In Season 2 of the Reformed Faith and Family Podcast, we devoted a portion of our time to a focused mini-series on the Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian life.
The Christian life is not sustained by good intentions. While many believers long for faithfulness, maturity, and spiritual depth, far fewer are taught how growth in godliness actually occurs. Scripture calls Christians not to a passive or abstract spirituality, but to a life of deliberate training ordered by God, shaped by His Word, and carried out through ordinary, grace-filled practices. These routine habits, historically known as the spiritual disciplines, are the means God has given His people to grow in Christlikeness.
Scripture does not call believers to a vague or passive spirituality. Rather, Christians are repeatedly exhorted to be intentional, to train themselves for godliness, to abide in Christ, and to order their lives according to the means God has ordained for our spiritual growth.
Throughout this five-part series, we walk through the spiritual disciplines as outlined by Donald S. Whitney in his well-known book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. While this series is not a replacement for reading the book itself, Whitney’s work provided a helpful framework for our discussions and helped anchor our conversations in both Scripture and historic Christian practice.
This page exists to house the full Spiritual Disciplines series in one place, making it easier for listeners to work through the episodes sequentially or return to specific topics as needed.
Why the Spiritual Disciplines Matter
The spiritual disciplines are not a checklist for earning God’s favor, nor are they optional extras for especially devoted Christians. They are the ordinary, God-appointed practices through which believers grow in grace, deepen their communion with Christ, and live out their faith intentionally in everyday life.
Many Christians struggle with inconsistency in prayer, shallow engagement with Scripture, or uncertainty about how to live missionally and faithfully in their homes, churches, and communities. Often, these struggles are not rooted in a lack of desire, but in poor discipleship and a lack of practical instruction.
Our hope in this series was to clearly define the disciplines, show their biblical foundation, and offer practical ways to begin cultivating them in ordinary life – within the rhythms of family, work, church, and community.
Episode Overview
Part 1: Bible Reading and Prayer
In the opening episode of the series, we lay the groundwork by discussing two foundational disciplines: Bible reading and prayer. These are often the first practices Christians think of when considering spiritual growth, yet they are also frequently neglected or approached without intention.
We discuss why regular engagement with God’s Word and consistent prayer are essential to the Christian life, address common obstacles, and encourage listeners to pursue these disciplines not as burdensome duties, but as means of grace through which God speaks to and shapes His people.
Part two builds upon the foundation of Bible reading by addressing Bible meditation and Scripture memorization, along with the biblical necessity of participating in corporate, family, and individual worship.
In this episode, we explore what it means to truly meditate on God’s Word, why hiding Scripture in our hearts matters, and how worship is not limited to Sunday mornings but is meant to shape the entire life of the believer. Practical suggestions are offered to help families and individuals cultivate these disciplines faithfully and consistently.
Part 3: Evangelism and Service
In part three, the focus shifts outward to the disciplines of evangelism and service. Scripture makes clear that sharing the Gospel and serving others are not optional activities reserved for a few, but essential aspects of the Christian life for every Christian.
We discuss why many believers feel unprepared or hesitant to share their faith, as well as how service can be faithfully practiced even without formal church programs. This episode emphasizes that evangelism and service are meant to be woven into the fabric of daily life, flowing naturally from a life transformed by the Gospel.
In this episode, we address the spiritual discipline of stewardship from a thoroughly biblical perspective. Stewardship includes far more than finances alone. It encompasses time, resources, and even children, whom Scripture describes as a blessing and a form of wealth entrusted to parents.
We discuss gaining a long-term vision, taking responsibility for financial decisions, and stewarding God’s blessings in a way that seeks to bless future generations. Time is also devoted to discussing a biblical understanding of tithes and offerings and their proper place in the Christian life.
In the final installment of the series, we cover several often overlooked disciplines: silence, solitude, journaling, fasting, and continued learning.
