Spiritual Disciplines

What are your spiritual practices? How are you growing in faith? Spiritual disciplines are those practices that help nurture spiritual growth. This blog defines the spiritual disciplines, provides a foundational Scripture passage, describes twelve representative disciplines along with a selected Bible passage for each, and lists recommended resources for those who may want to pursue the topic further.

The Spiritual Disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the habits of devotion and experiential Christianity that have been practiced by the people of God since biblical times (Whitney, p. 46, Kindle edition).

The disciplines are spiritual activities that are practiced, not as prescribed procedures, but that emerge from a voluntary, internal desire to grow in Christ. They are expressions of loving and personal discipleship, not to be thought of as legalistic or as required practices. They come from a joyful heart that has a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

One key Scripture passage for thinking about spiritual disciplines is 1 Timothy 4:7-8. Paul writes to Timothy, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” The challenge here is for Timothy (and for us) to be training himself in godliness. This training is contrasted with physical training. We do well to ask, “How are we training ourselves in godliness?” “What are the practices that we currently follow, how can we do them better, and what new practices might we consider?”

Unlike Spiritual Gifts or the Ten Commandments, there are a seemingly unlimited number of spiritual practices in the Bible. This blog describes the twelve disciplines identified in the classic work by Richard J. Foster, The Celebration of Discipline. Other resources that were used include Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (Calhoun), Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Whitney), and The Spirit of the Disciplines (Willard). These include additional disciplines.

There are three avenues (or movements or categories) of spiritual discipline. They are “Inward Disciplines” that promote self-reflection, quiet contemplation, growth, and renewal; “Outward Disciplines” which are for making a positive impact on others and the world; and “Corporate Disciplines” for strengthening our relationships with others and God. Let us now identify each discipline in greater detail along with a representative Bible passage for each.

Meditation is a long, ardent gaze at God, his work and his Word. It involves slowing down and giving one’s undivided attention to God (Calhoun, p. 10).
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 98).
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).

Fasting is the self-denial of normal necessities in order to intentionally attend to God in prayer. Bringing attachments and cravings to the surface, opens a place for prayer and is a reminder to turn to Jesus who alone can satisfy (Calhoun, p. 245).
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do… put oil on your head and wash your face… your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:16-18).

Study gives priority to in-depth study of Scripture for purposes of observation, analysis, evaluation, and application. Study should also include other resources that help us understand life and God’s world.
Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Simplicity is living according to the knowledge that all that we have is a gift from God, that we are cared for by God, and that what we have can be made available to others when it is right and good.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

Solitude involves scheduling enough uninterrupted time in a distraction-free environment to experience isolation and being alone with God. Solitude is a “container discipline” for the practice of other disciplines. - Calhoun, p. 128
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35).

Submission is freely yielding to God’s word and will and to one another out of love and reverence for Christ (Calhoun, p. 134).
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority (Hebrews 13:17).

Service is a way of offering resources, time, treasure and expertise for the care, protection, justice, and nurture of others. Acts of service give hands to the second greatest commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Calhoun, p. 167).
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Confession embraces Christ’s gift of forgiveness and restoration while setting us on the path to renewal and change (Calhoun, p. 101).
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Worship happens whenever we intentionally cherish God and value him above all else in life. Worship reveals what is important to us (Calhoun, p. 49).
God is Spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Guidance. God guides groups as they seek to understand and act on God’s will and way for their life together. This guidance is informed by the written Word, the Holy Spirit’s presence, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the dignity of each participant.
Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question (Act 15:5, 6).

Celebration is the engaging in actions that orient the spirit toward worship, praise, and thanksgiving. It is delighting in the reality of a Trinity-fueled life (Calhoun, p. 28).
Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy (Psalm 47:1).

This has been a brief overview of twelve spiritual disciplines: meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. The books used for this post provide greater clarity, depth, and tools for practicing the disciplines. These may be purchased by clicking on the related links or from Virtual Resource Center.

Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook.
Foster, Richard J. The Celebration of Discipline.
Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.
Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines.

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