What are spiritual practices?

As we launch in 2023, we once again look forward to jumping back into the spiritual practices. Spiritual practices are simply invitations to let Christ form our heart, soul, mind, and spirit. They equip us to live fully and freely in the present reality of God. Spiritual practices are where we receive and respond to God’s constant love, support, affections, and affirmation. The practices help us re-center ourselves in all seasons of life. They are where we learn the secret of the “easy and light yoke” in Christ.

It is easy to think of spiritual practices (or commonly known as disciplines) in terms of legalism or as simply another task to add to an already busy ‘to-do’ list. When we do this, we are entirely missing the point of the disciplines. The disciplines are not about doing something for God, or earning righteousness from God. Disciplines do not earn us favor with God or measure spiritual success.

We enter into these practices as an active response to God’s love.

Helpful Books and Resources:

  • Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton

  • Celebration of Disciplines by Richard Foster

  • The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard

  • Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun

Blogs and Articles:

December Spiritual Practice: Advent

For the month of Decemeber, we will be going through a devotional from Christianity Today as a church body. The Eternal King Arrives is available at all RVC campuses. Please grab a copy and read along with us as we ponder the arrival of our King, Jesus!

“Welcome to the season of Advent. It’s a special time in the Christian calendar—one that we all want to take heed of, with its deep and lasting significance, even in the midst of the season’s sometimes overwhelming demands. As you and your family approach a time of full calendars and bustling kitchens, candlelit services and living rooms strewn with wrapping paper, we invite you to journey through the season with this Advent devotional.

This devotional is meant to help you dive deep into theological truths and personal revelations as we prepare to celebrate the arrival of our humble and glorious King. We have structured the devotional to help us ponder the glory and tenderness of Christ, who came in the form of a vulnerable baby and displayed a gentle love for his creation through his incarnation. Throughout the month of December, we will herald both the sovereignty and power of his kingship and his self-emptying lovingkindness.

First, we will immerse ourselves in the prophetic inauguration of Christ, with devotionals that speak to the hopeful yearnings of Israel for the promised King—and the signs that would accompany his arrival—woven throughout the Old Testament. Next, we will celebrate the eternal jubilee that Jesus’ incarnation heralds: a time of freedom, joy, and new life that he now offers. Finally, we will draw near to Christmas Day by gazing in awe at Christ’s royal enthronement and the establishment of his kingdom. He is our long-awaited Savior, and this Advent we celebrate the life-changing truth that our eternal King has arrived.” —CT, Introduction to The Eternal King Arrives

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

November Spiritual Practice: Gratitude

“My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits.” -Psalm 103:1-2 

Sometimes we think of gratitude as just a feeling. But it can also be a practice, something we cultivate and grow in. The psalmist shows us this in Psalm 103, he’s telling his own soul that it’s time to practice gratitude for all God has done.

The Practice:

  • First thing in the morning and last thing before bed, take a few moments to reflect on what you’re thankful for. 

  • Write these thanksgivings down. Using a notebook or a note in your phone, to catalog a different gratitude every day. By the end of the month, you’ll have sixty+ moments of gratitude!

  • This can be an especially powerful practice if you combine it with the reading of the Bible. So as you’re reading, think of things about God that impress you, inspire you, and create wonder and gratitude in you.  A daily practice of gratitude can change your perspective, attitude and greatly improve your quality of life.  

  • Also, consider outward gratitude, like  writing ‘thank you’ notes or letters to others. This will inspire double-gratitude, for them and for you!

1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in everything”

October Spiritual Practice: One Meal with Others

“The Lord gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever.” -Psalm 136:25

How often do you eat by yourself? Whether it’s busyness or isolation, our eating habits are very different from scripture and from other cultures. Food is a gift from God, and it’s meant to be enjoyed while we connect with others. And it’s a way to reach out to others as well! 

“​​More Americans regularly eat alone now than ever before. Food is meant to bind us to God, neighbor, and creation, but we live in a culture where our eating habits keep us apart and increase our isolation. . .The habit of making time for one communal meal each day forces us to reorient our schedules and our space around food and each other.”  -Justin Earley


Tips for this spiritual practice:

  • Plan on eating at least one meal a day with someone else. 

  • If you live alone, consider eating your lunch with a coworker, inviting someone over for dinner, or going out.

  • If your pace of life is too busy to allow for one meal with others every day, you might want to reevaluate your schedule.

  • If you already do a daily meal with others, great! Consider asking more intentional questions during this time, like “What were your high and low moments of today?” You could also try and experiment with 2-3 meals daily with others.


“The Son of Man [Jesus] came eating and drinking. . .” -Matthew 11:19a

September: Scripture Before Phone

“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” -Psalm 119:37

 The first thing we do in the morning sets the path for the rest of the day. When we wake up and immediately reach for our phone, it rarely fills us with joy, peace, or contentment. Instead, we’re usually filled with anxiety (emails), anger (the news), and envy (social media).

