…Rather train yourself for godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in everyway, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

 If you are like me, then daily devotions can be a challenge most of the time particularly in the winter months when you would rather be under the duvet than on your knees communing with God. It takes discipline for us to go through this training and also been God focused rather than self focused. Discipline in its simplest form means self-control. It involves bringing our bodies under subjection according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27. 

So what are the spiritual disciplines or the means for growing in godliness and how do we attain them? Firstly, we must avoid been legalistic, that is just going through the motions of obeying the letter of the law. Our desire to grow in godliness should be as a result of our love for God and our desire to know him intimately. Our motivation should not be self-centred or to appear pious like the Pharisees who loved to pray in public places where men could see them.

Spiritual disciplines include prayer, studying God’s word, worship, meditating on scripture and memorising scripture. Prayer is a means of growing in grace and godliness, as it is a time of fellowship with the Father, where we pour out our heart to him, and enjoy communion with him. Paul admonished the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing, it means through our daily tasks and commitments whether as a working woman or stay at home mom our hearts should be in tune with the Father. It means everything we do should be offered to God and there should be no distinction between spiritual and secular.

Studying God’s word should be a priority in our lives. To truly know God, to truly love God we need to abide in his word. We cannot please God unless we know his word. Psalm 119:7, I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous rules. We should delight in God’s word and not find it burdensome to read and study God’s word. The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:24, your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. The word of God should be highly esteemed in our lives and we should have a high view of scripture

We should delight ourselves in God’s word and have a desire to know his word and to please him. We gain wisdom and knowledge from God’s word and our lives should be ordered by God’s word and not by our culture or man made rules. “Psalm 19:8-10,The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

As we study God’s word, by his grace our desire for him will continue to grow and we will not find his rules burdensome but rather liberating as true freedom can only be found in Christ. Let us endeavour to meditate on scripture, hiding God’s word in our hearts, we can start one verse at a time, I find it helpful when I write the verses down and I try to memorise it and repeat it to myself a few times until it sticks.

Let us cultivate a heart of worship and reverence for God, let the glory of God be our motivation.

Whilst there is no hard and fast rule as to when and where to have devotions, I find from experience that early morning is usually more practicable for me. As the mother of an almost 18 month old son, I find it challenging to have any quiet time once the little man is awake, so I am endeavouring to wake up usually before 5am to enjoy fellowship with God and also to ask for his help for my day and his wisdom for dealing with the various issues that may arise through the course of the day.

I prefer, a quiet environment for my devotion, no music or anything, I usually start by meditating on God’s goodness, greatness and sovereignty, reading a devotional, I am currently reading My Utmost for His Highest and then I read a portion of scripture, sing a worship song or hymn and end with prayer, thanking God for his goodness, kindness and faithfulness.

I realise, we all have different schedules and we are going through different seasons but I would love to encourage you to make time to fellowship with God  in the morning, do not starve your spiritual life and remember godliness is profitable for all things. Job 23:12, I have not departed from the commandments of his lips; I have treasured (esteemed) the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

Charles Bridges in his commentary on proverbs has this to say “ Always plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without his counsel. He loves to be consulted. Therefore take all thy difficulties to be resolved by him. Be in the habit of going to him in the first place, before self-will, self-pleasing, self-wisdom, human friends, convenience, expediency. Before any of these have been consulted go to God. Consider no circumstances too clear to need his directions. In all thy ways small as well as great; in all thy concerns, personal or relative, temporal or eternal, let Him be supreme.”

 Soli Deo Gloria

Recommended Resources:

 Disciplines of A Godly Woman-Barbara Hughes 

Valley of Vision-Arthur Bennett  

Spiritual Disciplines for The Christian Life-Donald Whitney 

Knowing God-J.I Packer