We desire to be churches and communities that...Cultivate habits of prayer and spiritual practices, transforming our lives and communities by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God calls the church to live a life grounded in scripture, shaped by spiritual practices, and centered around intentional discernment. (Wondering what a spiritual practice is? Check out this article). Prayer and other spiritual practices deepen our relationship with God, both individually and in community, and allow us to connect with God and each other. These practices also give God space to work within us.
Scripture tells us that our relationship with God is built:
Through prayer;
- Through sabbath keeping (Ex 20:4);
- Through generosity (Prov 21:13, Luke 6:36, 12:33);
- Through engaging the Word of God (Ps 1:2, 2 Tim 3:16-17);
- Through community (Col 3:13, 6:2);
- Through listening to God in silence and solitude (Ps 46:10, Mark 6:31);
- Through self-examination (Ps 139:23-24);
- Through discernment (Prov 1:7, Prov 3:5-6, Romans 12:2);
- And through other spiritual practices that deeply connect us with God.
As congregations, we desire to grow in these spiritual practices. A variety of helpful resources from ReFrame Ministries, Thrive, and the denominational prayer shepherd can be found at crcna.org/resources to help us work towards this milestone. We also have many stories in the CRC newsroom about congregations and ministries working towards this goal. Here are a few to get you thinking:
