To quote Wallis again, In giving us the privilege of fasting as well as praying, God has added a powerful weapon to our spiritual armory. In her folly and ignorance the Church has largely looked upon it as obsolete. She has thrown it down in some dark corner to rust, and there it has lain forgotten for centuries. An hour of impending crisis for the

We think about what we delight in. A man and woman who have found romantic delight think about each other at all hours. When we delight in God’s Word (because it is the revelation of God) we think about it; that is, we meditate on it, at times all throughout the day and night. According to Psalm 1, the result of such meditation is stability,

In one sense, of course, every Christian constantly witnesses. By our words and lives, at every moment we testify—well or poorly—to the power of Jesus Christ. But I am speaking now of witnessing by design, not by default.

Jerry Bridges said in this regard, I am very much aware that Scripture memorization has largely fallen by the wayside in our day. . . . But let me say as graciously but firmly as I can: We cannot effectively pursue holiness without the Word of God stored up in our minds where it can be used by the Holy Spirit to transform us. . . . I know it

This fact was affirmed by Maurice Roberts in an article, “Where Have the Saints Gone?” There will be no marked growth in Christian holiness if we do not labor to overcome our natural disinclination towards secret spiritual exercises. Our forefathers kept honest diaries where the soul’s battles were recorded. Thomas Shepherd, Pilgrim Father and

The Word of God is the “sword of the Spirit,” but if there is no Bible physically accessible to you, then the weapon of the Word must be present in the armory of your mind in order for the Spirit to wield it. Imagine yourself in the midst of a decision and needing guidance, or struggling with a difficult temptation and needing victory. The Holy

Sixth, the Spiritual Disciplines are means, not ends. The end—that is, the purpose of practicing the Disciplines—is godliness.

John Guest responds well to this temptation: “Discipline” has become a dirty word in our culture. . . . I know I am speaking heresy in many circles, but spontaneity is greatly overvalued. The “spontaneous” person who shrugs off the need for discipline is like the farmer who went out to gather the eggs. As he walked across the farmyard toward the

we tend to forget just how many times God has answered specific prayers, made timely provision, and done marvelous things in our lives. But having a place to collect all these memories prevents their being forgotten.