Discovering Spiritual Disciplines Part 1
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Discovering
SpiritualDisciplines
Part 1
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What is Spiritual Discipline?
1. Intentional Practices that help us open to God
2. Tools to break free from bondages
3. Discipline for the purpose ofgodliness
What Spiritual Discipline is not?
1. Salvation
2. Law
3. Fix
4. Accumulating Grace
5. A test of God
How do we practice Spiritual Discipline?
1.Desire
2. Flexible
3. Be Open
4. Reflect
5. Surrender
Romans 12:1-2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your
spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
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Practicing Spiritual Disciplines following W.O.R.S.H.I.P
WorshipHuman are made to worship. We are devoted to something whether we are
aware or not. However, only God can satisfy our longing of worship.
Discipline of Worship put us into a place to be receptive and responsive to
the Holy Spirit.
Open myself to GodWhen developing relationship, it is essential that we notice the presence of
the other party. However, in reality we can be so preoccupied with so many
things and forgot about God. Discipline to open myself to God put us into a
place to be aware of God in our daily life.
Relinquish the false self and idols of my heart
God created us in His image. We are wonderfully and beautifully made.However, due to the circumstances of life, our true self was not accepted or
wanted. As a result, we hide our true self under other things which became
the idols in our heart. Discipline of relinquish the false self and idols put us
into a place of dependence of God only.
Share my life with others
Our spiritual life is not only for ourselves. God has design us that we are tolive in a community. As we interact with one another, we will experience
Gods love among us. Christian life is a journey of a community. It takes
authenticity, risk and hard ship to share our life with others. Discipline of
sharing my life with others will put us into a place of embracing others just
as Christ embraced us.
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Hear the word of GodGod is a good who communicate with His people. Throughout the ages God
spoke through the Word. We need His Word for living. Our God speak
through different mediums including the Bible, people around us, the
situation we are in, verbal voice that we can hear and our mind. There is no
new revelation today, because God has already given us the full revelation of
His grace in the Bible. Discipline of hearing the word of God will put us into
a place of openness to truth and faith nurturing.
Incarnate Christs love for the worldJesus Christ demonstrated Gods love throughout His life time on earth. At
the same time, Jesus called his disciples to show this love to others. As Jesus
lives in us, our capacity to love grows. Therefore, we need to respond to the
call of Christ, to show Gods love to others as well. Discipline of incarnate
Christs love for the world put us into a place to be open to Gods heart.
Pray to GodOur prayer describes our relationship with God. Prayer helps us to attend to
God throughout the day. Prayer opens us to divine dialogue. Prayer is the way
to both the heart of God and the heart of the world. Discipline of pray to God
put us into a place to commune with God.
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The Temptations in Practicing Spiritual Discipline
Compare yourself to others
Think you are further along than you really are
Turn a spiritual discipline into a legalistic requirement
Substitute the means for the end
The Struggles in Practicing Spiritual Discipline
The Philosophical Mind
The Practical of Spiritual Discipline
Practicing Spiritual Discipline as a Community
With God
With Other People
With Yourself
Key for Practicing Spiritual Discipline
Led by the Holy Spirit
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Celebration
Definition of Celebration
Our heart in the attitude of worship, praise and thanksgiving
Our body respond to God in various actions that orient our spirit to worship,
praise and thanksgiving
Exercise our ability to see and feel goodness in the simplest gift of God.
Living in obedient to the Lord
Totally rely unto God, casting all our worries to Him
Purpose of Celebration
It brings joy & strength into our life Help us to relax and experience Gods fullness in our life
Help us to cultivate a heart of gratitude appreciate people, world, Words
and Gods purposes
Help us to live above our circumstances of life
Help us to break away from the mundane and negativity of life
Help us to appreciate life and break free from the temptation of being busy
Precaution of Celebration
Avoid kind of celebrations that really celebrate nothing
Avoid faking your celebration when your inner heart is not
Scriptures of Celebration
Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 16:7,9,11; Psalm 47:1; Psalm 139:14
Practicing Celebration
1. Begin now. Let today be a day of Celebration. A Day of no worries totallysubmitted to the Lord. Appreciate every moment of your life today, with
gratitude in your heart. Let today be Gods day.
