7 Spiritual Disciplines to Try This Year

When we talk about spiritual disciplines, we mean “those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ,” as Donald Whitney has said. 

Spiritual disciplines are not only a way to glorify God, but they are also tools that God gives us to grow in our relationship with Him. In practicing spiritual disciplines, our goal is not just to pray more or spend more time reading our Bibles. Rather, our goal is to grow closer to Jesus, knowing and loving Him more.

But where to start? For new believers (or even those of us who have been around for some time!), it can be intimidating to try something new. In today's blog post, our goal is to make the spiritual disciplines straightforward and for you to feel excited about giving one or more a try this year. While we're not covering every practice here, we hope this is just a place to get started—a launching-off point for a lifetime of faithful growth!

Prayer

What is it: Prayer is talking with God—a direct address to the Creator of the universe and every creature within it. Prayer can be audible or silent, done in private or with others, using formal or casual language, with the believer's own words or by borrowing the language of scripture or prayers from the faithful throughout history.

Why: As Christians, we believe God is the only one who can truly meet all our needs. We know Him as a kind and generous giver, a Father who is at work on our behalf for our care, provision, and good. What an amazing opportunity that we get to speak to Him, and be assured that He is listening and cares deeply! Prayer also helps us remember who God is and who we are, a welcome reminder that we are not in control and we are not left alone in a world that can often feel scary, broken, and uncertain.

How to get started: Before each meal, offer a prayer of thanksgiving—for the food, for the people you're seated beside, for a God who cares about your practical needs and meets them, for the God who provides abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.

Take it to the next level:

Choose one or more of these suggestions to grow in your prayer life: 

• Pray out loud in front of others, even if it feels intimidating.
• Use the ACTS acronym to round out your prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
• Ask a friend how you can pray for them and then pray over them right in the moment.
• Kneel while praying to begin and/or end your day.
• Set alarms on your phone to remind you to pray throughout the day.
• Pray through a passage of scripture, praying God's words to us in the Bible back to Him. (Try John 15:1-4 if you need somewhere to start!)
• Write down your prayer requests.
• Pray for something that feels too big or even impossible.

Fasting

What is it: Fasting is anything given up temporarily in order to focus our attention on God. In the Bible, we see this most commonly done by abstaining from food for a set time, but fasting from social media, television, sweets, or anything else we lean on in place of God could be worthwhile.

Why: Fasting helps illuminate the places where we have found satisfaction, validation, and purpose apart from God. Instead of relying on the pleasures of this world, we allow our hearts to hunger for God, reminding ourselves that He alone can truly satisfy us. Fasting reminds us that this world is not our home, and that that is a good thing.

How to get started: If your health and circumstances allow it, try fasting from food for a set amount of time (perhaps going without breakfast and lunch one day). Notice what feelings come up and what urges come out. In moments of challenge, turn to the Lord in prayer or by reading scripture. Throughout, do your best to maintain a joyful spirit and humble attitude instead of grumbling, complaining, or making a big show of what you're doing.

Take it to the next level: Set up a regular rhythm of fasting. Try fasting one day a week, one day a month, or consistently in a particular season (like Lent). Invite a friend to do it with you for support and accountability.

Feasting

What is it: For Christians, feasting is intentionally celebrating God’s goodness, provision, and kindness. It often serves as a counterpart to fasting. 

Why: Rather than just indulging in food, feasting is a deliberate practice of joy, gratitude, and communal gathering that highlights God's grace even in a world that often feels sad and broken. It gives an enticing vision of God's kingdom to those participating and those watching from the sidelines. By inviting others into our feasting, we can show them the joy of the Lord in action.

How to get started: Choose one night a week or one night a month to set aside as a feast. Prepare a favorite meal, pour a special drink or serve a special dessert, then go around the table and let everyone share a recent instance of where they've seen God move, how they've felt His love, or a gift of His they're grateful for.

Take it to the next level: Pull up a few more chairs and invite another family into the celebration!

