The Freedom Response

What are Spiritual Disciplines and which ones impacted me the most?

What are spiritual disciplines? And, which ones impacted me the most? 

Spiritual disciplines are methods and principles that we practice to engage with God in ways that are outside of our normal comforts - for reasons that change our character over time - to be more Christ-like. 

Most followers of Jesus will start with reading their Bible. There are many ways to learn about God through Bible studies and learning about theology - and over time you build a desire to BE with God and WALK with God outside of reading and learning. 

From reading Scripture most will shift over to talking to God outside of rote prayers that you learn as a child or at the dinner table. Talking to Jesus in ways that you would have loved to talk to your earthly father you can do so with your Heavenly Father. This is very personal and life-giving. 

Inside churches you start the service with worship music and that is one way to worship God in a building with other like-minded people who love Jesus. 

Worship outside of a church building is a position of your heart - to open your heart in humility to love God, be with God and experience Him in ways that are also very personal. From this position in your heart you can then pray and talk with God. 

This is not about carrying prayer beads or repeating a rote rosary prayer - but more like, “Thank you Jesus for being with me. I give over to you this difficult situation going on presently, shape my character now with grace and mercy to walk forward in your strength as I do not have the strength to take this on.” Matt 11:28-30 reminds us to give Jesus our burdens and he will give our soul rest. 

I would rather progress in life with my soul at rest than one filled with fear or anxiety. 

The constant emphasis of me focusing on burdens brings on a bitter way for me to live life that can produce anxiety or mild depression of some sorts. 

Opening our heart and confessing is another Spiritual Discipline that reminds us to stay humble and ask for help. When we do, God will answer a prayer in a unique way that may call for you to step up and lead in an area of life vs staying passive and fearful. He is NOT a vending machine where you put in a quarter and get a bag of chips…no, many times you will be asked to do something that changes your INNER character that impacts your OUTER environment - and if so, you will have Him walking besides you and even guide you through promptings of how to do so. 

When God is with you and you are stepping into areas of life that requires faith, you may want to practice a Spiritual Discipline of silence - where you learn to let go of your thoughts of the past, feelings of shame, anxiety or fear of the future and you start to learn to trust God and be obedient in walking in faith in the present. Silencing your thoughts for most is one of the most challenging disciplines to do. 

The best way to practice silence is done in solitude. Being alone, learning to pray, confess and then let go of your concerns (burdens) and just allow Gods presence to be in your heart. This is a time where you may not feel anything, or wonder if anything is happening - you let go and let God do only what God can do. 

You can do this for 30 seconds or 3 minutes. 

Another practice is one of being grateful. 

One can become dismal and only think of struggles and over time become bitter. 

If you learn to be grateful for what God is allowing in your life, learn to be obedient, step into life with faith, and how prayers are being answered in unique ways - you start to realize God IS changing your life, character and forming your identity in Him. 

This is something to be grateful for. This is something to tell the world about!

Many men I encounter live with some form of shame, and I have as well - so, I have learned to release this to Jesus, thank him in faith that it no longer has a voice of authority in my life and do something I never have before…sit in silence and position my heart to experience His grace and mercy in my heart. I thank him. I love him and move on with what I am doing in life. 

I may do this 20 times in a day. 

Things in life happen. Experiences and people may trigger certain thoughts and feelings to bring me down…Spiritual Discipline's are ways of connecting and experiencing God - instead of experiencing myself. I have lived for years wandering around in my own head that over time hardened my heart toward myself and others. I can be my own worse enemy. 

When I wander around with Jesus and allow him to form my thoughts and perspective….over time my heart has softened and so have my actions toward others and myself. 

I am grateful for that. 

This is what Jesus has done for me by practicing Spiritual Discipline's - released me from myself and it taught me that God is with me, to trust Him and this shows up in how others experience me so that when they ask about how my life is going, I tell them all of what God has done for me that I can not do in my own strength. 

I do not worship spiritual disciplines…it is Jesus who gets all the glory. 

When we learn about and practice other disciplines such as fasting, a day of sabbath or ruthlessly eliminating hurry from our lives we put faith into Jesus instead of doing things my own way, to trust that he will provide when I let go of trying so hard to make things happen, to let Him feed me instead of eating a meal - to let Him comfort me outside of my own comfort zones. 

I can practice living life on my own terms…as many do. 

To be honest - it drained me. It produced a reactionary lifestyle. 

When I practice living with Jesus - HE brings me life. I respond in freedom. 

When I return to reading my Bible - HE seems to come alive in new ways from living this way. 

This makes me WANT to worship God DAILY - not just in a church building on Sunday. 

Matt 22: 37-40 reminds me to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul & strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Spiritual Disciplines help me in wonderful ways to do so. 

Scott Musgrave: Founder of The Freedom Response.