2. Identify the place you most readily connect with God. Is it in nature?
Listening to Christian music? Participating in corporate worship? Solitude?
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Go to that place. What do you want to tell God about the joy you receive
there?
3. Intentionally place yourself in the presence of God. Recall all of Gods gifts,
provisions, guidance and love toward you. To celebrate Gods grace to you,write a song of celebration, make a collage that represent your joy, write a
poem of praise, play music and dance before the Lord, or memorize a verse
of praise and repeat it all through the coming days.
4. Familiarize yourself with the church calendar. Consider ways you can go all-
out in your celebration of Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent, Christmas,
Epiphany and All Saints Day. Plan a way of celebrating God alone or with
friends.
5. If you are not familiar with the festival of the church, set aside a day a week
for celebration. You may also consider take a few days of to take a break
from your daily life. Take a few days to celebrate with God.
6. Give yourself all-out in celebration during every Church Worship Service.
Let yourself break free from the rigid form of praise. Dance, sing, shout and
make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
7. Attend to the people who give you joy. Ask God how you might celebrate
them in a way that encourages them.
8. Plan to celebrate someones birthday, Mothers Day or Fathers Day in a
way that reminds the person of how precious he or she is to you and to God.
9. Consider how God loves you. Read Zephaniah 3:17. Then be still and listen.
How is God celebrating you? Celebrate the God who celebrates you.
Intentionally ask for the gift of appreciating yourself the way God does.
10.At the end of the days, count your blessing. Allow the joy of the Lord fillyour heart and sing to the Lord a song of gratitude.
11.Change your perspectives to Biblical perspective. Let God use your pain to
turn it into a blessing.
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Reflection Questions
1. Where are you most prone to celebrate God? Alone? With others? In
worship? In music? In nature?
What does this tell you about how God made you and how you most
naturally meet with him?
2. How is your celebration enhanced or curtailed by your ability to remember
the past live in the moment or anticipate the future?
3. When you see others celebrating God in a way that is new or foreign to you,
what goes on in your mind and heart?
4. If there is heaviness about you, an overly serious side or an entrenched
critical spirit, how might celebrating God affect these traits and move you
into new areas of transformation?
5. Who do you know who really celebrates life and God?
6. What attracts you to them?
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Simplicity
Definition of Simplicity
The art of letting go To uncomplicated and untangle my life so that we can focus on what really
matters
Three inner attitudes:
1. To receive what we have as a gift from God.
2. To know that it is Gods business to care for what we have.
3. To have our goods available for others.
Ten outward Expressions:
1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all buy now, pay later schemes.
8. Obey Jesus instructions about plain honest speech.
9. Reject anything that will breed the oppression of others.
10.Shun whatever would distract you from your main goal.
Purpose of Simplicity
To help us appreciate the basic of our life
To focus the unity of our life
To break free from the desire of adding more
Precaution of Simplicity
Simplicity need to be an inward reality and results in an outward lifestyle
Do not be legalistic as we force our outward lifestyle to be simple
The central focus of simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God and the
righteousness of His kingdom first
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Scripture for Simplicity
Matthew 5:37; Matthew 619-21; Mark 10:21; Philippians 4:11-12;
Ecclesiastes 7:39
Practicing Celebration
Ask God to help you speak the simple truth. Practice speaking simply no
double meanings or half-truths that put you in the best light. Let this practice
help you become aware of when you rationalize, deny, blame and spin.
Uncomplicated your life by choosing few areas in which you wish to
practice letting go. Clean out the garage, basement, closet or attic. Go on a
simple vacation. Eat more simply. What is this like for you?
Intentionally limits your choices. Do you need six different kinds of
breakfast cereal, hundreds of TV channels or four tennis rackets? What is it
like to limits your choices? Does it feel free, or do want and envy surface?
Talk to God about this.
