The Main Components Of Spiritual Formation
Prayer
Prayer is a form of communicating with God and it is an invitation of divinity in the affairs of humanity. Prayer is an inward discipline. “Pray continually”- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV). There is no substitute to prayer and every Christian must develop a consistent prayer life. In Mark 1:35 says “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Jesus Christ after all the healing and deliverance he did in the night before, He still woke up early in the morning to go pray alone in a quiet place. This implies that, no one is too busy to pray. Daniel prayed three times a day and it was usual of him. There are too many excuses Christians make when it comes to prayer. Prayer is supposed to help us have a good relationship with God. James 5:13 says if anyone is in trouble let him pray? It implies that, the remedy to our affliction is prayer. Prayer must be learned. The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us how to pray” (Luke 11:1). A poor understanding to what prayer means, is why so many people pray wrongly. James 4:3 says “You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly…” We must know that, if we have to pray then we must pray according to the leading of the Spirit of God in us. The will of God is paramount when it comes to prayer. Many of our fathers in the Christian faith were people who were disciplined in the area of prayer.
Reading of Scriptures
A good follower of Christ must endeavor to read the Bible daily. The Word of God teaches and guides us on how to live our lives in Christ. 2 Timothy 3:15 says “And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for Salvation.” Searching the scriptures is essential if we want to grow in the wisdom of God. A daily routine of reading the Bible is recommended for all believers. The Word of God gives life. It rebukes, teaches, corrects and trains us in righteousness. We need to know the scriptures so we can disciple others. It is not enough to know the scriptures, we must practice them. One can pray effectively if they know the Word of God. These spiritual disciplines are equally important and intertwined. You cannot do without them if you want to see transformation of character.
Meditation
Meditation is act of hearing from God and doing His will. This spiritual discipline is very important and we must not take it for granted. Some people see it as a hard thing to do but that is not true. It is usually confused with that of the Eastern meditation which involves the emptying of the mind. Christian meditation involves nothing of that sort but instead filling your mind with the Word of God and reflecting on it so to become transformed and be more like Christ. Jeremy Taylor declares, “Meditation is the duty of all.” This profound statement is very much true. The scripture says “Keep this book of the Law always on your lips; meditates on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Devotion
Devotion is when we make time to worship God. Having quality time with God is very crucial. We cannot be too busy to have a quiet time with God. Our commitment to God is vital in this regard. God honors those who acknowledge Him by making time to communicate worship Him. Our devotion to the things of God is proportional to how much we know Him. He wants to fellowship with us as much as He wants to bless us. God is with us.