 Scripture before phone encourages us to spend time with God before the glowing rectangle, whether it’s five minutes or fifty minutes. Brew that coffee (important), and then read your Bible, or sit in silence, or write out gratitude statements. You could spend some time in prayer, or read a book that encourages your faith. 

Tips for Scripture Before Phone:

  • Find a favorite spot in your house where you can set your Bible for easy access. 

  • Have a plan for what you want to read. Reading one psalm per day is a great place to start.

  • Consider writing out and repeating affirmation statements, like: “I am a child of God.” “I am loved and accepted in Christ.” “God did not give me a Spirit of fear.” 

  • Turn off phone notifications. Most smart phones have great Do Not Disturb features now.

  • Consider charging your phone outside of your bedroom and using something else for an alarm clock. 

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." -Psalm 90:14

August: Simplicity and Slowing

Life continues to be frantic and hectic so simplicity and slowing are necessary for our spiritual, mental and emotional health. Jesus did not rush around feeling like he had to accomplish just “one more thing.”  He knew what to do to please his Father and how to love and engage the people around him. The goal of simplicity and slowing is to be able to live with a quiet heart, at peace with God and those around us, fully present in each moment.  

Ways to Practice Simplicity and Slowing:

  • Build margin into your activities (i.e. schedule 15-30 minutes extra time than you’ll need for your activities/obligations). Drive the speed limit, walk slowly and contemplate the beauty around you. Arrive early to appointments and sit quietly. Learn to live each day relaxed. 

  • Find an hour this week to “do nothing”. Find a beautiful place, turn off your phone and just sit quietly in God’s presence. If this is difficult, ask God to help you think through how you normally spend your time each day. Is it how He wants you to live?  Is it how you want to live? What can you let go of?

  • Audit your evening rituals. Are they bringing you life and restoring your body and soul? Are you taking time to unwind? What can you do differently to simplify and slow down your evenings?

  • Look over your daily schedule and to-do list. Is everything you’re doing necessary?  Are your priorities helping you grow in grace? Are you living for unrealistic expectations in any area? Are there burdens you should set down and walk away from?

July: Sabbath

Sabbath is God’s gift to us. God made the world in beautiful rhythms of day and night, waking and sleeping, working and resting. Responding to these rhythms is a way of honoring God and honoring our humanity. He did not intend for life to be all effort, but to have times of rest and renewal.  We need to take time to remember what life is about, and who it is for. God’s gift of Sabbath calls us to trust that the Creator of the world is the Lord of our time and will keep the world spinning if we take the day off, trusting in him and settling into his rest.  

Ways to Practice Sabbath:

  • Schedule a weekly “sabbath” in your calendar (ideally an entire day, half day, or 1-3 hours). Protect this time with your life! On your first sabbath day or block of time, don’t plan anything. Just do whatever comes into your mind and heart at the moment. Sleep in, go with the flow, and allow yourself to feel bored. Boredom leads to creativity.

  • Do something unrelated to your job, yet something lifegiving that requires skill and expertise. Consider playing sports, music, cooking/baking, wood-working, or painting. 

  • Try a recreational activity. Float the river, take a hike, watch a movie, go camping, garden, read a book, go for a drive, have a pic-nic.

  • Take a day to enjoy and nurture relationships, especially those closest to you that perhaps have been neglected. Go on a date, call an old friend, extroverts: throw a party. Prioritize being at the church this weekend too. Spend some extra time with God.   

June: Journaling

Journaling is a powerful prayer practice. There is a great deal of mental freedom that comes when we  pour out our mind and heart to God in a journal.

Author Luci Shaw says that faithfully keeping a journal of prayers, reflections, and thoughts will “enrich, nourish, mature, heal, develop, broaden, enhance and transform us.”

As we put our feelings and experiences into concrete words, we create an opportunity for God to help us process past wounds, daily battles, and future worries. 

Ways to Practice Journaling: 

Commit to journaling a few times a week. Consider journaling out morning prayers, or nighttime reflections of the day. 

  • In your daily Bible reading, journal out a few verses that ministered to you. Write down some observations about what you’ve read. 

  • Observe yourself. What does journaling out your thoughts and prayers to God do for your mind? Your heart?

  • After journaling this month, read back on your entries. Did God answer any requests? Praise the Lord for his faithfulness.

May: Serving

Serving is another way to reflect the compassionate and hospitable heart of God to the world. This is where we offer resources, time, or skills for the benefit of others. It puts hands to  the second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  True service is rooted in seeing yourself and others the way God does.

Believers are meant to be the very presence of God to others. When we serve, we become God’s vehicle of blessing to a broken world.  

Ways To Practice Serving - 

  • Sign up for Serve GP (May 20) on your own, with a friend, family, or your life group. You can sign up on our events page online. 

  • Think through the gifts and talents God has given you to build His Kingdom. Prayerfully consider how you can use those to serve your church campus. Afterwards, talk with God about what this is like for you. 

  • As you go through the day, ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate big and small opportunities to serve the people you do life with. If doable, leave margin in your day so you can be extra focused on who the Holy Spirit guides you to serve. 

