The Ritual in Faith

A mentor in faith recently mentioned his appreciation for the discipline other faiths have. When the call to prayer plays over the speaker, devotees unroll mats and drop to their knees. The beauty of Jesus is that our relationship with him is so intimate, so personal, that not all will hear the call to prayer when the Holy Spirit calls within us. But have we become so individualistic in our approach that we've lost the beauty of discipline in our faith walk? The flow of life cannot dictate our rhythms, otherwise we are subject to them. Faith should operate as as the anchor of our flow of life.

I realized a few weeks ago I haven't read my Bible in a long time. I started incorporating the ritual of reading Psalm 23 in the morning and Psalm 91 at night. Believers often mistake the concept of ritual for a religious one, akin to repetitive traditions that eventually become idolatrous or devoid of meaning. When instead, conquering our wayward flesh by incorporating designated, non-negotiable moments with the Word of God each day helps eliminate the propensity to wait for the Holy Spirit to seek us; instead, we choose to seek him right back.

Joshua 1:8: "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." 

-Written by Christy Bradley