Tithing

What is it: Tithing is the Christian practice of giving a portion of your income for the work of ministry and to those in need, most often through the local church. 10% is often held up as a guideline based on Old Testament scripture.

Why: As Christians, we believe everything we have is a gift from God, entrusted to us to create good in the world and care for others, including those who spiritually care for us. It makes sense to return at least a portion of what God has given us to further His work. The practice of tithing also helps us push back against our instincts to hoard what we have, grasping for control, and helps us live as free, generous, and joyful people.

How to get started: If you are not currently giving money to your local church, begin! Do the math to figure out the percentage of your income that you are currently giving—not out of fear, guilt, or pride, but to establish a baseline from which to grow over time.

Take it to the next level: 

Choose one or more of these suggestions to grow in your journey of generosity: 

• Increase the percentage of your income you give.
• If you currently tithe, consider giving above and beyond 10% to other ministries and causes that help create God's kingdom on Earth.
• Teach your children about tithing and invite them into the practice.
• Celebrate God's faithfulness and all the ways He has provided for you, your family, and your church community.

Corporate Worship

What is it: Corporate worship means to gather with a community of local believers, where every element of the service is a way of responding to God's character: singing, yes, but also hearing His Word, confessing our sins, engaging warmly with the people around us, and taking communion. 

Why: The author of Hebrews urges us not to neglect meeting together with other believers. Worshiping with others helps us to grow and mature in ways that would be more difficult to do on our own, ultimately helping us to better fulfill the greatest commandments of loving God and loving our neighbors.

How to get started: If you don't currently have a church home, start there! We have some tips for how to find a new church right here.

Take it to the next level: Depending on the tradition in which you grew up, worshipping with your whole body, mind, and spirit might feel a bit uncomfortable. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and express your love for God in a new way: singing with more volume, perhaps, or lifting your hands in praise.

Reading and Studying God's Word

What is it: As Christians, we believe God's Word is revealed to us in the Bible. To read and study scripture means to regularly take time to read the Bible, understand what it is saying, and meditate on what we've learned.

Why: The Bible, a unified story that leads to Jesus, is the primary avenue we have to know God—and therefore, to grow in our love for Him. When we read and study His Word, we are convicted, comforted, and encouraged. When we come to it in humility, seeking not a reflection of our beliefs or for our will to be done, but to live out as best we can the truths and commands we find in it, we are transformed from the inside out.

How to get started: Write the Word® journals were specifically designed for newcomers to faith. They make it easy to get right into the Word, even if you've never read the Bible or have no experience! Choose a theme that appeals to you and dig in.

Take it to the next level:

Choose one or more of these suggestions to grow as a student of God's Word: 

• Establish a habit of reading scripture each day.
• Listen to the Bible through an app like YouVersion or Dwell.
• Commit to a reading plan (YouVersion has many free options) or a Bible study.

Silence and Solitude

What is it: To practice silence and solitude is to intentionally quiet yourself and withdraw for a time, uninterrupted by people, noise, social media, or any other distraction.

Why: The spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude are hugely countercultural, but they can provide many real benefits. When we turn down the volume on normal life and set aside our usual distractions, it is easier to hear God's voice and turn to Him instead of looking for comfort elsewhere. We also seek out silence and solitude because it's what Jesus did: he habitually withdrew to quiet places alone, rising early in the morning or leaving behind crowds. Practicing silence and solitude can make us more even-keeled, thoughtful, slower to anger, and patient and attentive with others.

How to get started: Choose a time when you are already alone and would normally fill the silence. Instead of turning on music, a podcast, or an audiobook, commit to quiet. Pray or let your mind wander.

Take it to the next level: Set aside time each week for silence when you would previously have reached for noise.

Friends, we'd love to hear: What spiritual discipline are you most interested in exploring this year? Let us know in the comments!

P.S. To help any spiritual discipline grow into a habit, we highly recommend the PowerSheets® goal planner! With space to track daily, weekly, and monthly goals, it's an ideal companion for spiritual growth.