CHRISTIAN LIFE

Self Disciplines

God changes our hearts, but we have to join in the work of changing our actions and attitudes. Articles on developing a deeper, stronger relationship with God.

Day One: Christian Discipleship
By definition, a disciple is a follower, one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and assists in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ...
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Day Two: Making Disciples
The making of disciples is our Lord's means for answering the prayer, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10)...
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Day Three: Accountability Partners
Many churches encourage accountability. An accountability partner is a Christian who pairs up with another for the sake of mutual edification and exhortation to avoid sinful behaviors. They keep each other "accountable"...
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Day Four: Time with God
All relationships take time. A relationship with God, while unlike other relationships in many ways, still follows the rules of other relationships. The Bible is filled with comparisons to help us conceptualize our relationship with God...
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For more, see: "What is a quiet time?"

Day Five: Daily Devotions
"Daily devotions" is a phrase used to describe the discipline of Bible reading and prayer with which Christians start or end their day. Bible reading can take the form of a structured study using a devotional or simply reading through certain passages or perhaps reading through the Bible in a year...
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For more, see: "Learning What You're Taught"

Day Six: Christian Journaling
"Journaling" can mean different things to different people. For some, journaling is written prayer. For others, journaling is keeping a record of prayer requests and answers. Some keep a journal of especially poignant spiritual truths, perhaps insights from a sermon or quotes from spiritual books or a collection of Scripture...
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For more, see: "Change: An Invitation to Trust"

Day Seven: Christian Meditation
Psalm 19:14 states, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." What, then, is Christian meditation, and how should Christians meditate?...
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For more, see: "Experience is Our Second Best Teacher"

Day Eight: A Secret Place
Depending upon the Bible translation used, the term "secret place" can appear dozens of times in both Old and New Testaments. Some translations use the words shelter, covering, or dwelling rather than "secret place."...
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For more, see: "Tea with God"

Day Nine: Christian Fasting
Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial...
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Day Ten: Types of Fasting
Usually, fasting is the abstaining of food for a certain period of time. There are different types of fasting in the Bible, however, and not all of them involve food. Many people in the Bible fasted, including Moses, David, and Daniel in the Old Testament and Anna, Paul, and Jesus Christ in the New Testament...
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Image Credit: Sydney Missionary Bible College; "SMBC graduates..."; Creative Commons