Personal Inward Journey

Just like any friendship, a relationship with Jesus requires effort. It is not a light-switch effect that happens magically. One way to become closer to Jesus is through Spiritual Discipline. “A Spiritual Discipline is habits, practices, and experiences designed to develop, grow, and strengthen certain qualities of spirit — to build the "muscles" of one's character and expand the breadth of one's inner life.” Spiritual Discipline can include reading your Bible, praying, fasting, journaling, and so much more. It just depends on what the person wants to do first.

In my life, it is easier to start a Spiritual Discipline than to stick with it for the duration of time I am doing it. I always find an excuse, or I am easily distracted by something else. Four things typically stop people from doing Spiritual Discipline. First, Spiritual Discipline does not go away after one does it. For example, there are everyday temptations that one must always say no to continually.

Another reason people typically say no to Spiritual Discipline is that it does not seem to be essential. Still, as Christians, it is necessary to develop a close relationship with Jesus. The third reason people do not take Spiritual Discipline seriously is that sometimes it seems like it does not make a difference. People tend to ask the question “Will it make a difference if I get up early to read my Bible or pray to God?” People also tend to think that Spiritual Discipline is not very glamorous. Even though people do not see Christians do these practices, it is still vital. In Matthew 6, Jesus even talks about the values of spending time with God in secret.

A Spiritual Discipline that I need to work on is praying. I often tend to do quick five-second prayers before I go to bed or eat lunch. Prayer though is a very prayer is a significant thing in the life of a Christian. To quote Martin Luther, "To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Prayer is our way to talk to God whenever we want, we can tell Him about our day. We can talk to Him when we feel stressed, or we can thank him for everything He has done for us. Jesus spoke to God a lot before he did something or whenever He was feeling stressed out.

Another thing that I will be working on is praying for God's will and not my own. I have a terrible habit of treating God like a vending machine. I ask him for stuff, and I do not even thank Him for it. All I do is find something else on my list, and I repeat the process. To overcome this unpleasant habit, I will start praising and thanking God for all that He has done for me. I will also be praying for other people. In conclusion, Spiritual Discipline is essential because it brings people closer to God.