When you incorporate spiritual disciplines into your daily life it can change everything. While in Nicaragua I learned just how important spiritual disciplines are. Personally practicing these habits and rhythms provide the consistency in the relationship with Jesus that shifts and changes your view and circumstance. A few disciplines of the ministry in Nicaragua we practiced as individuals and as a group were:
- getting up at 5:00am to pray for two hours
- an hour of worship every day before going out and doing ministry
- Sabbath every week
- intercessory prayer once a week
There are many other spiritual disciplines, these are only a few we practiced over the past few months. Through them I learned that actively disciplining not only my body, but my spirit realigns my heart and mind to seek the Lord and focus on His guidance throughout the day. Consistency with these practices is leading me to awareness and growth in my faith as well.
Another interesting discipline we practiced as a group was a “Jericho March”. This was a spiritual discipline of coming together to focus on God and show up consistently day after day over the span of a week. The idea of a Jericho March relates back to the Old Testament when the Israelites faithfully marched around the town of Jericho asking God to give them the promised victory over the unconquerable city. On the 7th day, God tore down the walls of Jericho and allowed the Israelites to overtake the town. For our Jericho March we met at 7am daily for 6 days to march once around our dorm areas and boldly pray from a place of victory for God to tear down walls in our lives. On the 7th day we met at 7am and marched around the building 7 times in hope and confidence that God was going to do great things.
What were the walls we were focusing on and why were we even doing this march? While in Nicaragua my squad was dealing with a lot of sickness, skin diseases, demonic dreams, and so on. We were being hit by the enemy and instead of cowering away, we decided to take a stand from a place of victory over the enemy. The spiritual practice, following a daily commitment that required showing up day after day and seeking the Lord, took some discipline. It was not a one and done thing. It was consistently taking a stand and physically and spiritually showing up.
The Lord did in-fact tear down walls! Just not the ones we thought. The walls broken down weren’t necessarily what we had in mind, but walls were definitely taken down and our team was transformed. We became more unified as a team. We refocused our eyes on the Lord. We fought together against the enemy’s stronghold. Walls that were getting in the way of all that the Lord wanted to do were destroyed.
The power of creating, enacting and living out a practice of spiritual disciplines is truly important and can shape the season you are in. I am growing and learning so much and know that as I move through different stages of life I will pray about and act on consistent spiritual disciplines throughout daily life paired with disciplines specific to the time and place I am in. It’s the consistency in a relationship with Jesus that shifts and changes your view and circumstance.
