Over the course of my life, I’ve had many conversations with family, friends, and complete strangers about spiritual disciplines. Some conversations are positive and encouraging, but most are with believers who are struggling to stick with these disciplines or see their long-term value and purpose.
“Why spend time in Scripture outside of church when I barely know how to read or interpret it on my own?”
“Why pray when God never seems to hear or answer my prayers?
“How is fasting a spiritual discipline? Why intentionally fast?”
“How do I find time for spiritual disciplines in my already-busy schedule?”
I’d guess that you’ve probably heard questions like these, or even asked them yourself. I know I have! My goal is not to provide an exhaustive list of instructions or a theological treatise defending spiritual disciplines. Rather, I want to equip you to get started—for the first time, or for the fiftieth—with three spiritual disciplines, providing a brief, biblical explanation for each, along with a few easy tips for starting and continuing in each discipline.
Read Your Bible
The best, most profitable spiritual discipline you’ll ever engage in is reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible, God’s holy and inspired Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17). By reading and studying Scripture, we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 ESV) by the work of the Holy Spirit in us. As we read Scripture, we trace the storyline of God’s work of creation (Genesis 1–2), the fall of humankind (Genesis 3), redemption in Christ (Romans 3:21–26), and the reconciliation we receive through faith in Jesus (Romans 5:1).
The practices of reading, study, and memorization are listed here because while they all engage Scripture, they have different outcomes. Reading the Bible has a more devotional and personal focus, observing its applications for your life and walk with Christ. Studying the Bible engages it on a deeper level, employing tools such as a study Bible, commentaries, biblical language tools, maps, and other resources designed to help readers understand the literary, cultural, and historical context in which Scripture was written. Memorizing Scripture is also a critical spiritual discipline, as it helps you “make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV), calling to mind God’s promises and instructions in times of need. By reading, studying, and memorizing Scripture regularly, you are, with the Spirit’s help, being equipped to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10 ESV).
There are several ways to get started (or restart) reading, studying, and memorizing Scripture, but here are a few:
- Set a dedicated time in your day to engage Scripture. It could be in the morning, over breakfast, or before you go to bed. If it helps keep you focused and accountable, set a timer for the duration of your reading or memory time (ten, twenty, or maybe thirty minutes). If you’re married or have a family, consider reading the Bible together at a designated meal time, such as after dinner.
- Keep a Bible app on your phone so you can read Scripture on the go. Whether it’s five minutes in the school pickup line or in the grocery checkout line, these small pockets of time are opportunities to remind yourself of God’s promises and truth. Some apps have reading plans and other tools to keep you on track with your reading goals.
- Find a study tool that excites you. Whether it’s a new study Bible, a handbook on the books of the Bible, or a guide to learning biblical Greek or Hebrew, a new tool can aid your engagement with Scripture.
- Memorize Scripture with creative tools and with the accountability of others. There are many Bible memory apps you can download for your phone, and companies such as Dwell Differently have great memory tools. You could also pick a passage to memorize with your friends, small group, or church Bible study group, and hold each other accountable in the process.
Pray Without Ceasing
As Christians, prayer is a regular practice of bringing our requests, worries, and thanksgiving before God, knowing that he delights to hear us, even as we surrender to his sovereignty. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s people regularly coming before him in prayer to confess their sins, recommit themselves to their covenant with God, and ask him to provide and protect them. In the New Testament, especially, we’re given instructions for how and when to pray.
In Matthew 6:9–13, Jesus teaches his followers what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. When you don’t know what else or how else to pray, this is a great prayer to use! The author of Hebrews reminds us that even Jesus “offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death” (Hebrews 5:7 ESV). Paul instructed the church at Philippi to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 ESV). In James, we are told to pray for the sick and suffering (James 5:13–15), and in Romans, Paul reminds us that when we do not know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). What is most notable about Scripture’s instructions on prayer is the frequency of our prayers: “be constant in prayer,” “praying at all times,” “[c]ontinue steadfastly in prayer,” “pray without ceasing” (Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Whether our prayers are those of thanksgiving, worry, petition, or any other possible concern, God welcomes our prayers and invites us to pray unceasingly.
