What Are Spiritual Disciplines? A Beginner's Guide

In 1 Timothy 4:7, Paul instructs Timothy to "train yourself to be godly." The word he uses for "train" is the Greek word gymnazo — the same root as our word "gymnasium." It means rigorous, intentional, repeated physical training. Paul's point is clear: godliness is something you train for. It doesn't happen by accident, by osmosis, or by simply wanting it strongly enough. It is developed through practice.

Those practices are what Christians have called "spiritual disciplines" — habits and patterns of engagement with God that, over time, form the soul into the likeness of Christ. They are not a way to earn God's favor. They are a way to place ourselves where God's grace can most powerfully work on us.

A Simple Definition

Spiritual disciplines are intentional, regular practices that keep us in relational connection with God and open to His forming work in our lives. They are the "training program" of the Christian life.

Dallas Willard, one of the most important teachers on this subject, called them "training, not trying." You don't try to be patient. You train — through practices that loosen your grip on yourself and increase your dependence on God — until patience becomes more natural than impatience.

The Two Categories: Disciplines of Abstinence and Engagement

Spiritual disciplines fall into two broad categories:

Disciplines of Abstinence

These involve abstaining from something in order to train the soul and create space for God. They include:

Fasting: Abstaining from food (or another appetite) for a period of prayer and dependence on God.
Solitude: Withdrawing from people and noise for extended time with God.
Silence: Removing verbal and digital noise in order to hear more clearly.
Sabbath: Ceasing from work one day a week — not just rest, but intentional worship and delight in God.
Simplicity: Reducing consumption and possessions to decrease distraction and dependence on things other than God.

Disciplines of Engagement

These involve actively doing something that connects us to God and shapes us spiritually. They include:

Prayer: Regular, intentional conversation with God.
Bible reading and study: Engaging with Scripture as the primary means of hearing God's voice.
Journaling: Writing your prayers, reflections, and responses to Scripture.
Worship: Corporate and private praise and adoration of God.
Service: Regular, selfless action for others as an expression of love for God.
Fellowship: Intentional, honest, spiritually nourishing community with other believers.
Confession: Regular acknowledgment of sin to God (and sometimes to a trusted person) for the purpose of cleansing and accountability.
Celebration: Cultivating joy and gratitude as a spiritual practice — feasting, not just fasting.

Why They Matter

Without intentional spiritual practices, Christians tend to drift. Life fills with good things — family, work, entertainment — that crowd out the space needed for genuine spiritual growth. The result is a faith that is real but shallow, sincere but stagnant.

Spiritual disciplines create the conditions for transformation. They are not the transformation itself — only God can do that — but they are the means by which we make ourselves available to His forming work. A seed requires soil, water, and sun. The seed doesn't create those things, but without them it won't grow. Spiritual disciplines are the soil, water, and sun of the soul.

Where to Start

Don't try to adopt all the disciplines at once. Choose two: one from the abstinence category and one from the engagement category. Start small. Be consistent for 30 days. Then evaluate and add.

For most people, the most natural starting pair is:

Daily Scripture reading + journaling (engagement): 15–20 minutes in the morning before anything else. Read a passage. Write what you notice and how you want to respond.
Weekly Sabbath (abstinence): One day where you stop working and intentionally rest in and enjoy God's presence. No emails. No side projects. Space for worship, family, nature, and delight.

These two disciplines alone, practiced consistently over a year, will produce more spiritual growth than most people experience in a decade of sporadic churchgoing.

A Caution: Disciplines Are Not Legalism

The disciplines are meant to connect you to grace, not replace it. When they become a performance — something you do to earn God's approval or measure your spiritual status against other believers — they have been corrupted into legalism. They are means, not ends. The goal is knowing God, becoming like Christ, and loving others well. The disciplines are the road, not the destination.

Richard Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline, put it simply: "The Disciplines are for the purpose of realizing a greater good... God himself." Keep that in view. The moment the practice matters more than the Person, reset.

Starting the Journey

You don't need to understand every spiritual discipline to begin. You need to start one. Open your Bible in the morning. Write three sentences in a journal. Pray honestly for five minutes. These simple acts, practiced day after day, are the building blocks of a formed and fruitful spiritual life.

The training begins the moment you begin. Start today.