The Big 5 spiritual disciplines are prayer, Bible study, connection, giving, and mentoring. These habits don’t earn God’s approval, but they create space for God to grow our faith. Just as physical exercise strengthens your body, spiritual disciplines train you for godliness. Over time, practicing them helps your new nature win out over your old one.
Training for Godliness
Honoring God is like anything else in life: if you don’t work at it, you probably won’t do it well. Many Christians train their bodies at the gym every day but put little thought into spiritual training. Paul had something to say about that.
1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
In Lesson 8, we learned that God’s Spirit, Word, and people are the keys to a godly life. These five habits put those keys into practice. They aren’t always easy at first, but over time your faith muscles will grow stronger.
1. Prayer
Prayer is simply talking with God. Imagine a marriage without conversation, and you’ll understand why so many prayerless Christians feel distant from God. Set aside time each day for focused prayer. If this is new for you, start with five minutes a day and build from there. The PRAY acronym can help:
- Praise: Thank God for who he is and how he has blessed you.
- Repent: Confess the ways you’ve failed to honor him.
- Ask: Pray for people and situations in your life.
- Yield: Surrender your will to God’s.
Prayer isn’t only for scheduled times. You can talk with God anytime, anywhere. As Paul says, “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
2. Bible Study
For most of history, Christians didn’t own a Bible. Today most of us have easy access to God’s Word, so we have no excuse not to read it. Start by reading the Bible devotionally every day. Try a reading plan, or if you’re new to the Bible, start with the Gospel of John. Then set aside time each week for a deeper dive with a good study Bible.
As you read, remember that the whole Bible points to Jesus. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day knew the Scriptures well but missed the point.
John 5:39-40 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
3. Connection
Christianity is a team sport. God’s people have always connected in three environments: large (church), small (group), and individual (mentoring).
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
If you’re an introvert, you might be tempted to skip this discipline. Push through the awkwardness. Saying you don’t need the church misses the point, because the church needs you. God has given every believer spiritual gifts to help others.
1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
4. Giving
Everything you have belongs to God, and he has made you a steward of it. Mature Christians make a habit of giving generously to their local church and other ministries. The church in Corinth struggled with this, and Paul challenged them.
2 Corinthians 8:7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
Jesus taught that your heart follows your money.
Matthew 6:20-21 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Make giving the first thing you do with every paycheck. Give in proportion to your income, work toward the benchmark of 10 percent, and trust God to provide for your needs.
5. Mentoring
The fifth discipline is one most Christians rarely think about. We call it mentoring; Jesus called it making disciples. It means personally helping someone else pursue God, and it was one of the last commands Jesus gave (Matthew 28:19-20). Most Christians don’t feel qualified. But maturity comes from making disciples, not before. We’ll explore this more in Lesson 10.
The Takeaway
The Big 5 spiritual disciplines are prayer, Bible study, connection, giving, and mentoring. These habits don’t earn God’s love, but they make room for him to shape us into the likeness of Jesus. As you practice them, your faith will grow deeper, your hope stronger, and your love for others greater.
