The rubber meets the road when it comes to observing our spiritual disciplines. Do we genuinely believe the truth of the Holy Scriptures? Do we faithfully desire to obey Jesus? Will any of this make a difference? Undoubtedly, some form of these questions arises to our mind when engaging with spiritual disciplines. For me, this has been an area for me to humbly cry as the loving father in Mark 9:24 cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Personally, I strive to take II Peter 1:5-7 seriously and quite literally (“make every effort to support your faith […]”). That said, I am just as broken as anyone, succumbing to even the silliest of temptations and distractions. Presently, eight of my primary spiritual disciplines are – beginning with the usual suspects – prayer, the Holy Scriptures, fasting, silence and solitude, stewardship, worship and thanksgiving, learning, and serving. First, with prayer, I practice this daily. Usually, I strive to make this the very first thing I do upon waking, along with reading the Bible. Likewise, I use
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Typically, my regular, weekly fasting usually consists of giving up breakfast and lunch on Wednesdays. Fasting during Lent varies. For example, last year I gave up dinner. Additionally, my fasting entails a form of remembrance of my dependence upon God. However, one of the areas in which I felt challenged by Whitney was his push for Christians to consider and have a purpose in their fasting. Fasting can easily become “what I do,” losing the richness of drawing closer to Christ through focused prayer and meditation. Furthermore, as it relates especially to a Lenten fast, I valued Whitney’s words regarding fasting and our longing for Christ’s return: “Fasting sometimes seems the only way to answer the ache in our hearts for the consummation of all things, for the time when we are at last with God and all things are restored, made new, and made
Typically, my regular, weekly fasting usually consists of giving up breakfast and lunch on Wednesdays. Fasting during Lent varies. For example, last year I gave up dinner. Additionally, my fasting entails a form of remembrance of my dependence upon God. However, one of the areas in which I felt challenged by Whitney was his push for Christians to consider and have a purpose in their fasting. Fasting can easily become “what I do,” losing the richness of drawing closer to Christ through focused prayer and meditation. Furthermore, as it relates especially to a Lenten fast, I valued Whitney’s words regarding fasting and our longing for Christ’s return: “Fasting sometimes seems the only way to answer the ache in our hearts for the consummation of all things, for the time when we are at last with God and all things are restored, made new, and made