Practising Spiritual Disciplines

Focus Your Mind On God

When we come to spend time alone with God, often we will come with burdens, worries, and concerns on our heart. Many times, we try to go directly into a time of pray or reading the Bible, but find that our minds wander to the concerns we have. One of the first things that we need to discipline ourselves to do is to quieten our hearts and focus our mind on God. As soon as we try to do so, many other thoughts, burdens and temptations will fill our minds. We need to actively lay aside these distractions in order to focus on God (2 Corinthians 10:5). Often the areas that we are concerned about will be seen in a whole new perspective when we focus our attention on God. It may even help you to imagine picking up the thoughts, one by one, and placing them to one side saying "I do not need to think about this right now."

Praise and Worship God

As you begin to quieten your heart, consider what God has done for you. Enter into a time of praise and worship. Praise is thanking God for what He has done "“ His salvation, His forgiveness, His provision. Worship is thanking God for who He is "“ His love, His faithfulness, His omniscience, His omnipotence. Another fundamental part of worship is surrendering your life to Him. It may help you to sing a worship song, or read a devotional aid to help you to focus on God's character and nature. Entering God's presence in this way will prepare your heart and help you to be more open and responsive to His voice. One of our deepest needs is to have close fellowship with God, but too often we just rush in and rush out of His presence without preparing our hearts.

Read the Word of God

Once you are ready, ask God to speak to you through His Word, and then turn to the Bible. God deeply desires for us to know Him in an intimate and real way. He has revealed Himself to us through creation, through the Bible and most completely through His Son, Jesus. The Bible is a vital part of His revelation to us and it is important that we learn to read the Bible systematically with an open heart, receptive to His voice. An example of how to read the Bible is to start in the New Testament, beginning with Matthew, and to read one chapter each day. Once you feel comfortable with that, you could expand to reading one chapter in the New Testament and one chapter in the Old Testament. Later you could expand to reading one chapter in the New Testament, one chapter in the Old Testament, and one Psalm. An essential point to remember is the third learning principle: start small. Do not over-commit yourself, as it will only lead to frustration. Seek to establish a sustainable routine before trying to expand.

By reading the Bible systematically, you will gain a clearer, fuller picture of God. Some attributes of God's character are clearer in some parts of the Bible than others. For example, God's holiness is revealed more clearly in Leviticus than in the Gospels. Through the consistent reading of the Word of God, our understanding of His character and nature will grow and develop. At times it can be helpful to be open to read any passages of scripture that God lays on your heart, but this should not be a substitute for systematic reading.

Reflect On What You Have Read

After reading the Word, take some time to reflect on what you have read. Is there a verse or a passage of scripture that God has spoken to you through? If so, what has God said? Has He revealed or confirmed something of His character and nature? Has He highlighted any sins or areas that you need to confess? Is there a command that you need to obey or an attitude that you need to change? Is there an action plan that you need to implement to bring about that change? Is there a promise for which to give thanks? Is there someone that you need to intercede for or something for which you need to pray? It is often helpful to write down your thoughts. As well as being a reminder for you in the future, it can help you to clarify your understanding of what God wants to say to you.

This process of quietening our hearts and being open to hear what the Spirit of God is saying is vital for our spiritual growth. As we wait on God in this way, God may speak to us from the passage that we have read or through some other revelation. Reflection and journalising has been an important element in the lives of many well-known leaders that include John Wesley, James Hudson Taylor and Jim Elliott.

Prayer: Worship, Confession, Supplication, Thanksgiving

The next step is to pray through the areas that God has highlighted through your Bible reading. Sometimes we consider prayer to be just a matter of bringing a list of requests to God, however Jesus' model for prayer was more involved than this. He began with worship honouring the Father's name (Matthew 6:9). The next stage (Matthew 6:10-12 ) was confession and supplication (praying for needs). The final stage was thanksgiving, which again honoured the Father (Matthew 6:13). We will have a far more balanced prayer time if we use the strategy that Jesus recommended.

Take time to go through each of the four aspects of prayer, bearing in mind the thoughts that you have written in your journal. Worship God for specific aspects of His character and nature, and offer yourself wholly to God. Reflect on the previous days and specifically confess any areas that the Lord has highlighted in your life and repent. Consider the day ahead and identify any challenges that you will face and ask God to help you to act righteously and to avoid sin. Intercede specifically for people and situations that you will face. Try using a prayer list to help you to pray consistently for specific people. Pray with a heart that is open to God's leading, so that you intercede directly into the situations that the individuals are facing. End the time of prayer with thanksgiving. Bear in mind the thoughts that you have written in your journal, giving specific thanks for His revelation, guidance and provision for you.