Writing a Different Future #5 – Spiritual Disciplines

“Full participation in the life of God’s Kingdom and in the vivid companionship of Christ comes to us only through appropriate exercise in the disciplines for life in the spirit.” ~ Dallas Willard

How do we do this?

The Christian journey is by faith and our faith grows deeper as we practice spiritual disciplines.

Incorporate these disciplines into your life: reading the Word, praying, fasting, giving, solitude and silence, worship, meeting with other believers in community, serving, sharing our faith.

You may be asking, “How will this change me?”

When we willingly go on a lifetime journey with Jesus Christ, slowly and progressively we become the person God wants us to be from the inside out.

When we cultivate our relationship with God, we begin to recognize his presence and activity in our lives.

When we learn to develop spiritual habits that we practice regularly, our relationship with God deepens and transforms us from within.

We don’t practice spiritual disciplines to gain favor with God or measure our spiritual success. Rather, we do these for meeting conditions in receiving God’s blessings and preparing our hearts for the work of the Holy Spirit.

You may notice that you begin and begin again with some of the disciplines. Keep working at it. God honors our faith, our obedience, our seeking.

David modeled this when he prayed: “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).

When you think about how God is working in your own life, what spiritual discipline is God developing in you, or you would like to develop?

~ Pastor Dave