If there was ever a time that God’s children should be drawing closer to Him, now is the time. Maybe you have heard of the phrases “spiritual disciplines” or “spiritual growth.”

Perhaps you are not too familiar with those topics, but curiosity got the better of you. As long as you are a believer in Christ wanting to glorify God and please him, you clicked on the right post..”

I have a free spiritual growth guide that contains ten spiritual disciplines for the believer to work on and use to grow closer to Jesus.

So, let’s look at the following scenario. Here it goes.

Suppose one day you went to your doctor that does your yearly check-up each year. You trust everything that he says because you have been seeing him all your life.

He is your family doctor, and he even knew your grandmother. However, this time you discovered there was an abnormal lump within your breast.

After running a test on the lump, he turns to you and says that he doesn’t know how to treat you because he hasn’t kept up with new advancements.

He then continues to disclose he hasn’t kept up with the latest medical developments for the past ten years and has no idea if his practices are up to date or outdated.

 

 

What would be your course of action?

Would you continue the appointment, or would you find another doctor that can actually help?

I don’t know what you picked, but I think you probably would not feel comfortable having him be your doctor anymore, even though he was honest.

At least, I know that I wouldn’t.

Just as the doctor should keep up with new treatments and medicine ever so often, it is your responsibility as a Christian.

God didn’t save you, so you can only escape hell. There is no time for bench-warming because it is time to grow in righteousness.

The Holy Spirit can only work in the believer ready to avail themselves to grow spiritually. 

During Esther’s time, the maidens would purify each lady before presenting them to the King. God has begun the same process on earth to prepare you to be a part of the bride of Christ.

But practice must start here on earth, and the Holy Spirit will help as long as you make every effort to grow in maturity.

Here are ten spiritual disciplines you can use right now as you seek to grow in Christ.  A couple of these can be used for your quiet/devotional time with God, and others can be used at your discretion. You will also find them in my free spiritual growth guide.

 

1. Pray Daily

 

Communication is important in any relationship. Any married couple would tell you that. We know how important it is, and still, we struggle with it. Prayer is what God wants us to do.

The creator wants to have a closer relationship with us, and he encourages us to pray without ceasing.

Pray all the time; while you are sitting, standing, driving, or taking a shower, let words of praise, thanksgiving, or repentance be always on your lips.

Can you imagine living in a house with a husband or child that refuses to talk with you? They never have time to listen, and when they do, there is nothing to contribute. It’s frustrating.

But there is a friend that sticks closer than family (Proverbs 18:24), one whose ears are always open and never tires of hearing from you. Talk to God in the name of Jesus. He is always willing to hear from you. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

 2. Put on the armor of God

 

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11-18 who the believer’s real enemy is. At times I can be quick to pass blame and get angry with my husband or daughter, forgetting who the real enemy is.

Satan wants to destroy every happiness that God provides for his children, and this is why we have to gird ourselves.

Every time I read about Jesus telling Peter that Satan wants to destroy him, I sober up. What if God would let him chase Peter or you or me?  God did it with Job and never revealed the reason.

Other than the Lord, Jesus Christ, what other protection do we need?

The armor of God equips the believer to stand firm and allow God to fight the battle for him. We should dare not walk into certain situations until we are prayed up and ready to submit to God’s authority and sovereignty.

The whole armor of God contains special equipment necessary for the believer to withstand any temptation that comes our way.

The belt of truth

-this belt shielded the most vulnerable parts of the body. The believer is usually tempted during times they are weak. Lies are usually used to attack the truth. This is a call for believers to be ready and watching for the Lord’s return. John 17:17

 

The breastplate of righteousness

-this important part of the armor protected the most vital organs of the body. You cannot go into battle, leaving this part of the body vulnerable. The Holy Spirit gave this attribute was given to you the moment you trusted Christ as your Savior.

