June 2, 2024 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/why-is-spiritual-discipline-important.html

by Rev. Kyle Norman, Contributing Writer

Why Are Spiritual Disciplines Important?

The fact is disciplines occur in all areas of human life. Spiritual disciplines are important because they help us grow in our Christian life. The more we engage in spiritual disciplines, the more our lives reflect the glory of Christ.

Have you ever questioned whether spiritual disciplines are appropriate, necessary, or even biblical? Isn’t the language of spiritual disciplines nothing more than a modern fascination? It may appear this way at times, yet the fact is, spiritual disciplines are nothing new. They have formed the way Christians have embodied their faith throughout the history of the church. Wherever Christians live, spiritual disciplines occur. This makes spiritual disciplines incredibly important for us today.

After all, many of the questions we have about our faith are not necessarily grand theological questions. For most people, on any given day, the questions we pose pertain to how our faith interacts with our daily lives.

We ask questions like “Why don’t I feel God with me all the time?” or “How do I develop a deeper prayer life?” or maybe “How can I recognize God’s voice?”  When left unexplored, these questions can easily cause someone to feel stalled or discouraged in their faith.

Spiritual disciplines help us answer these questions. By cultivating actions modeled in the life of Jesus, we embody our faith in the context of everyday life. Disciplines, therefore, serve to connect us to the Lord on a deeply personal level.

The truth is unavoidable; if we want to live our faith with authenticity and passion, then spiritual disciplines are the way we do so.