Spiritual Disciplines: An Introduction
What are Spiritual Disciplines? They are everyday activities that allow you to enhance your spirituality.
In short they are the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of cultivating spirituality, spiritual awakening; examples include prayer, attending church, meditation, fasting and silence.
The ultimate goal is practising these disciplines are to walk along the path and to achieve spiritual enlightenment: the path to become closer to God.
This path is often referred to as liberation, salvation, intimacy or union (with God) Spiritual Disciplines are broken down into two categories: Personal disciplines are those that each individual should develop for him or herself.
All of the common spiritual disciplines can be done individually i.
e.
prayer, fasting, meditation.
Corporate disciplines are ones that the entire church body can do together.
A lot of the spiritual disciplines can also be done with the entire church as well, this is at you and your church's discretion but prayer is a good example of a corporate discipline, as well as a personal discipline.
By definition, spiritual disciplines are (but are not limited to): 1) Repetitive actions driven by spiritual decisions rather than natural environmental reactions.
2) Deliberately self-induced behaviours that nurture spiritual health and fosters spiritual growth leading to maturity with God.
3) Deliberately self-induced actions to alter existing life and thought patterns, thereby breaking the normal cycle of life and breaking the focus on intimacy with God.
4) Spiritual exercises to develop "Sacred Rhythms" to engage in intentional spirituality in the pursuit of intimacy with God.
Why they are called Spiritual Disciplines: 1) They are not the natural intuitive thing to do.
2) You need to make a conscious choice to engage in them, they are not what something you would do of your own accord.
3) There will times where you don't feel like doing what is necessary for your spiritual health.
However disciplines provide stability and structure in order to carry you through those times you wish to ignore your spiritual health.
Spiritual Disciplines are a personal choice-only you can choose to undertake them at your own pace, but if done correctly you will feel closer to God than ever before.
This is something you may need to think about carefully because it is a long journey which will not be easy to undertake.
This site has been intended with the design to educate about spiritual disciplines, as well as direct you to quality products, should you want access to more information or materials to practise these disciplines.
In short they are the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of cultivating spirituality, spiritual awakening; examples include prayer, attending church, meditation, fasting and silence.
The ultimate goal is practising these disciplines are to walk along the path and to achieve spiritual enlightenment: the path to become closer to God.
This path is often referred to as liberation, salvation, intimacy or union (with God) Spiritual Disciplines are broken down into two categories: Personal disciplines are those that each individual should develop for him or herself.
All of the common spiritual disciplines can be done individually i.
e.
prayer, fasting, meditation.
Corporate disciplines are ones that the entire church body can do together.
A lot of the spiritual disciplines can also be done with the entire church as well, this is at you and your church's discretion but prayer is a good example of a corporate discipline, as well as a personal discipline.
By definition, spiritual disciplines are (but are not limited to): 1) Repetitive actions driven by spiritual decisions rather than natural environmental reactions.
2) Deliberately self-induced behaviours that nurture spiritual health and fosters spiritual growth leading to maturity with God.
3) Deliberately self-induced actions to alter existing life and thought patterns, thereby breaking the normal cycle of life and breaking the focus on intimacy with God.
4) Spiritual exercises to develop "Sacred Rhythms" to engage in intentional spirituality in the pursuit of intimacy with God.
Why they are called Spiritual Disciplines: 1) They are not the natural intuitive thing to do.
2) You need to make a conscious choice to engage in them, they are not what something you would do of your own accord.
3) There will times where you don't feel like doing what is necessary for your spiritual health.
However disciplines provide stability and structure in order to carry you through those times you wish to ignore your spiritual health.
Spiritual Disciplines are a personal choice-only you can choose to undertake them at your own pace, but if done correctly you will feel closer to God than ever before.
This is something you may need to think about carefully because it is a long journey which will not be easy to undertake.
This site has been intended with the design to educate about spiritual disciplines, as well as direct you to quality products, should you want access to more information or materials to practise these disciplines.
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