Spiritual Practices by Sue Palmer
Spirituality, or the spiritual life, “is simply the increasing vitality and sway of God’s Spirit in us.”1 The spiritual life is therefore dynamic, with God’s Spirit working in us to make us more like Christ in response to our thirst for God. It is a continual conversation between God and us, which brings about our increasing transformation as our relationship with God goes deeper.
What is this relationship like? It is a relationship where God reaches out to us and we in turn respond. But how do we respond? How do we communicate with God?
Spiritual practices are the tools at our disposal to help us regularly engage with God and to notice how grace is working in our lives. As the term implies, they are rituals or disciplines that we practice on a regular basis. They both help us grow in our relationship with God, but also help order our lives toward God. Yes, they include prayer, worship, and Bible study, which many of us already practice. But they also include fasting, hospitality, lectitio divina (spiritual reading), silence, discernment, contemplation, a personal Rule of Life, Sabbath rest, confession, and service. Many of the spiritual practices can be observed being used in the Bible and are still useful to us today as we seek to respond to, and grow into a deeper relationship with, God.
I encourage you to explore the various practices or disciplines and be intentional about using them. Our attitude can impact our actions so it is important to be sincere and aware of what our goal is for using them – they are not an end in themselves. Casual use will not benefit our spiritual growth. Practicing the spiritual disciplines takes time and effort but the result is that we open ourselves up to the work of the Holy Spirit and tend to the spiritual dimension of our lives.
“By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done. . . . [they are] the means by which we place ourselves where [God] can bless us.”2
“Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?” –Isaiah 43: 19 (MSG)
- Marjorie F. Thompson, Soul Feast (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995), 7.
- Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (Sna Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988), 7.
Click here to see Sue’s fascinating blog posts on Spiritual Practices.
- The Spiritual Practice of Prayer
- The Spiritual Practice of Hospitality
- The Spiritual Practice of Fasting-Part 1
- The Spiritual Practice of Fasting-Part 2
- Spiritual Practices for Times of Crisis
- Spiritual Practice: Praying the Labyrinth
About Sue Palmer
Sue Palmer came to the U.S. from England in her 20’s. She is a spiritual director and retreat leader, receiving her spiritual director certification through John Carroll University’s Ignatian Spirituality Institute where she also trained as a Silent retreat Leader. Sue has an MS in grief and bereavement, and has facilitated DivorceCare support groups. Her passions are to help people recover from loss, go deeper in their walk with God, and also, discover their creative potential. A former social worker, library assistant, and teacher, Sue is an award-winning non-fiction writer.
Sue leads retreats and workshops on a variety of topics including, Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Spiritual Practices, and the art of writing. Painting, mixed media, and knitting keeps her busy when not writing. Gardening and hiking keep her grounded in nature.
Sue is married with two adult children and, after living in 6 states, she and her husband Roger, reside in Cave Creek, Arizona, in the beautiful Sonoran Desert.