Presence & PowerSample

TRANSFORMING PRESENCE

How are we transformed?

We are active par­tic­i­pants with God, invited into rela­tion­ship with Him and transformed as we spend time in His presence. Philippians reminds us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” This process of becoming more Christ-like is a jour­ney of seeking deep­er intimacy through spiritual disciplines. Richard Foster, in his book ‘Practising the disciplines’ breaks these down into three areas: Inward, Outward, and Corporate disciplines. The inward disciplines we do privately such as meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. The outward is based on how we live our outer life, such as simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. The corporate disciplines are how we live as a family, such as corporate worship, celebration, guidance, and confession. These disciplines don’t transform us in themselves but place us under God’s transformative presence, they teach us how to walk like Jesus.

Today, consider your inward, outward, and corporate disciplines as you spend time with God. What if you were to score yourself out of 10 in each of these? Remember, there is no condemnation for those in Christ, and the desire to grow in these disciplines is great. Pick one or two spiritual disciplines you would like to develop and plan how you may build new habits in these areas.

Tip: involve someone else in your decision, challenge them to do the same, and keep each other accountable for your decision.