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What are Spiritual Disciplines?

Striving for a Spiritual Life.

May 15, 2007

Learning to be disciplined-physically and spiritually- can be helpful in life. Time and time again there is a desire to go back to the basics.

Step1: Managing your time

This is probably the first step that needs to be tackled when starting a disciplined life. Time is a precious gift that can be used wisely or wasted. Using time wisely is a discipline that needs to be learned. It is probably easier to use time wisely when you think of how short time is.

Think about what you do and how you spend your time. Start with setting aside a half an hour a day that is just for God. Once you have a routine you will find that each day you are spending a few more minutes, merely because it’s the time you enjoy, the time you learn and the times when you are most encouraged.

Step 2: Learning about Spiritual Disciplines

Some of the disciplines outlined in Donald Whitney’s book ‘Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life’ include:

Bible Intake: involves making an effort to hear; read and study the word on a daily basis.
Prayer: is learned, applied and answered.
Worship: is a response, focus and a discipline done in truth and spirit.
Meditation: is a mental focus on God’s Word.
Serving: is expected and is a gift.
Stewardship: involves using your time and money wisely.
Journaling: is important for self-evaluation and understanding and to assist you in remembering what you have studied.
Learning: is a discipline and is essential.
Perseverance: outlines the role of fellowship; the Holy Spirit and Christian living.

Step 3: The Role of Fellowship vs. Socializing

Fellowship involves the sharing of spiritual life. Often fellowship is regarded, treated and substituted by the act of socializing. Socializing is sharing earthly and human life and therefore should be clearly distinguished from fellowship. Fellowship allows the individual to be encouraged and to grow spiritually by modeling, talking and testifying with other believers.

Spiritual discipline needs direction and cannot only be practiced in isolation. For instance spiritual maturity can be sharpened and stimulated not only by learning God’s Word in privacy but also by praying with others, worshipping in groups or serving others. We need to look upward, inward and outward and develop spiritual balance that can be applied to daily life.

Resource

Whitney, D.S. (1991). Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Navpress. Bringing truth to life

‘Time is always passing by, every hour; every minute is lost and cannot be regained.’

(Donald.S Whitney, 1991)

The copyright of the article What are Spiritual Disciplines? in Protestantism is owned by Melanie Lamprecht. Permission to republish What are Spiritual Disciplines? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.