April: The Daily Office

The Daily Office is a prayer practice where followers of Jesus establish intentional touchpoints with the Lord throughout the day. The idea is to create daily rhythms within the swings of the day where one can slow down, be still, and be present with God, recentering their mind and heart back to his love and mission. Historically, the Daily Office ushers in morning, midday, and evening times of pause and connection with the Lord. 

  • Try it! Set Your Own Daily Rhythm - 

A few times a day, set a reminder to pause, and spend 5 minutes with the Lord. You can sit in silence, read a verse, or offer a prayer. Once finished, re-enter the day. Remember, the goal is not to accomplish, but to recenter your mind on Christ throughout the swings of the day. 

Here is a practical guide if you’d like one - 

Morning Prayer: Spirit, I was made for your presence. May this day be one I spend with you in all I do. Amen

Midday Prayer: Jesus, I was made to join in your work for the world. Please order the rest of my day in love for the people you have given me to serve. Amen

Evening Prayer: Father, I was made to rest in your love. May my body rest in sleep, and may my mind rest in your love. Amen. 

Recommended Resource: The Common Rule by Justin Early

March: Fasting

Fasting is the voluntary denial of a normal function or enjoyment in life (usually food) for spiritual purposes. We do this so that in our deprivation and discomfort, we may experience God and his kingdom in a greater way. Richard Foster says, “Our human crav­ings and desires are like a riv­er that tends to over­flow its banks; fast­ing helps keep them in their prop­er chan­nel. ​Fast­ing helps us keep our bal­ance in life.”

More than any oth­er dis­ci­pline, fast­ing reveals the things that con­trol us. This is a won­der­ful ben­e­fit to the true dis­ci­ple who longs to be trans­formed into the image of Jesus Christ. 

“Our human crav­ings and desires are like a riv­er that tends to over­flow its banks; fast­ing helps keep them in their prop­er chan­nel. ​Fast­ing helps us keep our bal­ance in life.””
— Richard Foster

Additional Practices to Consider:

Consider abstaining from 1-3 meals one day this week. As you fast, acknowledge your humanity and fragility, and your need to depend on God alone. Ask God to fill you with the awareness and the strength of the Holy Spirit. 

Observe your life. Do you have excessive attachments or entitlements present? Are these life-giving, or life-destructing? Partner with God toward changing these habits. 

Practice a media fast. Take some time to abstain or unplug from social media, your phone, notifications, music, or movies to allow space for listening to God’s voice. 

Allow yourself to fast from hurry. As you slow down, what blessings do you notice from God in your day? 

As you fast,  keep a journal of what it’s like to be void of normal comforts and completely empty, relying on the Father.

February: Study

Deepening our knowledge of the Word is one of the most important things we can do. As we consider the spiritual practice of study, we allow all of God’s Word to work its way into the depths of our heart, mind, and soul. The Bible is an endlessly fascinating book, full of hidden treasure that many don’t seek to find. 

For some, studying at a deeper level might involve in-depth word studies, character studies, topical studies, and book studies. For others, study might look like learning how grammar, history, context, culture, and literary style all factor into how we interpret specific books and passages. As we study, we fall deeper in love with God and His redemptive storyline which all points to Jesus. We also begin to find our place in the story as well. 

This month, take a book of the Bible to deeply trek through. As you practice a daily routine of reading, follow these steps: 

Rep­e­ti­tion - read a passage or chapter a few times to ingrain it in your mind.

Con­cen­tra­tion - center your mind to be fully present and deeply focused on what you are reading. 

Com­pre­hen­sion - after repetition and concentrated reading, seek to understand what this passage is saying. (Here is where a Study Bible or Commentary can be useful). 

Reflec­tion - After comprehending, consider the significance of this passage. How do you apply it to your life? Journal it out. 

Additional Practices to Consider: 

January: Generosity

We serve a generous God. We want to reflect that generosity by having generous hearts that give freely to the needs we see around us. Many of us have been taught to "look out for number 1" or are better at taking than giving. We want to practice being generous until it becomes a natural response. As we trust God to meet our present and future needs, we can give freely of what we have right now.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.””
— Proverbs 11:25

For this month, we will be reading a book called The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. You can pick one up at your campus or purchase online. This month will follow a 3-week Generosity Sermon Series from Jan 13-Jan 28.

Some ways to practice generosity:

  • Take some time to pray about a few different people this week you could bless with a gift of generosity. As you go through your day, keep company with the Holy Spirit as he brings people to mind. Perhaps it’s as simple as buying them a coffee, a gift, or lunch. 

  • What has God given you an abundance of? Money? Time? Skills? Ask God to show you someone who has a need that you can practically meet this week. 

  • Pray about making an offering to the church or a local organization that goes beyond tithe

  • Ponder your words and speech as you go about your week. Practice speaking more generously about others in your conversations. Be more generous with compliments and encouragement.

  • Give an anonymous donation or gift to someone who really needs it. Don’t tell anyone about it.

> Check out the spiritual practices from last year here.