December 6th, 2006

On the Discipline of Study & Prayer

Those of you who know me well know that I’m not the most disciplined person in the world. I am greatly impressed by those who are, however, and hold discipline in general in high esteem. Perhaps disciplined isn’t the right word; regimented might be a better term.

One thing I wish I could do better is anchor my days with a morning time of bible study and prayer. Luis Palau talks about waking up early and seeing his father, wrapped in a woolen blanket in the cold mornings, up in the early morning to study the Scriptures; it made an impression on him that stayed with him. Beyond setting an example for my own kids, I want to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord - I’ve just “coasted” by many periods in my life.

Are acts of discipline as I’ve described simply for people who are made that way? Or, is it achievable by the rest of us? If so, what worked for you?

Posted in Faith

Responses

I’m not very disciplined either, and I hate getting up any earlier than absolutely necessary.  What has kept me “seeking in the morning” lately is two-minute prayers.  Note that two minutes is a minimum amount—obviously, more time is preferable!  But I find that even if I’m running late, I can spare two minutes for meditative prayer.  This isn’t a time to list off my requests, but a time to Be Still And Know.  And those two minutes are often so good that they make me hungry for more, so that my prayer time usually extends far past that minimum.

I know this isn’t exactly the goal you’re describing, but I think the concept lends itself to adaptation:  set yourself a highly doable minimum, something so simple that you can’t ever justify not doing it.  Then stick with it, and do more whenever you can.  Even the shortest times you spend will sharpen your appetite for God and his Word, which will keep you coming back for bigger and bigger portions.

On December 6th, 2006 at 09:02 pm, Lindsey said:

I do think some people are more wired for disciplined life (think Lanny Tucker). For the rest of us, we have to work a little harder for it. For me, spiritual disciplines are a lot like physical exercise - it’s getting the shoes on that’s the hardest part. Once I get going, I love the process and I love the results. As hard as the spiritual disciplines are, the process and results are worth the effort.

On December 6th, 2006 at 10:19 pm, Kristi said:

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