God. We express our desire for a relationship and show our reverence. We pray to communicate the depth of our daily need for God. It is easy to begin praying simply by talking to God. Dashing Dish offers many resources for prayer, but here are a few to get you started:
How to Transform Your Prayer Life
How 21-Days of Prayer Changed My Life
31-Days of Prayers Inspired by Women of the Bible
Meditation
In your mind, you might picture cross-legged people humming, "Ommm." Fair, given our cultural fascination with eastern-style meditation and, more recently, "mindfulness." In new-age meditation, mantras are repeated, and you are encouraged to clear the mind of any mental activity. Bible meditation differs from mindfulness. Biblical meditation refers to ruminating, contemplating, and pondering God's character, promises, works, and Word as a spiritual discipline. As the Hebrew word for meditation implies, it means mumbling to oneself, speaking audibly to oneself, or in one's heart. However, it isn't just a mindless activity or repetition of mantras. According to Biblical standards, to meditate means to ponder, think about, chew on, and reflect on God's Word. In the observations of Derek Brown, "Biblical meditation is full of content, not void of it; it is thoughtful, not thoughtless."
Meditating on God's Word Through Journaling
Ways To Help Guard Your Thoughts
Fasting
The discipline of fasting is typically the least practiced of all. For a good reason, fasting is challenging. Fasting can be uncomfortable, and we often avoid it. Fasting, however, can be a powerful and profound catalyst for spiritual growth. It’s a sacrificial and tangible way to deny ourselves—to declare to God that it’s all about Him, not us. Perhaps the most poignant intersection of faith and flesh can be found through fasting. I cannot stress enough how beneficial it will be for you to learn more about incorporating fasting into your life if you have not done so in the past.
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