If someone admires something of yours, give it away. Find out just how
attached you are to your things. What is that like for you?
If you can get where you need to go by walking rather than driving, try
walking.
Make a catalog of all the gadgets you have in your home, from thedishwasher to the lawnmower. Which gadgets have made you freer? Which
could you share? Which could you get rid of and not really miss?
Where have you complicated your life with God? Consider what actually
brings you into the presence of Christ. Spend time there.
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Solitude
Definition of Solitude Being alone with God
Fundamental Spiritual Discipline that moves us from the business of the
world to the presence of God.
It is not a place but a state of mind and heart
Purpose of Solitude
Help us to uncover our true self before God
Breaking free from the addiction to the voices of the world
Overcoming the emptiness of our heart Aloneness Help us to quite down and be attentive to God
Precaution of Solitude
Do not be legalistic with the outward practice
It is not total absent of speech, but to speak when necessary (control your
tongue)
Be aware of The Dark Night of The Soul spiritual dryness
Scripture for Solitude Mark 1:35; 1 Kings 19:11; Lamentations 3:28
Practicing Solitude
Take advantage of the little solitude that fills our day. Use the time you are
alone with God. Have your devotion in silent before God.
Try to do deeds without any explanation. Try not to justify your action for a
week. Allow God to be your justifier. Try to speak less and mean what youspeak.
In a place where you cant be interrupted, intentionally place yourself in the
presence of God. Simply be alone with God. Carry the sense of being alone
with God with you into the next thing.
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Spend fifteen minutes or more alone with God. You can do an activity if you
wish; walk, run, drive, iron. Dedicate the time ahead of you to God. After
the time is up, consider how it was for you to be alone with God. Was it
hard? Good? Did God speak to you in any way?
Make the time you spend in the shower each morning your alone time with
God. Present yourself to your Creator all of your body, all of the dirt that
has accumulated in your soul, all that God has made you to be. Let the water
from the shower remind you of the water of life that nourishes and changes
you. Let the warmth touch you with love. If you like a cold shower, let the
bracing impact call you to live your life to the full. Offer yourself to God for
the day. Thank him for the alone time he spends with you.
Set aside half a day for time alone with God. Go to a retreat center, quiet
chapel or park. Dont stay in your home. Take only your bible.
Reflection Questions
How and when do you resist or avoid being alone?
What tends to pop into your mind when you are alone?
What do you resort to doing when alone?
What troubles you felt makes you antsy about being alone?
When have you felt most comfortable being alone? Most uncomfortable?
What sense of God do you have when you are alone?
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Community
Definition of Community Christian community exists when believers connect with each other in
authentic and loving ways that encourage growth in Christ. They engage in
transparent relationship that cultivate, celebrate and make evident Christs
love for all the world.
To express and reflect the self-donating love of the Trinity by investing in
and journeying with others.
Purpose of Community
Help us to cultivate kingdom minded on earth. Allow us to incarnate Gods love with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Break free from self-centeredness and learn to live as a community
Precaution of Community
It is not a utilitarian concept
Practice within the context of your church, small group or covenant groups.
Scripture for Community
1 Timothy 3:14-15; Colossians 3:15-16
Practicing Community
Choose one:
o Love one another
o Encourage one another
o Bear one anothers
burdens
o Care for one another
o Accept one another
o Be kind to one another
o Live in harmony with
one another
o Forgive one another
o Be hospitable to one
another
o Honor one another
o Belong to one another
o Be devoted to one
another
o Speak truthfully to one
another
o Teach one another
o Agree with one another
o Look out for one another
o Worship with one another
o Lay down your lives for
one another
o Do not provoke one
another
o Do not grumble against
one another
o Do not envy one another
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Practice living one particular one another every day for a week. What is
this practice like for you?
Join a community program in your church outdoor or indoor games, housevisitation, hospital visitation, spring cleaning.
Ask someone to tell you their story. Listen to the story as deeply as you can.
Tell the person how much it means to you to hear the story. How does the
story give you a deeper understanding of your friend, of God and of
yourself?