When God looks at you through the eyes of Jesus, he sees you as righteous. This, of course, can only come about after you have put on the belt of truth, or you will feel confident in your own righteousness. The truth of God will lead you to trust in the righteousness of God and not your own capabilities. (Matthew 6:33)

 

The gospel of peace

-when the enemy attacks, you need the Word of God to defeat him. Jesus showed us exactly how to combat the lies the devil would tell the believer to get him to slip up. The gospel is not just for those that are unsaved. The believer can use the gospel to minister and preach to him/herself. When lies fill your head, use the memorized truth of God’s word to combat and decimate the lies. (John 14:27)

The shield of Faith

-You are a foot soldier serving in the Lord’s army. The enemy will throw many fiery darts at you, and it is essential to your growth to use the shield of Faith to defeat and extinguish the arrows. Faith is necessary for the believer that wants to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) It is also necessary for you to keep growing spiritually. The shield of faith will enable you to be more than a conqueror. Once you trust God completely, nothing will be able to faze you while you are in the battle. You will remember that all things work together for your good and God’s glory. (Romans 8:28)

The helmet of salvation

-Imagine going into battle knowing that you are already victorious. When you have the confidence that nothing the enemy throws at you can separate you from your position in Christ, you developed God-confidence. A believer has the assurance that nothing can sever the relationship that they have with God. Jesus died in your stead, and the Bible tells us that those who place their trust in Him can never be plucked out of his hand. What security! Even if the trials you are facing lead to death, the believer has a hope that is not just solid in this life but goes beyond the grave. There is no need to fear the enemy when he can’t take away your eternal security. (Matthew 10:28)x

The sword of the spirit

-The word of God is quick and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces the heart and soul of believers and unbelievers. (Hebrews 4:12) You cannot fight an enemy without first getting to know and spending time with the ones on your side. How will you work together well if you don’t know God? The Bible was written for you. This is the only way to know more about God and who he is. The Bible will sustain you when you are weak; it will help you demolish strongholds and falsehoods that want to steal your joy. (1 Corinthians 10:4-5) The Christian life won’t be successful or fruitful if the believer doesn’t utilize the Spirit’s sword.

 

3. Fasting

When you really want God to lead and direct your path, this is the best spiritual discipline to utilize. It is usually mixed with prayer, but I’m going to leave it as a stand-alone here.

Fasting is abstaining from the necessities in life to focus on God and what he has to say. It is a type of sacrifice that puts your priorities in place and focuses on Jesus Christ.

When it comes to fasting, there are so many types. If you search on Google, you will find it in both religious and health circles. I’m actually trying out intermittent fasting (16/8) for the purpose of losing weight. However, the focus of fasting, especially in the Bible era, was to abstain from food and hear from God.

In the book of Esther, this is what the Israelites did. (Esther 4:16) Hezekiah also fasted and prayed to God and received 15 more years of life. (2 Kings 19:1) God hears you when you pray, but there is a special blessing when you fast.

When you face a situation that only God can solve, fasting allows you to sacrifice food and other necessities in lieu of seeking God. Another great example is Daniel; he was in a similar situation as Esther because he was kidnapped and taken from his homeland to the pagan land called Babylon.

However, Daniel and his friends decided to serve God no matter what. Instead of not eating, they decided to eat healthy foods, and God rewarded their faith. (Daniel 10:2-3)

4. Read God’s word

This is one of the two most important spiritual disciplines necessary for the Christian life and spiritual growth. The believer should want to KNOW God as much as possible, and the best way to know God is to read his word.

Many people believe the Bible is just a nancy story, and that is not true. Others will tell you it’s just another book or it’s only for one particular race. However, the Bible is inspired by God.

Every single word, every story, and every little character are all real and true. (2 Timothy 3:16) It is a love story to tell us all that God did to redeem humanity because of his great love. To know God, you have to read His word; there isn’t any other way.

This entails taking time to study the Word, understanding the scriptures, and who wrote each part. What is the context, the culture at the time, and how does it apply to you?

If you are looking for a simple way to study your Bible, check out my PRAYER Bible Study method. You will be amazed at the many life-changing truths and hope that you will gather as you read.

Paul, one of the well-versed apostles who took time to learn about God, still wanted to keep knowing God, and he wrote one of my favorite verses in scripture. That I may know him. If you truly want to know him, read his word. (Phillipians 3:10)

Have a prayer, growth, and blessing journal

 

The Bible tells us to pray continually. This means to always be in the posture of prayer. Prayer is the second most important spiritual discipline in the life of the believer.

It also ties in with fasting, but we can’t fast all the time. Fasting is only for special requests. Prayer, on the other hand, is to be done at times. The Bible admonished the believer to pray continually, which means to always be in a posture/attitude of prayer.

After you spent time learning about God through reading his word, you can communicate with him throughout your day. The beautiful aspect of prayer is that the believer can do it anywhere. You can be at the beach, in your car, taking a walk, or in your prayer closet. God will commune with you when you commune with him.