These practices help cultivate spiritual attentiveness, humility, and endurance in the Christian life. In a noisy and distracted world, these disciplines remind believers of the importance of slowing down, seeking God intentionally, and continuing to grow in knowledge and wisdom throughout life.
Recommended Resource
This series was guided in large part by Donald S. Whitney’s book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. We highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper, more intentional walk with Christ. Whitney’s work provides a clear biblical foundation, historical insight, and practical guidance that complements the conversations in this podcast series.
“Don Whitney’s spiritual feet are blessedly cemented in the wisdom of the Bible. This is as beneficial as it is solid. If you want to be really real with your God, this book provides practical help.” – J. I. Packer, author and theologian
Listening Through the Series
Whether you are new to the concept of spiritual disciplines or are seeking renewed consistency and depth in your walk with Christ, we encourage you to listen through the series in order. These episodes are designed to build upon one another, offering both theological clarity and practical encouragement.
Our prayer is that this series would serve the Church by helping Christians grow in faithfulness, intentionality, and joy as they pursue godliness through the ordinary means God has graciously provided.
As consumers living in a digital age, we think nothing of dropping a few hundred dollars on a new laptop or cell phone every couple of years, but for some reason when it comes to our Bibles, we often don’t consider aesthetics as valuable a factor in our purchasing new or the need to preserve the heirloom passed down to us from a faithful man or woman of God. Good Dog Designs and Rebinds was founded by Caleb Stomberg who enjoys taking time and skill to rebind Bibles new and old in supple, authentic leathers in order to elevate visually what is already priceless within – God’s Word.
As Christians we ought to be reading God’s Word every day. This means that over time our treasured Bibles will look used and ultimately break down. One might choose to just buy new, but some Bibles are priceless. Maybe it was one given to you marking a special occasion in your life, or possibly it was handed down from a beloved grandfather. Either way, Christians usually collect new Bibles or have old ones restored rather than throwing a worn out one away – it just feels wrong. If you are looking to have an old Bible restored or desire to purchase a custom designed, high-quality, leather-bound copy of God’s Word, Good Dog Designs and Rebinds has got you covered.
Whether you want to give your favorite, old Bible a fresh cover, or are looking to customize your own Bible, Good Dog Designs and Rebinds is here to serve your needs. Right now, Caleb is taking custom orders on a limited basis for custom designs. You can see the Bibles he has pre-made for sale by clicking the button below.
Cultivate Spiritual Discipline This Year Using “60 Scriptures You Can Pray:”
Praying Scripture is often the missing piece for Christians who feel unsure how to pray. Prayer does not come naturally for every Christian. It is a discipline, and one the Holy Spirit graciously teaches us.
Danika’s 60 Scriptures You Can Pray offers a practical and accessible starting point for cultivating a daily habit of both Bible reading and prayer because it intentionally weds the two together. We often hear that it takes thirty days to form a habit, but habits rooted only in discipline rarely last. If we do not understand
why we need God’s Word and prayer, consistency will eventually fall away. This book does more than help you start a habit. It teaches you why prayer matters and how Scripture anchors it.
60 Scriptures You Can Pray covers eight biblical categories of prayer, along with the expectations we should have when we pray and the heart posture with which we should approach God:
- Praise | We adore God for who he is.
- Thanksgiving | We thank God for all he has done.
- Confession | We admit our sin to the God who saves us.
- Supplication | We humbly ask God to provide for our needs.
- Intercession | We ask God to meet the needs of others.
- Deliverance | We cry out to God for help in times of trouble.
- Lament | We bring our sorrow to God, our comforter.
- Guidance | We ask for God’s help in determining his will for our lives.
For those who struggle to pray, whether from distraction, discouragement, grief, or simply not knowing where to begin, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray offers a faithful and gentle guide. It reminds us that prayer is not something we conjure from our own emotional reserves, but something God Himself invites and supplies through His Word. By rooting prayer firmly in Scripture, this devotional helps reorient both the mind and the heart toward truth, even when emotions lag behind.
