HAPPY NEW YEAR – 2025!
This year my focus will be on 12 Spiritual Disciplines that will help strengthen your faith.
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What is a Spiritual Discipline?
A spiritual discipline can be described as a practice or behavior that’s fosters spiritual growth. Spiritual disciplines encompass behaviors, experiences, and practices that can be engaged in individually or collectively.
Worship, prayer, fasting, Bible study, and solitude are a few examples of spiritual disciplines.
The purpose of spiritual disciplines is to cultivate the character of Jesus Christ and to assist an individual in becoming closer to God. A person who practices spiritual disciplines can also maintain emotional and mental stability and deepen their love for God and others.
“Spiritual disciplines are those practices found in the Scriptures that promote spiritual growth among those who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the habits of devotion and experiential Christianity that God’s people have practiced since biblical times.” (Donald Whitney, 2014. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 4)
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12 Spiritual Disciplines that will strengthen your faith
To succeed in sports, rigorous training is essential. Athletes cannot expect to compete effectively by leading a sedentary lifestyle. The most accomplished athletes demonstrate a strong sense of discipline, often adhering to a strict regimen that includes daily workouts, proper nutrition, and mental conditioning. This dedication not only helps them achieve peak physical fitness but also prepares them for the demands of competition. By investing time and effort into their training, these athletes develop the skills and stamina necessary to excel in their respective sports. Ultimately, success in athletics is built on the foundation of hard work and discipline.
In our pursuit of well-being, we readily acknowledge the need for physical discipline, yet often overlook its counterpart in our spiritual lives.
Many Christians find themselves spiritually unfit due to a lack of discipline—a failure to actively engage in practices that foster spiritual growth. Just as an undisciplined body succumbs to sluggishness and poor health, so too does an undisciplined spirit become weak and unfulfilled.
To cultivate a strong spiritual condition, intentional actions such as prayer, Bible study, and community engagement are essential. Only through consistent effort can we achieve the vitality our souls crave, bridging the gap between physical fitness and spiritual health.
This is why Paul admonished Timothy to “exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).
This year we will focus each month on a specific spiritual discipline to help us build upon our foundation and grow in our walk with Christ.
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Spiritual Discipline #1 Prayer
Prayer, regular communication with God that leads us into His presence, is the lifeblood of the spiritual life. Regularly conversing with God through prayer is a spiritual discipline that can strengthen one’s faith, develop one’s character, and change one’s life. One of our greatest gifts and most powerful weapons of spiritual warfare is PRAYER.
The following can help you develop prayer as a spiritual discipline:
- Establish a routine: Set a specific time and location for prayer, then make it a regular habit
- Be Sincere: When you pray, be honest with God. Talk to Him as if you are respectfully talking with a friend.
- Pray the Scriptures: Use Bible verses regarding specific circumstances as the basis for your prayer, effectively communicating God’s words to yourself, adapting them to your unique circumstances and needs, and allowing the Bible to direct the conversation.
- Seek God’s Guidance: Ask God to lead your steps throughout the day and in your decisions. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: (John 16:13)
- Pray for Others: Offer up intercessory prayer for others, include requests from others in your prayers. I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men (1 Timothy 1:2)
- Be Persistent: Do not quit praying even if it seems like your prayers are not being answered right away. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Ephesians 5:16b)
Prayer is a profound aspect of our relationship with God that transcends mere conversation. It involves resting in His presence, listening for His still, small voice, and allowing His Spirit to guide us. The psalmist beautifully expresses this anticipation of meeting God in prayer each morning, stating,, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (Psalm 5:3)
Jesus, too, modeled a prayerful life, often retreating for intimate dialogues with the Father. He taught His disciples to pray sincerely, assuring them that God knows their needs already (Matthew 6:9-13). Prayer is not confined to specific moments or places; rather, it is a continuous, essential thread in our faith. As we cultivate this spiritual discipline, let us focus on seeking God’s presence, trusting in His unwavering love and guidance.
Prayer – secret, fervent, believing prayer – lies at the root of all personal godliness. William Carey
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I pray that you will continue to be conscious of God’s presence throughout the month as you journal His Word and that you will sense His presence in every area of your life.
You can download a copy of the monthly Journaling Scripture Plan here:
https://charitymaeprosper.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SD-Prayer.pdf
References:
- Life Application Study Bible: King James Version. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004. Print
- Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714. (1991). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible : wherein each chapter is summed up in its contents: the sacred text inserted at large in distinct paragraphs; each paragraph reduced to its proper heads: the sense given, and largely illustrated with practical remarks and observations. Peabody, Mass. :Hendrickson Publishers
- https://enduringword.com/#commentary
- https://www.propreacher.com/12-spiritual-disciplines-that-will-make-your-faith-strong
- Whitney, Donald. (2014). Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. NavPress
- https://jesusleadershiptraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/the12spiritualdisciplines-130422085300-phpapp02.pdf
- https://www.soulshepherding.org/spiritual-disciplines-list/
- https://enjoyingthejourney.org/a-devotional-discipline-writing-the-scriptures/