FAITH HABITS

Faith habits, also referred to as spiritual disciplines, are never themselves the “goal” of a spiritual life. God will never love you more or less because of your engagement in any of these practices. But throughout the centuries, many Christians have discovered that developing habits in the following areas have helped their faith grow in unexpected and exciting ways.

Think of a habit/discipline as an exercise that helps you do what you are unable to do by effort alone (Dallas Willard). An example would be a golfer hitting golf balls on a driving range. He’s not forming this habit to be a good at hitting balls on a range, but so that he will perform better on the course when it really counts.

Solitude

Solitude is the practice of spending time alone, with as few distractions as possible. Often God speaks to us not in flashing signs but in quiet, subtle ways. Creating a habit of solitude allows us to hear things from God that we can easily miss in the hectic pace of our typical days.

Prayer

Prayer in its simplest form is just conversation with God – talking and listening. It comes in many forms and is a source of great peace, healing and power in the lives of people who pray.

Fasting

To fast from something is to go without it – in this context, for spiritual purposes. Many people associate food with fasting, but we can also abstain from activities as well. This habit encourages us to focus and rely on God instead of the things that our bodies and minds naturally desire.

Sacrifice

When we sacrifice for others in love, we exercise our trust that God sees us and will provide for our needs. We sacrifice when we give our time, talent or financial resources in ways that help other people.

Study

The Bible is a book that contains ancient history, poetry and law, but more importantly its words are infused with the very heart and presence of God. Studying the Bible allows us to learn more about who God is and to understand his love for the world.

Worship

The discipline of worship includes meditating on and expressing the truth of all that God is. The Bible teaches that the church is Christ’s body on earth (1 Corinthians 12:27) and when we worship together, we each take our parts as members of this greater body.

Fellowship

Fellowship is the habit of meeting together with other Christians to learn, pray for and support each other . At Cove we engage in fellowship primarily at our Sunday morning gatherings and in Group life.

Ask a Question
Tell Your Story