Spiritual Disciplines
There are two types of spiritual disciplines
The disciplines of abstinence:
Solitude—Spending time alone to be with God. Find
a quiet place to be alone with God for a period of time. Use the Bible
as a source of companionship with God. Listen to Him. Remain alone and
still.
Silence—Removing noisy distractions to hear from God. Find
a quiet place away from noise to hear from God. Write your thoughts and
impressions as God directs your heart. Silence can occur even in the
midst of noise and distraction. But you must focus your attention on
your soul. This could mean talking less or talking only when necessary.
And it could mean turning off the radio and the TV.
Fasting—Skipping a meal(s) to find greater nourishment from God. Choose
a period of time to go without food. Drink water and, if necessary,
take vitamin supplements. Feel the pain of having an empty stomach and
depend on God to fill you with His grace.
Frugality—Learning to live with less money and still meet your basic needs. Before
buying something new, choose to go without or pick a less expensive
alternative that will serve your basic needs. Live a simple, focused
life.
Chastity—Voluntarily choosing
to abstain from sexual pleasures for a time (those pleasures that are
deemed morally right in the bond of marriage) to find higher fulfillment
in God. Decide together as a couple to set aside time to go without
sexual pleasures in order to experience a deeper relationship with God
in prayer.
Secrecy—Avoiding self-promotion, practice serving God without others knowing. Give in secret. Serve “behind the scenes” in a ministry that you are assured few will know about.
Sacrifice—Giving of our resources beyond what seems reasonable to remind us of our dependence on Christ. Choose to give your time or finances to the Lord beyond what you normally would.
The disciplines of activity:
Study—Spending time reading the Scriptures and meditating on its meaning and importance to our lives. We
are nourished by the Word because it is our source of spiritual
strength. Choose a time and a place to feed from the Word of God
regularly.
Worship—Offering praise and adoration to God. His
praise should continually be on our lips and in our thoughts. Read
psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs, or sing to the Lord daily using a
praise tape. Keep praise ever before you as you think of God’s mighty
deeds in your life.
Prayer—Talking to and listening to God about your relationship with Him and about the concerns of others. Find time to pray to God without the distraction of people or things.
Combine your prayer time with meditation on the Scriptures in order to
focus on Christ.
Fellowship—Mutual caring and ministry in the body of Christ. Meet regularly with other Christians to find ways to minister to others. Encourage one another.
Confession—Regularly confess your sins to the Lord and other trusted individuals. As often as you are aware of sin in your life, confess it to the Lord and to those you may have offended.
Submission—Humbling yourself before God and others while seeking accountability in relationships. Find faithful brothers or sisters in Christ who can lovingly hold you accountable for your actions and growth in Christ.
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