As with Bible reading, there are a few ways to get started with a consistent prayer life:
- Set a time and amount of time in your day to pray, whether it’s first thing in the morning, or before you go to bed.
- If you have the capacity, consider journaling your prayers or writing down your prayer requests and the ways God has answered them. This will help you stay focused. It also gives you a written record of the ways God has been faithful to you over the months and years.
- Gather a small group of friends or family members to pray together on a weekly or monthly basis, or consider reaching out to a different friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor each week to ask how you can specifically pray for them.
Practice Fasting
One spiritual discipline that’s infrequently practiced—but often mentioned in Scripture—is fasting. Fasting is the act of abstaining from food—and drink, on some occasions—in order to seek God, whether as a form of repentance, petition, grief, or seeking God’s will, protection, or justice. In 1 Kings 21:27, King Ahab fasts in repentance, as he “tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly” (ESV). After the birth of David and Bathsheba’s child, the child became sick, so David fasted and “sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground” (2 Samuel 12:16 ESV). On several instances in Scripture, people would fast as a form of grief over loss, such as David over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:11–12) or Job over the deaths of his children (Job 1:20–21). In Esther, all the Jews of Persia fast as a means of petitioning God for his protection and will as Esther pleaded for their life before King Xerxes (Esther 4:12–17).
Fasting is a wonderful discipline to make a regular or semi-regular part of your spiritual disciplines. However, it also should be approached with care and thoughtfulness. For some individuals, a complete fast from food and drink is not medically wise, so make sure to consult your physician before fasting to create a plan that is also protective of your health. Some people fast for a day or two, while others may fast for up to a week after practice with a shorter period of time. In cases where a complete fast is not possible, consider a partial fast, such as from a particular food group or beverage (such as coffee or alcohol). If a food or drink fast is not possible for you, consider fasting from social media or watching TV.
A few words of encouragement for you as you consider fasting:
- Start small—and with the help of wise medical professionals. Even if you fast for a day, make sure it’s wise for your health to do so.
- Choose Scripture passages to reflect on or write a list of a few prayer requests to pray for regularly throughout your fasting period.
- Fast with accountability in community. Consider seeking out a fellow believer (or two) to fast with you or to serve as your accountability partner throughout the past.
- If a food or drink fast is not possible, choose a social media or streaming platform to fast from. Most devices will have a Screen Time feature that will tell you how much time you spend on that app or platform in a given day or week—use that data to inform your decision of what to fast from.
No matter what stage or season of life you’re in, it’s possible to start—or start again—with spiritual disciplines! God delights to feed you with his Word, meet you in prayer, and sustain you as you fast. All of these disciplines bring honor to him and will bear sweet fruit in your life for God’s glory as you pursue them.
Application Questions
- Who in your life will you ask to hold you accountable for practicing this discipline? Choose someone, let them know your goals, and ask them to hold you accountable on a regular basis.
- Of the three disciplines mentioned in this article, which would you like to start with?
- When will you practice this discipline? Write down a time of day and/or duration of time you’d like to read Scripture, pray, or fast on a regular basis.
- How will you practice this discipline? Write down what you’ll use, such as a study Bible, a prayer journal, or the accountability of fellow believers.
Photo credit: Jaymi Nichole
Leah Jolly is a theologian and writer with a Master of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary, where she is now pursuing a Master of Theology in Systematic Theology. Her writing has been featured by The Gospel Coalition, Hosanna Revival, andCore Christianity, covering Reformed theology, adoption, spiritual disciplines, and the application of Scripture to everyday life. She's passionate about helping others see the beauty of Scripture and the goodness of the gospel. You can connect with Leah on Instagram and Substack.
