Spiritual Disciplines | Creating Habits and Patterns That Transform Your Life
What does it mean to be spiritually disciplined? And what is the fruit of the spiritual disciplines? In short, spiritual disciplines are the habits and patterns you choose to come into agreement with, and walk in, that produce spiritual maturity and growth. The fruit and manifestation of spiritual disciplines is transformation.
The Need for Spiritual Disciplines
Our Adamic natures are drawn to habits and patterns that satisfy the comforts of the flesh. We know that the flesh is at war with the Spirit.
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
—Galatians 5:17
So then, we have a spiritual need. We must humble ourselves and ask the Lord to give us His strength and mind to create an obedient heart. We cannot accomplish this with our own efforts. We need the Spirit of God to speak to us. And then, we can listen and respond to His voice. As with everything, it is our choice to listen and respond accordingly or not.
Transformation typically follows a pattern in scripture. You draw near to the Lord and He draws near to you. Spiritual disciplines will, over time, create the transformation you are looking for to increase your faith and overcome the soul ties, lies, counterfeit identity, doubt, fear, and unbelief that steal your joy and blessings.
The path to your transformation is created through spiritual disciplines, leading to victory!
A Deeper Look at Spiritual Disciplines | What They Are and Aren’t
As mentioned, spiritual disciplines are habits and patterns that lead to transformation. They are actions. They are practices that activate the Word, applying the words that the Spirit of God has spoken to your heart, and changing your mind, will, and emotions to align with them.
In other words, they are physical ways to practice what you spiritually believe.
1 Timothy 4:7 says…
“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.”
The Amplified Bible version says it this way…
“But have nothing to do with irreverent folklore and silly myths. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness [keeping yourself spiritually fit].”
In these verses, you discover what it means to walk in spiritual disciplines. It means to come out of agreement with traditions, legends, folklores, myths, and fables—essentially, lies created by the enemy that previous generations have come into agreement with and operated out of—and turn to the Lord, training yourself to listen and obey the voice of God to be more like Jesus.
Now, it can be tempting to turn the idea of spiritual disciplines into legalism. But this is not the heart of the practice. The heart behind being spiritually disciplined is to create a new way of thinking and acting that aligns with your new identity.
- You have been made new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
- You have been created for a Kingdom purpose (see Proverbs 19:21).
Do you believe it? Do you act in agreement with these truths?
Spiritual disciplines train your head to guide your heart. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
This idea of the head leading the heart is also reflected in Deuteronomy 28:13, “And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.”
The mouth will speak, and actions will follow, and what is manifested is birthed in the heart. Your words and habits testify to what is in the heart. Spiritual disciplines start to cut bone from marrow, cleansing and weighing the heart’s intentions so that your mouth will start to speak and reproduce after the Word of God rather than the sin in the Garden. This is training for godliness.
The Word says that you cannot trust your feelings because they seem right in your own eyes (see Proverbs 12:15). However, there is a promise when you walk with godly wisdom, practicing the spiritual disciplines and putting on the mind of Christ.
“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”
—Proverbs 28:26
Spiritual Disciplines Come with Promises
As Proverbs 28:26 says, when you walk with wisdom (which comes from creating habits formed by spiritual disciplines connected to the Lord), you will be delivered.
Spiritual disciplines come with promises…
Protection
“But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”
—Exodus 23:22
Provision
“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.”
—Leviticus 26:3-5
Prosperity
“And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;”
—1 Kings 2:3
There are a number of other promises that come with an obedient and spiritually disciplined lifestyle. All in all, the Word of God wants to convey that spiritual disciplines are multiplied when done with a faith and Kingdom mindset. You take a step, and God will pave the path for greater manifestations.
Likewise, the Lord allows us to choose to whom we will be tied and come into agreement with…
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.”
—Deuteronomy 30:15-18
Therefore, let us not reject knowledge (see Hosea 4:6) and decide who we will serve today.
7 Tips for Coming into Agreement with Spiritual Disciplines
Again, spiritual disciplines are habits and patterns that produce spiritual maturity and growth. They feed your faith and starve your fears. Here are a few ways to walk in spiritual disciplines that will lead to transformation.
Create a Routine
Creating a routine in your life helps foster spiritual disciplines that grow your faith. Don’t get routine confused with religious rituals. Instead, use a routine as a physical reminder to realign your heart with the Lord daily.
Have Quiet Time
In your daily routine, create a margin in your life for quiet time. Start by spending 10 minutes a day listening to music, praying aloud (or quietly), and decreeing scriptures. You can stand, dance, or sit quietly with your eyes closed. Ask Holy Spirit how He wants you to spend your quiet time.
Read the Word
Being in the Word regularly is the turning point to your transformation. God’s Word speaks things into existence. His voice changes and transforms your mind. His Word gives birth to abundant life. Without the Word, your soul has no anchor. Without the Word, you are tossed and turned by any situation. The Word is your sword in battle. The Word protects and provides for you in whatever trial might be ahead of you for the day.
Blow the Shofar
The shofar releases powerful spiritual protection. Numbers 10:9 says to sound the trumpets (shofar) when going to war, and you will be remembered before the Lord. Understand there is a spiritual battle set before you every day. The enemy is always looking to devour. Blowing the shofar creates an awakening in your soul and awakens the words you speak in the Courts of Heaven.
Anoint Your Neck
The anointing oil breaks the yoke the enemy uses to hold you back. In Hebrew, the yoke is understood to be broken off, no longer fitting you, because the oil has made your neck fat (see Isaiah 10:27). The oil is symbolic of the anointing of Yeshua, sending His Spirit upon you to break the yoke of slavery. Anointing your neck reminds you of Holy Spirit, who is given to you to fully equip you for what the Lord has for you today.
Pray Under Your Tallit
The tallit is symbolic of God’s wing of protection. Praying under the tallit symbolizes abiding in His presence. He is your shelter, hiding you in the secret place, just as Psalm 91 says. Take time every day to tabernacle with and dwell in the presence of God.
Take Communion
Regularly taking communion reminds you of the price Yeshua paid to give you life. His blood cleanses, restores, redeems, and forgives. Because of the blood He shed, you have an inheritance and every spiritual blessing in Heaven. When you take communion, you proclaim the work He did on the cross to give you a new identity, creating a record in the heavenly courts.
5 Verses to Decree and Declare About Spiritual Disciplines
- “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”—2 Timothy 2:15
- “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”—Joshua 1:8
- “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”—Philippians 4:8
- “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.”—Psalm 119:1-3
- “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—2 Peter 1:5-8
A Final Thought About Spiritual Disciplines
As mentioned above, don’t get trapped in the lie that spiritual disciplines create godliness and righteousness. Rather, they are a means to work out the righteousness and salvation you have been freely given through Christ (see Philippians 2:12-13). They are for the purpose of godliness to create a testimony that the Gospel is true. By divine design and default, when spiritual disciplines are activated by a rightly motivated heart, you become a light to others. Others are drawn to you, and you can then explain to them the hope you have (see 1 Peter 3:15).
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
—Colossians 1:27