Include others in family gatherings. Practice what it is to belong to Gods
family not just your nuclear family.
Begin a thank-you list. Thank God for the people in your life who have
helped you grow. Write a song or poem about Gods good gift of family.
If you have something against a brother or sister in Christ, go to that person
and make peace with them. Meditate on Romans 12:18. Journal your
response.
Join a church, a small group, a mission group. Become part of a community
of faith and see how this imparts Christ to you in new and deep ways.
Reflection Questions
What is appealing or unappealing to you about being an independent
operator?
How do you respond to the words:
o
Dependento Independent
o Interdependent
How does your response affect your experience of Christian community?
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What kind of connection does Christ want you to have with Christian
brothers and sisters?
How does the life you are leading reflect the value Christ places on
belonging to the family of God?
When has the body of Christ nurtured and sustained you? What was it like
for you?
What gifts do you bring to the body of Christ?
Devotional Reading
Definition of Devotional Reading
Taking a passage of the Bible, prayerfully meditating on it until the HolySpirit shows you a way to apply its truth to your own life in a way that is
personal, practical, possible, and measurable.
The aimed is to growing a relationship with God rather than gathering
information about God
Purpose of Devotional Reading
Help us to experience the Word
Help us to build relationship with God
Help us to live undivided life
Precaution of Devotional Reading
Be consistent
Sit relax, not tense or slouched
Be systematic in choosing the text
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Try to use clean Bible without notes
Keep it brief, not too long
Scripture for Devotional Reading
Psalm 119:36, 97, 103, 111; Hebrews 4:12-13, Deuteronomy 30:14
Practicing Devotional Reading
5 Steps of Devotional Reading
o Silent
o Read
o Meditate
o Respond
o Contemplate
Choose a special place. Reserve this place as a regular meeting place withGod. Choose a special time. Give your best time to the Lord.
Using Mark 10:46-52
o Put yourself in the presence of God. Become quiet and offer yourself
to God.
o Read Mark 10:46-42 out loud, slowly allowing the words to resonate
and settle in your heart. Linger on the word or phrase that catches
your attention and lights up for you. Sit with the word or phrase and
savor it as a word of God for you.
o Read the passage again and listen to where the word connects with
your life right now. Enter into the scene in your imagination.
Imagination is a God-given gift. Envision the scene. Carefully watch
the people. Listen to how they interact. What do you hear and
experience as you watch and listen?
o Read the passage one more time, listening attentively. Has God
addressed you in this Word and invited you to respond? Allow the
Scripture to lead you into a prayer response. Do not censure your
thoughts or requests. Let them flow out spontaneously and freely
before the Lord who loves you. Hold nothing back. Respond to Gods
invitation to you. Reflect upon your life, see if there is any where inyour life that you can apply the Word.
o Deeply receive Gods Word and rest in his presence and love. Give
yourself some time to wait and be still before you reenter life as usual.
Take Gods Word to you with you throughout the day. Return to it
and remember it all day long. Stay with God until you feel prompted
to leave. Try to memorize the verse God had spoken to you.
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When reading the Scripture, try to insert your name into the pronouns that
stand for you. What is it like for you to read Scripture this personal way? For
example, try it with Isaiah 43:1-3.
Reflection Questions
How has your faith journey been characterized by a head-heart split?
How has Gods love moved from being a matter of belief to a real and lived
experience?
How would you characterize the way you tend to read?
How has the way you read Scripture been influenced by reading habits in
general?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of scanning and hurrying through
material in search of the main idea?
How and when have the Scripture been the voice of God to you?
How have they brought you in to the presence of Christ?
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Compassion
Definition of Compassion Feeling with and for others as well as extending mercy and help to them in
extravagantly practical ways.
Putting yourself in another persons shoe.
Caring with love.
Purpose of Compassion
To fulfill the passion of Jesus Christ.
To show the love of Christ to the world.
To become the vessel for God to use in healing the broken hearted.
Precaution of Compassion
Practice compassion with wisdom.
