I’ve noticed that summer is very spontaneous for people and it’s real easy to fall out of a routine, but with the beginning of school comes an opportunity to be more structured and organized with your spiritual lives; and it’s easier to get in a good routine.
What is your spiritual routine?
Some important components should include:
- BIBLE STUDY. It’s vital to include some kind of consistent Bible Study to grow spiritually that include both group and individual aspects. Some people give themselves over to a particular book of the Bible for weeks or months reading and studying it over and over again. Some people read through the Psalms. Some people the Proverbs. (There are 31 Proverbs… one for every day of the month) What’s your Bible reading plan?
- PRAYER. What is your prayer life like? You should read the Bible with an attitude of prayer. “Lord, what is it that YOU want to say to me today,” but there ought to be other components of prayer as well. We are all different and the key is to find what works for you. I keep a prayer journal that I glance at and pray several times a day. I think it’s also important for husbands and wives to have a time of prayer both with themselves and their children. My wife and I wouldn’t think about going to bed without praying together. The other day I had one of my kids call me wanting prayer and it just absolutely touched my heart. The Core Coffee house has been known to STOP everything to pray for ANYONE that comes into their store for prayer. We had a visitor last Sunday that told me that THAT was the reason he came to church.
- WORSHIP. Worship is a lifestyle that glorifies God and we can worship at all times and in all places, but I’m convinced that their needs to be some built in times in our day that we can shut the world out to WORSHIP and realign our spirit to the Holy Spirit. I don’t know what this might look like for you, but for me it’s shutting the door, getting my guitar out and singing with reckless abandon to the Lord. There’s a lot of truth to that old familiar line to the gospel song that says, “Let’s forget about ourselves and magnify the Lord and worship Him.” Worship gives life perspective.
- GIVING. God is a giver and not a taker. We are never more like Christ than when we give because God is a giver. So make a commitment to be in some regular act of giving to Christian service. Make it part of your budget. I would hope that you would support your church, but don’t limit your giving to just the church. There are many worthwhile places to give including the Core (YES, I’m plugging their ministry)
- ACTS OF SERVICE. Romans 12:1 says, “I urge you therefore brethren by the mercies of God to present your body a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God WHICH IS YOUR SPIRITUAL ACT OF SERVICE.” I mentioned last Sunday that I’m convinced that God puts the poor and the oppressed in our lives for a reason because as we minister to them, it’s like were ministering to Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 25 that “as surely as you’ve done it unto the least of these you’ve done it unto Me.” So make a commitment to do at least one selfless act of service everyday and one major act of service every week and watch what it does to your soul.
My prayer for all of us that is that God would use these SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES to take is to the next level spiritually because if you’re not growing spiritually… your dying.
Shalom,
Bill