In this section, it is good to include a prayer, growth, and blessings journal you can use to record and remember all your answered prayers in one location. Sometimes we forget what God has done, but when we write it down, we can always go back and add fuel to our prayer walk when we see what the Lord has done.

 

Have a personal retreat

 

A retreat is a time of refreshment and restoration. Christians can experience burnout as well. A personal retreat or special time with God is just what the burnt-out Christian needs when facing spiritual warfare, experiencing doubt about their salvation, is ready for self-inventory or examination, or wants to rekindle their once brilliantly lit flame. I’ll tell you exactly how to set up a one-day or weekend retreat in my Spiritual Growth System that will help you to refocus and set your affections on God alone.

 

7. Take time to meditate

 

Usually, when we hear the word meditate, we think of mindfulness or some other eastern form of medicine. However, that’s not what we are referencing here today. What we are looking at here is the process of regurgitation.

When you read your Bible, study and memorize the Word, the verses that stick with you are what you meditate on. This is the process of pausing and pondering on the Word of God. For the word to find a home in your heart, you have to stop and think about it. (Colossian 3:16)

Donald S. Whitney defines it as “deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.”

One way to really wrap your mind around this concept is that man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that God proceeds. When you receive God’s word, meditation is slowly cherishing the meal because it is so good. You will remember it longer and appreciate it more when you savor its goodness.

 

8. Seek an encounter with God (Set aside 3 hours to seek him) 

 

This is very similar to having a personal retreat, but instead of going to God with a problem, the believer is seeking an experience with God that is just between the two of you. Maybe you want to prove God and see his provision. Perhaps you want to stop hearing about other people’s encounters and experience one for yourself.

My friend, God can meet with you and meet your needs in unique ways only capable of being from him. The three disciples closest to Jesus saw him transfigured right before their very eyes. Moses was able to talk face to face with God.5k His disciples witnessed miracle after miracle, and God still does wondrous works today.

Don’t spend your Christian life seeking encounters and experiences and miss what’s right in front of you. But if you ask God to reveal himself to you, expect him to answer. (1 Corinthians 2:16) 

 

9. Go to church (show up to hear from and meet with God)

 

The body of believers today doesn’t truly understand the importance of being a part of a local church. Statistics claim that many believing saints choose not to be a part of the local church.

Well, how can you live your life as a Christian without hearing the word preached often, without being a blessing to other believers, and without someone calling you out when you have done wrong?

Some college graduates choose to become interns to sharpen their skills and receive real-world training for what they have learned. They allow someone who is further along in their career to help them improve on what they have learned, tell them when something is wrong, and show them how to do the job effectively.

My friend, fellowshipping and being a part of God’s body is similar to having an internship.

These are the benefits of being a part of a local church, you can be awakened and refreshed after a week of experiencing the hard knocks of life throughout the week; you can foster your assurance by seeing and meeting fellow believers that are confident in their faith, worshipping together plays an important part in your sanctification as you are conformed to Christ’s image together with other brethren (2 Corinthians 3:18) and you experience growth as others pick the messages and lead in corporate worship to God.

Your church is the place to be ministered to and follow others’ lead as Christ moves them.

 

10. Take up your cross/deny yourself.

 

This is also very important for spiritual growth because the believer is not relying on self or placing trust in their finances over trusting in God. The believer is admonished to die daily to self and let God lead. (Luke 9:23)

This practice is not for the faint of heart. However, the believer that wants to be a follower and imitator of Christ will practice this spiritual discipline.

The flesh will want to lead you all the time, but the believer pursuing growth in Christ will strive to listen to the Holy Spirit rather than their flesh and sacrifice their personal pleasure to bring glory and honor to God.

 

How many spiritual disciplines are there in Christianity?

 

There is no correct answer to this question. This article focuses on 10 spiritual disciplines, but there are so many more. Namely, stewardship, chastity, silence, solitude, and much more. Please don’t think the spiritual disciplines are the same as following laws and rules.

Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice and came to fulfill the law. (Matthew 5:17) Many believers go through life living with one foot in the world and one foot outside, but one important key to remember is to strive to please and honor God in all that you do.

Practicing and incorporating spiritual disciplines into your Christian life is for those that want to please God.

It’s for those who are serious about growing in maturity and having a closer relationship with Jesus.

Start utilizing the spiritual disciplines in your life, formulate a plan and serve the Lord with gladness.

Read more about spiritual disciplines at desiringgod.

Thanks for stopping by.

I love you with the Love of Christ,

Keneesha 🙂