[Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series on the Spiritual Disciplines.] Let's talk briefly about the motivation for engaging in the Spiritual Disciplines. Why engage in these practices? What do they promise or offer? Donald Whitney (2014) begins his book with this reminder: “Discipline without direction is drudgery” (p. 1). He gives the illustration … [Read more...] about Promise of the Disciplines
Who Forgives All Your Iniquity
Psalm 103:3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases What wonderful news! The Lord forgives and heals. Forgiveness If you turn to him, confess your sin, and request His help, He will grant it to you gladly! He will forgive all your iniquity. “Iniquity” is not a word we use much in everyday speech, but its use here is important because it … [Read more...] about Who Forgives All Your Iniquity
Origin of the Disciplines
[Editor's Note: This post is part of a series on the Spiritual Disciplines.] In a previous post, we listed the spiritual disciplines as they have been presented by others. But where did these various practices come from? Are they just good ideas from modern pastors and authors? Or are their origins more significant than that? The short answer is that the spiritual … [Read more...] about Origin of the Disciplines
Forget Not His Benefits
Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits… What is the opposite of blessing the Lord? Here, the opposite is not cursing him but forgetting his benefits. Remembering all the Lord’s benefits leads to blessing and praising his name. It is an inevitable outcome. If you are spiritually downcast, the solution is not to simply “cheer up” but to fix … [Read more...] about Forget Not His Benefits
Introduction to Spiritual Disciplines
In this series of posts, we will be talking about Spiritual Disciplines. We begin at the beginning... What are Spiritual Disciplines? Spiritual Disciplines are the patterns, practices, and habits that help us grow in our knowledge and experience of God and in His likeness. When we think of spiritual practices, we often think of reading the Bible and … [Read more...] about Introduction to Spiritual Disciplines