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Hello Great Family,

We have already spent the first month of 2023.  How are you doing so far?  There are still eleven months left this year to develop as a disciple of Jesus.  

When it comes to your relationship with God, it can be overwhelming knowing what to do or how to navigate the next step. Here are five spiritual disciplines to help grow your walk with God written by Summer Darland and shared on the cru.org website.

Read Your Bible - The Bible is compelling, isn’t it? It’s hard to determine where to start, what to read next, how much you should read at one time, whether to read the Old Testament or the New — the list can go on. There is an acronym that could help you when it comes to opening up your Bible: O.I.A. This stands for observation, interpretation and application.

Another important thing when it comes to reading your Bible is to memorize Scripture. When we memorize Scripture, it becomes permanently lodged in our brain. God can remind us of scriptures in the Bible as we process things or talk with someone, and He can prompt us to share those scriptures with them. Some good next steps could be to set a reminder in your phone of a specific scripture and read it daily or post notes around your house. Anything that you will see and read every day could be helpful in memorizing Scripture.

Pray. Always - God wants us to talk to Him, and He wants us to talk to Him about everything. There isn’t anything that is hidden from God. There isn’t anything that surprises Him.  Participating in a prayer walk can be a great way to connect to God and pray for someone around you.

Fast - Fasting puts us in the place of trusting God to fulfill our lives, and yes, that includes the physical feeling of hunger. It can be a challenge to fast away from food, but it doesn’t have to be just food. You can fast from other things in your life as well. Maybe you need to take a break from social media or your favorite streaming service. No matter what it is, this spiritual discipline encourages spending time with God, either in the Bible, in prayer or in worship. 

Worship - Worship can be more than singing or playing an instrument, although that is a great way to worship God. Everyone has different ways they feel connected to God. For some, it could be a music playlist, for others it could be a hike in nature. This is a time to show love and adoration to God.

Journal - If you are on the artsy side or process your thoughts through writing things down, journaling could be the perfect spiritual discipline opportunity. Take a moment to write a journal prayer, or jot down things you are grateful for. Being able to look back on the ways God has worked in your life can be a great reminder of His love and care.

These five spiritual disciplines can be a good way to grow your walk with God. Choose one of the suggestions above and share with someone who can help keep you accountable. Disciplines can be hard to do alone, and working with others can encourage consistency and build a closer connection with God.

We continue our study in the book of Romans this Sunday.  Please read Romans 9:6-29 in preparation.  We will also be observing communion early in the service so arrive on time and be ready for God's abundant blessings!

God Bless,
P.D. (Psalm 139)