Donald Whitney (2014) in his book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress Publishing Group, 2014, states, “…the only road to Christian maturity and godliness… passes through the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines (p. 4). His premise is that as believers in Christ Jesus, our purpose is to walk in Christlikeness. The Apostle Paul in Romans 8:29 declares that we are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (ESV). We can find other examples in Paul’s letter and elsewhere in the New Testament to our call to Christlikeness (Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 3:1-3).

So, what are these spiritual disciplines? First Whitney defines spiritual disciplines as “those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth in… Christ” (p. 4). A key word in his definition is the word “practices.” Whitney would later elaborate on that word and say, “Disciplines are things you do” (p. 6). He lists twelve actions vital to a Christian’s spiritual growth. I cannot go in depth into each one but let me share with you what comes first on his list.

I hope it should come as no surprise that Whitney states, “No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word” (p.22). It should come as no surprise because I know that Christian Faith Baptist Church is a Bible-believing church! We are blessed to have mature believers committed to spiritual growth through a daily devotion to reading God’s Word. Whether your method is a devotional guide like” Our Daily Bread,” a reading plan found on a Bible app, or simply taking some quiet time to read God’s Word, your desire to know God through his Word is evident.

Now, just in case any of us have become “undisciplined” in our intake of the Word of God, it’s never too late to start again. Take it slow. Don’t try to make up for lost time. We can be assured that having the discipline of reading, studying, and praying God’s Word will equip us “for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16) for the glory of our great God!

Lord willing, we’ll look at another one of the Spiritual Disciplines next month. The spiritual discipline of fasting. Grace and peace.