The New Way of Becoming Bold(er). . . "Discipline pt.3"

This is the third blog wrapping up this topic, here are the previous sections: Part 1, Part 2

So what is spiritual discipline?

In simple terms the disciplines are – practices built on principle applied practically to our daily lives. (like the alliteration, I learned that in 8th grade English class and every pastor known to man. Thanks Mr. Bradford.) 

An example of this would be:

-principle- Tim. 3:15-17 you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

-practice- I read the bible consistently 

-applied practically- Daily bible reading with the purpose of revelation and the expectancy of something being deposited in me that will not only make me a stronger Christian but a better human. 

That would be reading the bible, a very important discipline, and the list goes on and on, I don't have time to get into journaling, critical thinking, fellowship, serving others, fasting, offering, worship, questioning everything, love, etc. etc, you get the point. 

Now everything in the mature Christian life is a discipline.  And it would be impossible for me (or anyone else) to tell you which ones you need to work on the most.  The whole point of this text is to get you to start pouring these things into your life, to start asking yourself the hard questions of faith. 

It is all so much but so worth it.  Start finding the things in your life that need it and apply discipline to them (hint: everything requires discipline, from how you spend your money to your sleeping schedule, God has a purpose and will for it, it's our job to find it). 

These things are what give you the authority and power to reach the lost, encourage the weak, feed the hungry, accept the outcast, challenge the faithful, and be the church. When we get to this place together, falling back won't be an option because your faith will be at a place where mature belief sustains your relationship with God.  Weakness swallowed up in power (1 Corinthians 15:54).  Instead of relying on people and your circumstances to pull you through life, you'll be the one others rely on to encourage them.  But you'll never get to that place without spiritual discipline. 

You have to start considering this now, and thinking on this level.  This isn't the type of thing that you put off until you're "ready" or "mature enough" because until you devote yourself to this purpose you will never mature spiritually.  It's all about devotion, committing to something.  God's judgment lies in our motive, it hinges on what you are committing yourself to.  Are you committing yourself to this world and its obligations?  It's system of greed and strife, self-motivation and lust?  Or can you want what God wants. Can you commit to His standards, not a pastor's or your friend's, but His discipline? His motives. The long-lasting effects of that kind of faith are evident in lives like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, AW Tozer, Moody, and Thomas Aquinas.  These people got it, that discipline isn't something that others can force on you to get you closer to God, these things are what you place on yourself to get others closer to God. To “know Him, and make Him known.”

Prayer. . .

John 20-21 // Joel 3 // Mathew 1-9

     There has been a deep burning desire (a new thing in my heart) for prayer.  I'm going through a lot of things in my life right now, unsure of numerous circumstances in and outside of my control.  But this desire is deeper than that.

     When I was young we had prayer meeting every Monday night.  We would show up (bare in mind I was 14 years old at this time) and pray.  These were prayer warriors.  My pastor, the worship leader, several other servants, and NO youth (if they did come they hung out in the foyer until their parents were finished).  I never had this mysterious desire to pray that everyone talks about, but I was taught the value and principle, so I did it anyway (unintentionally learning how to pray as worship*).

     Now, in my older life, with: more responsibilities, higher stakes, more failures [fewer successes], and the looming threat of ineffectiveness, I long for those days.  The feeling comes suddenly and I find myself questioning Eli asking whether next time I should say "Speak Lord, for your servant hears" (1 Sammy 3:11).

     I had a conversation with Curtis Wilson where the man of God asked me "What is prayer, is it something more than talking to God?"  The answer (which I couldn't come up with until several hours later) is unequivocally No.  Talking to God is what everyone does.  Atheists do it, Buddhists and Pagans do it. The writer of Job says even the devil does it.  I can easily conclude that Christians talking to God is a rather simplistic thing lacking power if not purpose. If we were honest with ourselves we would see that this low-level spiritual activity of "talking to God" is (other than shear acknowledgement) completely self motivated.

     The answer is in Samuel.  It says that Sammy ministered to the Lord day and night.  To minister, in the literal sense, meaning "to give".  Prayer is Giving (worship, meditation, bible reading, journaling; spiritual disciplines in general are giving). If something isn't taken out of us in these practices then we are fooling ourselves into a false sense of accomplishment**.  I'm not saying that you must exhaust yourself in prayer [although . . .?], nor do I believe talking to God as a negative thing, I do it all the time, but I can't settle for the good when I'm called to greatness.  When Paul says he prays without ceasing, I think he's paralleling his theme of pouring his life out as a drink offering.

     I remember praying until I couldn't pray anymore.  Can I challenge myself to commit to that kind of prayer again? Not to bring back some old glory but to seek the new one.  If I know His strength overshadows my weakness, my lack can be swallowed up in power.  This is a fight with my self; my relationship wants me to talk to God, of course this pleases my flesh (even my conscience), making God more like me and demanding little in the vein of sacrifice.  In contrast to "giving in prayer" where my spirit man is forced to rise up and endure the heavy weight of deep, insightful, and purposeful prayer, along with the weakness of my faith to give in to other pursuits.  Hence "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much", where do you think the "fervent" part comes in?

* There is something to be said about prayer as worship as well, but not now.

** That's not to say that we don't also receive something in these practices, but as the principle stands, power is in the giving, not the taking.