Becoming Like Jesus: Spiritual DisciplinesSample

Heart | Desiring God

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus so we can love God and love others the same way Jesus does.

Loving like Jesus means loving God with everything we are—all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Spiritual disciplines help us become the kind of person who lives and loves like Jesus does.

Today, we’re focusing on loving God with all our heart—desiring Him above anything and anyone. How can Jesus’ habits help us do that? So glad you asked!

Let’s dive in.

Pray …

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to save me. I’m different because of Him. Help me to never forget Your love and Your grace. Show me how to live for You. I want to make Jesus’ habits my habits so I can grow as a disciple. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read …

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33 NIV

Consider …

The Scripture we just read is part of the Sermon on the Mount—a collection of Jesus’ most famous teachings. This sermon is special because it teaches us about the kingdom of God and what life is like when God is in charge.

When we love something, we seek for it. That means we go out of our way to look for it.

Jesus, in another place, talks about the kingdom of God like a buried treasure discovered in a field. The person who found the treasure got so excited that they sold everything they had to buy the field.

What’s something you value and desire that much, something you’d be willing to give everything to obtain? Maybe it’s popularity. Maybe it’s good grades in school. Maybe it’s the attention and affection of another person.

God wants to hold that place in your heart—to be first, to be valued and desired by you so much that you’d give anything to have Him.

Why? Is it because God is some insecure egomaniac? No, quite the opposite. It’s because He loves you. It’s because you hold that place in His heart. He values and desires you so much He was willing to give everything to have you.

So, if you’re reading right now and recognize that you’re seeking after something or someone other than God first, what do you do?

We make Jesus’ habits our habits. We practice spiritual disciplines. Two really helpful ones for reordering our desires are worship and prayer.

Worship: putting God first and giving Him your best.

Prayer: talking to God.

Jesus had a habit of seeking His Father and spending time with Him before He did anything else. He went to quiet, lonely places early in the morning to give God His first and His best (that’s worship).

When He went to be alone with God, He prayed. He talked to His Father.

When He taught His disciples to pray, He said:

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” Matthew 6:9-10 NIV

These habits of Jesus—worship and prayer—helped Him keep God first in His heart, even when He was tempted and suffering.

Allowing God to reorder our desires so we aren’t controlled by every whim and momentary want takes training and intentionality. But, if you make Jesus’ habits your habits, God will change you from the inside out so that you will desire Him more than the things of this world.

Your Father loves you. He knows what you need. And He wants you to love Him back. So, seek God with all you’ve got and make Him first in your heart.

Practice …

Let’s try this out. Here’s the prayer that Jesus taught His followers to pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Get somewhere quiet and away from distractions, just like Jesus had the habit of doing. Then, read this once.

Now that you’ve read it and seen all the words, read it again, slowly. Pay attention to the words and what it is that you’re asking God.

One more time, go through this prayer and make it your prayer today.

Now, head into your day looking for ways to love Him better and serve others.