The four most important spiritual disciplines are: 1) scripture, 2) prayer, 3) church and 4) mission. No other spiritual disciplines rise to the level of importance of these four.

Two questions clarify why these are the most important spiritual disciplines.

  1. Which spiritual disciplines are most emphasized in the Bible?
  2. Which spiritual disciplines will most effectively help me grow as a Christian?

The answer to both questions is: scripture, prayer, church and mission.

There are lots of other helpful spiritual disciplines. They include fasting, solitude, silence, service, journaling, simplicity, rest, generosity and others. But none rise to the level of the big four: scripture, prayer, church and mission.

What is included in scripture, prayer, church and mission?

  1. Scripture includes reading, study, memorizing and meditation. Most people these days don’t engage deeply and consistently with the Bible. Scripture is foundational to everything else in life.
  2. Prayer includes set-aside times for prayer, along with praying repeatedly throughout the day. Note that those who don’t consistently set aside special times for prayer are unlikely to develop the habit of praying throughout the day.
  3. Church includes not only attending, but also being an active member of a Bible-believing Christian community. If all you do is sit in a church service once-a-week, despite this being a helpful starting point, you should not consider yourself as actually participating in this spiritual discipline.
  4. Mission includes sharing the good news of Christ with those who don’t yet know him and serving in various ways with the purpose of furthering God’s kingdom work in the world. A vibrant spiritual life repeatedly gets connected to mission in the Bible.

That’s it. Those are the big four. If you want your life to be modeled after the Bible’s own emphases, and if you desire to grow into a mature Christian man or woman, whatever else you do, attend to scripture, prayer, church and mission.

One necessary reminder: It is God who brings the growth. You cannot make yourself spiritually grow any more than vegetables in my garden (all three of them!) can make themselves grow. But you can engage in spiritual disciplines to prepare the ground for God to bring growth. Make sure your soil is well-tilled, give it plenty of water, and pull the weeds — but remember that God brings the growth. God, of course, is not reluctant; he wants to grow you. Your use of spiritual disciplines is a central means of cooperating with the work God is seeking to do in you.

What are the most important spiritual disciplines? They are the big four: scripture, prayer, church and mission.

This post and other resources are available at Kindle Afresh: The Blog and Website of Kenneth Berding.