We’re invited into a life that goes beyond religious routine. Spiritual formation is learning to live deeply with God—moment by moment, thought by thought, step by step. But that leads us to a practical question:
Okay, how do we actually spend time with God?
Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline gives us twelve timeless practices—habits that have helped generations of Christ-followers draw near to God. These disciplines shape us from the inside out.
Let’s look at them together. Not as a checklist, but as a rhythm. Not just as ancient practices, but as present invitations.
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Inward Disciplines
These guide our private life with God. They help us grow in depth, honesty, and awareness.
1. Meditation
What it is: Listening to God through Scripture and stillness.
Why it matters: Meditation helps us slow down and let God’s Word speak to us personally.
Try this: Read one verse slowly. Reflect. Repeat it out loud. Let it linger. Listen in the silence.
2. Prayer
What it is: Direct communication with God—speaking, listening, groaning, praising.
Why it matters: Prayer invites us to bring all of who we are to all of who God is.
Try this: Begin your day by telling God how you feel. End your day with two questions: “Where did I notice You?” and “What do You want me to see?”
3. Fasting
What it is: Choosing to abstain from something—usually food—to focus on God.
Why it matters: Fasting clears space. It reveals what controls us. It reminds us to hunger for the right things.
Try this: Skip one meal and spend that time in prayer or journaling. Maybe take time away from phones and other electronic gadgets and social media. Notice what rises to the surface.
4. Study
What it is: Intentionally engaging with Scripture and truth to shape the mind.
Why it matters: Study forms our thoughts and beliefs. It replaces lies with truth.
Try this: Read a passage repeatedly. Ask, “What does this show me about God? About me?”
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Outward Disciplines
These affect how we live, work, and relate to the world around us.
5. Simplicity
What it is: Living with focus, uncluttered by materialism or distraction or social media.
Why it matters: Simplicity frees us to seek God first. It loosens our grip on stuff and status.
Try this: Clean out a drawer. Give something away. Ask, “Does this help me love God and others better?”
6. Solitude
What it is: Choosing to be alone with God—away from noise, hurry, and people.
Why it matters: Solitude helps us hear what we usually drown out. It centers us.
Try this: Turn off your phone for 30 minutes. Sit in silence. Don’t rush to fill it.
7. Submission
What it is: Yielding to God and others out of love and trust.
Why it matters: Submission isn’t weakness—it’s freedom from the need to always get our way.
Try this: Let someone else decide. Don’t interrupt. Tell God, “Your will, not mine.”
8. Service
What it is: Loving others through small, practical acts.
Why it matters: Service shapes us to look more like Jesus. It kills selfishness.
Try this: Do one hidden act of kindness today. Don’t tell anyone about it.
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Corporate Disciplines
These are practices we share with others in the community of faith.
9. Confession
What it is: Admitting our sins to God—and often to others—for healing and restoration.
Why it matters: Confession breaks shame’s grip and opens us to grace.
Try this: Ask a trusted friend or mentor to pray with you as you confess a struggle. When we confess our sins to God, He forgives and when we confess our sins to another person, we are healed (James 5:16).]
10. Worship
What it is: Responding to God’s greatness with our whole being—heart, mind, soul, strength.
Why it matters: Worship realigns our perspective. It places God at the center.
Try this: Play a worship song. Sing along. Raise your hands. Or sit in stillness and whisper, “Thank You.”
11. Guidance
What it is: Seeking and discerning God’s will together in community.
Why it matters: We weren’t meant to walk alone. God often speaks through others.
Try this: Ask a group of spiritual friends to help you pray through a decision.
12. Celebration
What it is: Choosing joy. Practicing gratitude. Rejoicing together.
Why it matters: Celebration reminds us that God is good—and joy is strength.
Try this: Name three things you’re thankful for. Then celebrate them—with others, with laughter, with joy.
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One More Thought
These disciplines aren’t about performance. They’re about presence.
They don’t earn God’s love. They help us notice it.
Let spiritual formation become your way of walking with Jesus—not just in church, not just in quiet time, but in everything.
And as you practice these rhythms—one small step at a time—you’ll discover: God is already with you.
Today my daughter texted me from her college more than three hours away to tell me that there was an active shooter on campus. She told me that she was terrified. I was terrified. I immediately responded to her and immediately started praying. She is fine thank God!
In that horrifying moment nothing mattered but her and God.
Once the all clear was given by authorities, I could hear my daughter’s voice, and I could breathe again,I prayed some more to thank God that no one was hurt.
God was with us! Once my adrenaline dropped It reminded me that I can go to God like my daughter came to me. “God I am terrified!” I truly don’t think I realized how much my parents or God loved me until I had my child.
Aside from my trauma dump, these disciplines help us to build a relationship with God in all circumstances~good or bad!
One part that is very small and normal sounding but is a very big issue a lot of people encounter is “a life that goes beyond religious routine.” Often times we give the terms Spiritual discipline a negative view simply because is sounds obligatory, or another routine but when we shift our mindset to these disciplines are ways the I can commune with God our view and want to should change a massive amount. I believe it’s important that we make it a habit to rotate our spiritual discipline practices so that they don’t become religious routine. Intentionality and view changes it all its easy to pray a speedy prayer because we don’t want our food to start getting cold and we are hungry but pray a genuine prayer for that same food and see what changes.
Each of the disciplines described above are intentional moves toward God. They have purpose. They are a representation of the actions a true God-fearing believer partakes in. Without these intentional disciplines, I would not know where to start walking with God. I will be taking time to slowly focus on each of these disciplines.