This paper will demonstrate students’ application of knowledge gained from Topics 1-5 to evaluate their current stage of personal spiritual growth. This paper is not meant to “grade” students on their spiritual formation, but rather to provide reflection on their actions.
In a 1,250-1,500-word paper, evaluate yourself with regards to spiritual formation and the spiritual disciplines in the past. The paper should include the following:
Areas where you have demonstrated spiritual discipline
The methods used to practice the discipline
Reflection on your discipline
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
Read Parts 2, 3, and 7 in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us.
CCN-650 Topic 5 OverviewSpiritual Discipline: Inward Focus Introduction So far, we have learned about stages of growth, the foundation of growth in Christ, knowing your unique design, and becoming a new Christian. All of that has laid the foundation for our next three lessons: the inward, outward, and corporate spiritual disciplines. This lesson will undertake internal disciplines, such as reading, Scripture memory, prayer, and silence and solitude. While each of these is focused on the heart and mind of the believer, they are all essential to spiritual formation and growth. As Scripture says in Luke 6:45 (ESV), “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” This section will focus on those disciplines that influence the heart. Reading/Bible Intake In his book, The Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney (1991) says that “no Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There is simply no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture” (p. 28). Thereading and intake of God’s Word are foundational to spiritual formation. Without taking in God’s Word, growth cannot happen, as there is no foundation to build on. There are very important truths that are communicated in the Bible: first that God tells about himself and his son. He tells the story of history, his work throughout history, and the sacrifice of his son on our behalf. Secondly, the Bible unfolds the Law and God’s satisfaction of the Law through Jesus Christ. Finally, it contains God’s directives for our lives. The Bible tells us what we need to know to be holy, as he has called us to be (Whitney, 1991). If asked, most of believers would be able to recite 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” All Scripture is God-breathed; it comes directly from God for our benefit. If this is the case, should we not read and be familiar with it? Think about a relationship with someone you hold dear. What if you never communicated with them? What if all you did was acknowledge their existence? What sort of relationship would that be? Would it not be more beneficial to your relationship to listen to that person, discover their thoughts and feelings, and really know who they are? The same holds true with God. The relationship with God is limited without knowing his thoughts and his actions, which happens when we do not take time to read his Word. For all of the spiritual disciplines, oftentimes it is difficult to know how to incorporate Scripture into one’s daily life. First, one must find the time, for example, by setting aside a particular time each day to read the Bible, even if it is only a brief time. It must be intentional. Second, one must have a plan. There are numerous Bible reading plans available. Many churches or small groups will even set plans to read together. The
resources are abundant for reading the Scriptures. Finally, one must meditate on what is read. This will be addressed in greater depth shortly, but it is important not just to read and leave. One must also think about what was read in order to dwell on it and process it. Scripture Memory/Meditation In pairing with Bible reading and intake, part of being intentional is meditating on it, or more specifically, thinking intentionally about a passage and its meaning. It is helpful as well to memorize passages. Memorization aids in meditation, in that it gives the opportunity to think about and process what you have read. It helps with spiritual digestion—helping you understand what it means and how it can apply to your life or the lives of others. Memorization also helps you to remember God’s truths outside of formal study and reading time. It will allow you to remember them when needed. Additionally, meditation and Scripture memory help strengthen your faith. There are times that we struggle when God through his Spirit reminds us of a truth in the Bible, a truth that comforts us or gives us a firmer grasp on our faith than we may normally have(Whitney, 1991). In addition, memorization allows the Holy Spirit to bring those passages to mind when needed. Scripture memory and meditation make a better and more prepared counselor. When counseling believers, the goal of the Christian counselor is to bring people closer to the Lord’s plan for their life, whether that is obedience, faith, or holiness. Knowledge of Scripture aids tremendously in leading brothers and sisters. When counseling unbelievers, a Christian counselor may have opportunities to share Christian values and may have a great deal of influence on shaping their worldview. It is important to remember that as a Christian counselor, counseling is never done solely one-on-one, since the Holy Spirit indwells all believers. The Holy Spirit oftentimes brings passages to mind when we need them in counseling. However, if we have not read those passages, there is nothing to bring to mind, and counseling can be significantly hindered.Prayer Up until now, we have learned about God’s communication to us and our responsibilities in hearing and reading his communication. Prayer is your side of the two-way relationship, your conversation with God. Just as you cannot know much about God, or even have a relationship with him without his communication through the Bible, so too should you communicate with him. The Bible says to “let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6) and promises peace in the very next verse. He calls us to talk back to him. What a privilege it is to go before God with our requests, knowing that he will grant us peace. Because of this, prayer is more than just a request for our needs; it is an opportunity to worship. It is a chance to thank God for his goodness, and in response, ask for those things that we need. During prayer, oftentimes it is difficult to know what to pray or how to structure one’s prayers. One way to pray is to focus prayer on a particular passage that you have read.