Constantly aware the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture for Compassion
Mark 1:41
Matthew 15:32
1 Peter 3:8-9
Practicing Compassion
Become quite and still. Bring yourself before God and ask God to let you
feel His passion. Mediate the journey to the cross. Feel for Jesus, what is it
like for Him to be abandoned by those he counted on? What is it like for
Jesus to be alone on the cross, feeling the pain and shame. What desire
drives Jesus to the cross?
Take a moment to reflect situations that had happened in your life. Reflect
how you respond to negative emotions such as anger, denial, blame,
withdrawal, depression, etc. How did moments of compassion come or notcome into these moments? Pray to God on what you see.
Choose one way you can show compassion to someone this week. After you
have done so, talk so someone about what it was like for you to do this.
Draw up a list of the people who services you receive: teacher, pastors,
caretakers, and so on. Next to each name write down any needs you know
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they have (e.g., physical, personal, financial, etc.) What is God calling you
to do? Listen, journal, act.
Consider the non-believer in your community. Choose one of them. What do
they need? What do they have to give? Where is God calling you to walk in
his compassion?
Reflection Questions
When is compassion deserved or undeserved?
What attitudes and emotions surface when you relate to emotionally needy
or dysfunctional people?
What experiences in your past make it easy or difficult to be compassionate
with yourself?
Do you think the attitude that people just need to work harder and show
more initiative in order to get on in life affects relationship? How?
What is it like for you when people are compassionate toward you?
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Fasting
Definition of Fasting To let go of an appetite in order to seek God.
Self-denial of normal necessity to seek God.
To learn self-control.
Purpose of Fasting
Fasting is for God, not for our own needs.
Fasting help us to keep a balance in life.
Fasting help us to break free from things that control us.
Fasting deals with our obsession, fantasies, desires, and possessive attitude.
Precaution of Fasting
Dont fast when you are sick, traveling, pregnant or nursing. People with
diabetes, gout, liver disease, kidney disease, ulcers, hypoglycemia, caner and
blood disease should not fast.
Dont fast if you are in a hurry and are fasting for immediate results
regarding decision. Fasting is not magic.
Listen for a nudging from God to fast.
Stay hydrated. Always drink plenty of water and fluids. If you are new to fasting, begin by fasting for one meal. Spend the time with
God that you would normally be eating.
Work up to longer fasts. Dont attempt prolonged fasts without guidance.
Check with your doctor before attempting long periods of fasting.
If you decide to fast regularly, give your body time to adjust to new rhythms
of eating. You may feel more tired on the days you fast. Adjust your
responsibilities appropriately. (Expect your tongue to feel coated, and expect
to have bad breath).
Begin a fast after supper. Fast until supper the next day. This way you misstwo, rather than three meals.
Dont break your fast with a huge meal. Eat small portions of food. The
longer the fast, the more you need to break the fast gently.
Scripture for Fasting
Matthew 6:16-18, Isaiah 58:6-7
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Practicing Fasting
What to do in the time set apart for fasting:
o Bring your Bible and a glass of water during your fast.
o
Relax and breathe deeply. Place yourself in the presence of God.Offer yourself and your time to God by prayer.
o Spend some time worshiping God for his faithfulness. Thank him for
where he has come through for you. Psalm 103:1-5 also provides a
starting point for praise.
o Bring your desires to God. Ask him if this desire is in line with his
will and his word for you and the church. Be still and listen. Offer
your desires and prayers to God.
Fast one meal a week. Spend your mealtime in prayer. When you feel
hungry, pray to Jesus about your self-denial.
For a period of one week, fast from media, sports, shopping, reading or use
of the computer. Dedicate the time you now have to God. What feelings
arise in you? What thoughts interrupt your prayer?
Reflection Questions
When you feel empty or restless, what do you do to try to fill the emptiness?
What does this tell you about your heart?
What is your attitude toward fasting or self-denial?
In what ways do you currently deny yourself?
When has self-denial brought you something good?
What has the experience of fasting been like for you?
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