River City Christian Podcast Prayer, Fasting, and Meditation
Here are some ideas to practice the spiritual discipline of prayer:
o Use the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (making your requests).
o Join the Prayer Ministry on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in Room 200 at the church for a time of praying with other believers.
o Keep a prayer journal, listing both prayer requests and answers to prayer.
Some suggestions for practicing the discipline of fasting include:
o Doing a partial fast by not eating any solid food for a day or a particular period of time.
o Doing a partial fast by skipping just one meal.
o Doing a partial fast by not eating meat on a certain day of the week.
o Cut out all caffeine or all processed sugar for a week as a partial fast.
o Doing a full fast by only consuming water for a day or a period of time.
Please note:
o We strongly suggest you consult your physician before participating in any form of fasting.
o When fasting, allow the discipline of giving something up to remind you to take time to pray throughout the day.
The following are ways you can practice the discipline of meditation with scripture:
o Read a verse or a short section of scripture multiple times.
o Read it aloud multiple times.
o Read it slowly, phrase by phrase.
o Memorize a passage of scripture that specifically speaks to you.
Here are some ways you can practice meditation through nature:
o Take a walk through nature and ask God to speak to you through that time.
o Find a quiet place to sit in a park or your backyard. Look at the flowers, trees, and sky and think about how creative and powerful God is.
o Before going to bed, take a few moments to walk outside and look up at the moon and stars. Contemplate how big and powerful the Lord is to create the whole universe.
o Intentionally use your senses to connect with God. Listen carefully to the birds singing or the waves of the ocean crashing on shore. Smell the roses. Pet a dog or a cat. Feel the bark of a tree. Taste honey and read Psalm 119:103. Look at the towering mountains or at the intricacies of a leaf.