spiritual disciplines Why do you do them?

[rmoore1021]

Examine your motivations for practicing spiritual disciplines, such as reading God’s Word, praying, serving, sharing the Gospel, etc. Why do you do them? Have they become “mechanical”?

 

[Lively Stone]

The motivation is the love we have for the Father, the love He gives us for the lost, and the desire to please God. I think sometimes it can become mechanical for us, but when that happens, we need to ask God to help us to stir up our faith, and remember why God calls us soldiers.

We need to remember how Paul encouraged young Timothy. Genuine faith needs stirring up at times:

2 Timothy 1:5-8a
[sup]5[/sup] I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. [sup]6[/sup] This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. [sup]7[/sup] For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. [sup]8[/sup] So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.

 

[sashka]

Examine your motivations for practicing spiritual disciplines, such as reading God’s Word, praying, serving, sharing the Gospel, etc. Why do you do them? Have they become “mechanical”?

First, I believe that none of those are disciplines. Those are acts that we must incorporate into our lives as Christians. They are things that we must discipline ourselves to do so after they are not disciplines.
If we need motivation to do these things then as Lively Stone said:

The motivation is the love we have for the Father, the love He gives us for the lost, and the desire to please God. I think sometimes it can become mechanical for us, but when that happens, we need to ask God to help us to stir up our faith, and remember why God calls us soldiers.

We need to remember how Paul encouraged young Timothy. Genuine faith needs stirring up at times:

2 Timothy 1:5-8a
[sup]5[/sup] I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. [sup]6[/sup] This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. [sup]7[/sup] For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. [sup]8[/sup] So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.

A spiritual discipline is fasting for example. May I add it is the hardest discipline.