Spiritual Formation

Prayer is one of the most central and significant ways that a person connects to God. We don’t approach prayer as a way to get everything we want from God; we approach prayer to get more of God. A regular rhythm of prayer develops an awareness that God is present, right here, right now with us.

To follow Jesus is to put his teachings into practice in your life. The scriptures are a library of God inspired writings that together tell a unified story that points us to Jesus. We trust in the scriptures because of Jesus. Our goal as followers of Jesus is not to simply read or know the scriptures, our goal is to obey it as we trust in Jesus.

Sabbath is a gift from God. God has created us to live in a rhythm of work and rest that acknowledges our limitations. The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word that means “to cease, to stop working.” It refers to doing nothing related to work for a twenty-four-hour period each week. Sabbath is not primarily about us or how it benefits us; it is about God and how God forms us. On Sabbaths we imitate God by stopping our work and resting.

Fasting is a spiritual practice that helps us focus on God and align our hearts with His. Fasting is a willing abstinence from food for a period of time and has been a core practice of the church from the start. Jesus expected His followers to fast, and He said that God rewards fasting. However, fasting is realistic, not legalistic. Don’t focus what you are giving up. Focus on communication with God and the reason(s) you are fasting.

Possibly the most radical, and the most difficult of all the practices of Jesus is silence and solitude. Yet deep in our souls, we crave space with God that is defined by silence, stillness, and solitude. The practice of silence and solitude is an intentional distraction-free time in the quiet to slow down our pace in order to be with Jesus, and this is the source from which our activity flows.