If you’ve ever read a long list of spiritual disciplines, you’ve probably felt a bit overwhelmed…
How on earth are you supposed to fit all of that into a normal, busy, 21st-century life?
Praying more, reading your Bible, fasting, serving, worshipping, memorising Scripture, practising silence and solitude, hospitality, generosity, evangelism… the list can start to feel endless.
You might even think:
Do I need to become a monk to do all of this properly?
The answer is a very clear no.
Spiritual disciplines were never meant to be a burden or an impossible checklist. They are designed to draw you closer to God, not push you away with pressure and guilt.
So how do you begin practising the spiritual disciplines in a way that is achievable and sustainable in a normal, busy, 21st-century life?
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Start small, not all at once
The most important principle is this:
Do not attempt to start everything all at once!
Spiritual growth is not built through intensity for a few days, but through consistency over time.
In fact, trying to do everything at once usually leads to burnout, frustration and eventually giving up altogether.
A better approach is to start small and gradually build up over time.
It’s also worth remembering that many of the spiritual disciplines – like simplicity, Sabbath and fasting – actually create the space for the other, more active disciplines – like prayer, Scripture and fellowship.
And many of the spiritual disciplines don’t necessarily take time, but rather they involve a reorientation of the heart – towards God’s values, not the values of this world.
You don’t need more hours in the day.
You just need a different perspective.
A simple way to begin…
If you want a realistic way to start practising spiritual disciplines, here is a simple pattern you can follow:
1. Choose one discipline
Pick just ONE spiritual discipline that you sense God is drawing you towards. Not five. Not ten. One.
2. Start small
Don’t aim for perfection. Start with something manageable – maybe 10 minutes a day.
3. Be consistent
The goal is not perfection, but faithfulness. Show up regularly, even when it feels hard… or even a bit boring!
4. Trust God with the results
Spiritual growth is ultimately God’s work. Your role is obedience, faithfulness and consistency.
5. Let it become a habit
Over time, what once required discipline and effort begins to feel natural. It becomes a habit – part of your rhythm of life.
6. Add something else
Once one discipline becomes established, you can slowly introduce another and repeat the process.
This is how lasting spiritual transformation happens: not all at once, but step by step, over time.
The 30 Day Challenges
To help you put this into practice, I’ve created a series of 30 Day Challenges.
Each 30 Day Challenge focuses on just ONE spiritual discipline for 30 days.
By the end of the 30 days, not only will you have grown in that discipline and in your faith, but hopefully that spiritual discipline will have become a habit – something that is second nature to you.
And once you have completed one 30 Day Challenge, you can then focus on another, so that, over time, all of these spiritual disciplines can become incorporated into everyday life – without you having to find more than 24 hours in the day or become a monk!
To find out more about the challenges, head here: The 30 Day Challenges
Recommended books on spiritual disciplines
- Celebration Of Discipline – Richard Foster
- Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life – Donald S. Whitney
- Habits Of Grace – David Mathis
- Practising The Way – John Mark Comer
- Spirit Of The Disciplines – Dallas Willard
READ MORE >>> Recommended books on spiritual disciplines
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