Spiritual Disciplines: How To Make Them Stick
Think of all the things that you do on a daily basis. Many of these things you don’t really want to do, but you’ve made them a part of your daily life because you recognize that they are good for you and they benefit you in the long run.
So how do we get to a place where spiritual disciplines of prayer, bible reading, worship, and fasting are a regular part of our lives? Here are some handy, practical tips for getting those spiritual disciplines to stick.
TIP #1: SET REMINDERS ON YOUR PHONE
When you schedule dinner with a friend you probably put that on your calendar, so that you remember to show up. If you take medication, you probably set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to take it.
Feel free to use technology tools to remind yourself to keep your appointments with God.
Do you want to read your Bible more? Set yourself a reminder each night to read.
Do you want to fast once a month? You’d better put that fast day on your calendar or you will be very unlikely to remember. 📆
TIP #2: ASSOCIATE A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE WITH AN EXISTING DAILY HABIT
One sure way to turn a spiritual discipline into a daily habit is connecting it with a habit that you already have!
Maybe you watch or read the news every morning. You could decide that you will also read a chapter of Psalms right after that daily activity.
If you like to have a quiet cup of tea at night to unwind before bed, you could attach your prayer time to your tea time! ☕
Do you drive to work each morning? You could choose to start your daily drive by listening to a devotional podcast.
You get the idea. Whatever habits you already have established in your life can be an anchor for habits that you want to establish in your life.
TIP #3: ENLIST AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
When you were a child, your parent likely asked you every single morning, “Did you brush your teeth?” Now you do it on your own without any reminders (we hope 😁).
Starting off establishing a habit might require you to enlist some outside help. If you have determined that you want to pray every day, share that goal with someone else. Ask a friend to partner with you to send you daily reminders or to check on you once a week to see how you did. They won’t need to do this forever, maybe just for a few weeks until you establish a pattern.
God gave us each other for a reason. And there’s no shame in leaning on each other for help. 🤝
FINAL TIP: GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE
Our relationship with God is not based on checking off daily or weekly lists. It’s about making space in our lives to experience the presence of God and hear his voice loving us and leading us to be more like Him.
Regular spiritual habits help us to keep our relationship with God strong. But there will be times when you miss an appointment with God. Just remember:
“His mercies are new every morning. ”