When life feels out of control, our relationship with God keeps us grounded. However, like waves in the ocean, our worries and circumstances can easily overwhelm us and leave our faith feeling dull. Time sneaks away and we realize we haven’t talked to God or cracked open our Bibles. When our faith feels stagnant or dry, we have to remember our attachment to the vine and learn how to abide in him. In John 15:5, Jesus says to his disciples,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 NLT, emphasis mine
How do we abide in Jesus? This is where the spiritual disciplines become essential—they are the practical ways that we maintain our connection to the vine. Just as branches naturally draw life from their source, spiritual disciplines help us position ourselves to receive Christ’s life-giving presence.
All of the spiritual practices or disciplines are interconnected; they support and feed one another. For example, when I read my Bible, I often stop and meditate on a Scripture passage. I write it out, compare it to other interpretations, or linger on one specific word. Likewise, my journaling often leads me to prayer. When I pray, I rewrite Scripture in my own words or ask God to show me specific applications for my life. Prayer becomes worship when I sing to him and focus on the words. Practicing the disciplines of silence and solitude, fasting, and Sabbath intertwine as well. When I purposefully step away from noise to be with the Lord, deny myself food and choose to pray instead, or surrender my to-do list to the Lord and rest on the seventh day, I choose to abide in the vine and get to know him more deeply.
Why Are Spiritual Disciplines Necessary?
First, we are fickle and forgetful people. You may recall the story of when God delivered the Israelites out of the hands of their slavemasters—the Egyptians. God performed astonishing miracles right before their eyes. He freed them from harsh slavery and led them out of Egypt, but they forgot. God fed them manna and quail straight from heaven and quenched their thirst with water from a rock, but they forgot. God’s presence protected and led them through the brutal desert, but they forgot.
Times have changed and life looks very different today, but we are the same fickle and forgetful people! The Israelites had their own hardships to contend with, but they didn’t have constant information bombarding them like we do. So if the Israelites watched as God sent plagues and freed them from Pharaoh, walked through the walls of the Red Sea to freedom, and ate food that came straight from heaven but still forgot what God did, aren’t we capable of forgetting as well? If we don’t put spiritual disciplines, rhythms, and practices into place, we risk moving away from God’s ways little by little. Through practicing spiritual disciplines, we create sacred rhythms that both honor God’s past works and invite us into ever-deepening communion with him.
Second, we must be intentional in our practices if we want to walk closely with God.
Good habits don’t happen spontaneously! Just like trying to live a healthy lifestyle means exercising regularly, eating healthy, and taking care of our mental health, our spiritual health requires the same efforts.
In Matthew 7:24–27, Jesus spoke of the intentionality it takes to walk with him. He said,
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Matthew 7:24–27 NLT
When you attempt to build a house on solid rock, it doesn’t just happen, it requires effort. Similarly, growing your relationship with God requires practice. While spiritual disciplines may seem daunting, they will help you to remain in the vine. Any type of practice starts as a discipline because it takes effort. For example, if you want to start running, you have to put your shoes on and start jogging. It may be an effort at first, but if practiced consistently, it will become a habit. And when you start to see how good running makes you feel, your mindset shifts from I have to to I get to. Two spiritual disciplines that I get to practice regularly are bible reading and prayer.
Bible Reading
Every morning I get to read the Bible. It’s a nonnegotiable habit that happens everyday, kind of like brushing my teeth. I get up in the morning—leaving my phone plugged in on my bedside table so I’m not distracted by it—and I go downstairs. I pour a cup of coffee and sit in the same spot everyday. I want God’s words and perspective to be the first ones that enter my mind so that everything else I encounter will filter through it.
Reading your Bible is essential to your spiritual health. Take a minute and think about your diet. What do you eat everyday? How you eat determines how your body feels and functions. In the same way, what you watch and read determines how you think and see the world. Adopting a Bible reading practice will train your mind to have an eternal perspective. It is an incredible opportunity to learn about God, his story for humanity, and our individual purpose in all of it.
Many of us are intimidated by reading our Bibles because we don’t know where to start. There is no one right way! You could read a psalm or proverb every day, read one of the Gospels, or study a book with your friends.
God’s Word is not meant to be intimidating. You will find that while it was written thousands of years ago, it is still applicable for today. It is the key to building our house on solid rock. While living in a culture of loud voices, strong opinions, and shifting sand, it continually brings us back to the truth. It reminds us that life is not only about us but that we are part of a much bigger story.
Prayer
We get to talk to God anywhere and at all times! We can pray in the shower, in the car, through worship songs, while reading Scripture, or during a difficult meeting. It is an ongoing conversation with the Lord and a key piece in remembering who we are.
In order to maintain and grow our friendships, we have to talk, ask questions, and get to know who they are. It is the same with our relationship with God. He’s the one who intricately made us and knows us best. Talking with him will help you to shift your perspective from earthly to eternal. But with all of the voices competing for our time and attention, it won’t happen without intentionality.
Another way you might practice prayer is by taking a walk! I leave my phone at home and head outside into nature. Feeling the cool breeze, hearing the birds chirp, and seeing wind rustle through the trees makes me feel close to him. I have learned that when my body moves, I stay focused and can think more clearly.
When I was a little girl, I took a class at my church where I learned the acronym A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Throughout my life, I have used it as a prayer guide. While there is not one way to pray, it has been a way for me to stay focused while I talk with God.
- Adoration: Tell God who he is. The Creator, Alpha and Omega, Faithful God, our Provider, our Redeemer. Meditate on how you have seen him live up to these names in your life.
- Confession: Confess your sin. If you can’t think of anything obvious or specific, ask him to show it to you. Ask for forgiveness and ask him to help you forgive others.
- Thanksgiving: Thank him for all he has given you! Your family, a hot cup of coffee, a cool morning, a new job, the ways He has guided you or even disciplined you. Thank him for being active in your life.
- Supplication: Ask God to supply his mercy, grace, and healing for those in need. Take time to pray for your own needs.
Talking with God clears my mind, resets my perspective and gives me peace.
We Get To
Bible Reading and Prayer are only two of many ways to develop a deeper walk with God. Don’t lose sight of why we engage in spiritual practices. They are not obligations, but rather invitations to grow closer to him. They serve as anchors for our memory and allow us to remain in deep connection with him.
Photo credit: Emilee Carpenter
Amy is a Cincinnati native. She met her husband in high school, and married young. They have four kids: one in college and three teenagers busy at home. Teaching has always been one of her passions, so she spends her days with 4th graders teaching them to find their voice through writing. She loves Jesus with all of her heart and knows that her calling in life is love God and love others well. Amy loves colorful food, coffee with friends, being in nature, and playing music with family.
