This article originally appeared on Curt Landry Ministries.
*Note: This is the first of a two-part series.
Spiritual disciplines are habits and patterns that produce spiritual maturity and growth. They feed your faith and starve your fears. As I have been discussing spiritual warfare, we will further discuss the spiritual disciplines—habits and patterns—that prepare and protect you and your family from enemy attacks.
There are seven tips I want to talk to you about that you can come into agreement with for spiritual discipline. And these are just easy things that you can practice.
I know you’re born-again, you’re saved, you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, but now we’re coming together, Jew and Gentile, as One New Man. And when we do that, the Lord says He wants to do, according to Ephesians 3:20, “exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think.”
We’re stronger together than apart. And so, there are some things that we do. They’re not legalistic, but they’re things we can do that are habits, patterns and reminders that help us stay in that overcoming spirit of spiritual warfare. Again, spiritual disciplines are habits and patterns that produce spiritual maturity and growth that feed your faith and starve your fears.
7 Tips to Help You Walk in Spiritual Discipline
- Create a Routine
It’s important to create a routine in your life that fosters spiritual discipline and grows your faith. That’s one of the reasons I personally (if I’m here and I’m in town), I’m always in House of David for Shabbat. I’m actually not legalistic, but we have been Shabbat-keepers, Christie and I, for more than 30 years. If you get into the habit of the routine, it becomes familiar and you honor the Lord’s Day.
- Have Quiet Time
You need to give yourself quiet time with the Lord intentionally. Start by spending 10 minutes. Listen to worship and music, pray out loud or quietly, and decree Scriptures. Spend your quiet time as the Holy Spirit leads you. But choose this, every day, saying, “You know what? I’m going to have a quiet time. I’m going to disconnect, and I’m going to reset.”
- Read God’s Word
The Word of God is living and powerful. One of the things I do is I never put anything on top of my Bible. I don’t put my phone. I don’t put keys or other books or anything. Because, for me, it’s just this, and I’ve been doing it for 33 years, is that the Word became flesh, and it dwelt amongst us.
So, in my mind, out of respect for Jesus and respect for what He did and paid for, for me, I just don’t put anything on top of the Word. But when you read the Word, you need to understand, it’s like no other book you read. I love to read. I have different reading things. I read secular stuff and business things, and I encourage you to have a well-rounded experience. But at the same time, when I put everything at the top of the funnel of my mind, I filter it through the Bible. Constantly. When I read something, I hear something, I say, “Well, where is that in the Word?”
And it’s funny with Christie and I because we have a friend that has a business, and I don’t want to say he’s not saved, but he’s not really walking in the Spirit as we do. And so, he’s going through his business and how they do business. He’s extremely successful. And as he went through some business things when Christie and I were with him, and I think sometimes we drive him a little bit crazy. I almost feel like we’re on Jeopardy. He’ll say this, and then both of us are going like, “Oh, oh, oh. Yeah. As a man thinks in heart, so he is. Oh, oh, oh. Yeah. Meditate on the Word of God day and night. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.” And it’s almost like we’re sitting there on Jeopardy and go, “Okay. Another Scripture for 200, please.”
But what happens is that’s how we’ve programmed ourselves in our minds. We work with secular people. I do consulting with them. And what I’m always looking for is, if you understand that you’re doing it scripturally, it increases your faith and gives you a deep peace of mind that God’s on your side. Moses said, “Listen, God. This job’s way too big for me, but if Your presence goes with me, I’ll be fine” (I’m paraphrasing right here). Moses said, “If Your presence doesn’t go with me, I just can’t do this.”
So, a lot of times, it’s just being able to read the Word of God. That is a turning point of transformation because God’s Word will speak things into existence. His voice changes and transforms your mind. His Word gives birth to abundant life. And without the Word in your soul, really, you have no anchor. And without the Word, you are tossed to and fro, and you’re turned in every situation. So, God’s Word is a sword for battle.
- Blow the Shofar
Blowing the shofar is interesting. Blowing the shofar releases powerful spiritual protection, according to Numbers 10:9:
- “When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.”
It says that by sounding the trumpet or the shofar going to war, you’ll be remembered before the Lord your God. And understand that there is a spiritual battle set before you every day. The enemy is always looking to devour you.
Blowing the shofar creates an awakening in your soul and an awakening of the Word that you speak in the Courts of Heaven. Because the Scripture says that the angels of the Lord harken onto the trumpet. When they hear the trumpet, and they hear the Word that’s being spoken, then they have to show up and perform it.
Curt Landry, founder of Curt Landry Ministries, and his wife, Christie, travel extensively, preaching and teaching about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Together, their passion is to empower families to live and leave Kingdom legacies and understand their own personal heritage.