The Discipline of Devotion
Jesus exemplifies spiritual disciplines in His life. He had an unwavering discipline of devotion to His Father and His mission. Jesus was the most impactful, prolific, effective and efficient man to ever walk the earth. He taught and spoke in ways that were revolutionary to his listeners. He moved in power and performed miracles that were mind-blowing.
After 3 years of experience and observation of the lifestyle of Jesus, we have no record of the disciples asking the following questions:
- "Can you teach us to preach?"
- "Can you teach us to move in power?"
- "can you teach us how to work miracles?"
What they ask instead is a very curious question:
“Teach us to pray”
What was it about the way of life of Jesus that provokes this question? As men who lived with Jesus for over three years they were keen observers of His way of life. They would have been familiar with his lifestyle, not only His teachings. They saw His daily routines and rituals. They knew His personal characteristics and preferences. They saw the unbreakable fellowship between Him and His Father.
In this episode we explore our connection to God through the spiritual disciplines of prayer and solitude. Listen to the podcast here (only 13 minutes) or watch the video above. In this episode we address the barriers that stand in the way of you developing the spiritual discipline of devotion through an effective prayer habit. The foundation to developing any new habit is intention. You must be deliberate in your planning, preparation and action. Here are 3 keys to help you develop a daily prayer habit.
Create a Sacred Space: In Matthew 6:6 Jesus tells us that when we pray to enter our 'prayer closet.' This is a sacred space where we connect with the Lord everyday. Every man must have a sacred space set apart where he can meet with God.
Go Slow: Learn to wait on the Lord. Due to the fast pace of life we must learn to embrace stillness and solitude. This takes intentional training and purposely slowing down the pace in order to stop the noise and listen.
Avoid Distractions: Give God the best, not the left overs. Bring your intention, awareness and focus to your time with the Lord. We have instructions and examples to start in the morning. the Psalmist penned, "early in the morning will I seek you" and Jesus was recorded spending time in prayer before daybreak.
Win your day by starting the right way.