One should take a short passage and pray through that text, offering specific praises or making requests based on the promptings of that passage. A good place to start here is a chapter of Psalms, a handful of verses from Paul’s letters, or even a historical account. A helpful acronym is P-R-A-Y. P stands for Praise. Praise God for who he is, or praise him for what he has done in the passage you have just read, thanking him for those things. Second, R stands for Repent. Repent of your sins that are separating you from having a better relationship with God or those things that the passage of Scripture pointed out. Confess your wrongdoings, thoughts, and desires. Next, A stands for Ask. During this time, present your requests to God, as he has instructed. Tell God the burdens of your heart. Ask him for help in whatever areas are on your mind or in those areas that the Scripture has indicated. Finally, Y stands for Yield. Yield yourself to God’s plan. His plan is “to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11). Tell God of your desire to obey his direction for your life, and ask for his help to do so. Also, you can yield in ways that the Scripture passage indicates, if it does so. Silence/Solitude Finally, silence and solitude are important inward-focused spiritual disciplines. We live in a world of hustle and bustle. It is rare to slow down and be intentional about being silent, but this hustle and bustle can quickly distract us from spending time alone with God. There is a great example of this discipline in the life of Jesus, much like the other disciplines. Oftentimes, Jesus would withdraw by himself to pray or go away with just his disciples, in order to have communion with his Father. Following this example, withdrawing into silence and solitude can allow us as believers to hear God better. It eliminates those distractions that vie for our time (Whitney, 1991). It also allows us to read and pray without interruption. People with children understand that there is always someone in need in a family, and it can be difficult to go more than a minute or two without an interruption. Additionally, withdrawing into silence and solitude can allow us to worship God openly. How many of us sometimes feel uneasy in public, unable to express our worship fully? When believers are alone, this is eliminated, and they are free to worship God in any way they choose. Withdrawing from daily life, even briefly, can also be an expression of faith. It demonstrates assurance in God’s ability to handle life’s problems outside of us. With this, it is an opportunity to rest in God. Finally, silence and solitude provide time to intentionally seek the will of God. While this is tied to prayer, many times we fail to hear God clearly even when we seek him because there is so much going on. In withdrawing, we are able to hear him more clearly and discern his direction. Silence and solitude do not have to be hours at a time, although sometimes that would be beneficial. Opportunities to withdraw can be 15-minute time slots set aside for intentionally reading, praying, and listening. But it must be planned and it must be intentional, otherwise other responsibilities will quickly fill our time.
Conclusion In conclusion, there are a number of inward-focused spiritual disciplines that can aid in spiritual formation. As was discussed in an earlier lesson, remember that the basis of spiritual growth is what Christ has done for us on the cross; it is not a checklist of things to accomplish to be a better person. Reading, memory, meditation, prayer, silence, and solitude are all done in response to the goodness of God through salvation. They are also helpful to a Christian counselor seeking to lead and teach others in these areas. How helpful would it be for math teachers not to understand the math they are teaching? Similarly, Christian counselors should be familiar with these disciplines, and practice them in their relationship with God, in order to better lead others in doing the same. Reference Whitney, D. (1991). The spiritual disciplines of the Christian life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Read Psalm 1 and James 5:13-18.
Read “Approaching Formative Scripture Reading With Both Head and Heart,” by Issler, from Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care (2012).
Read “The Art and Discipline of Formative Reading: Revisiting Holy Scripture With Humble Receptivity,” by Muto, from Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care (2012).
