{"id":11987,"date":"2025-04-02T12:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T18:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/?p=11987"},"modified":"2025-03-14T14:50:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T20:50:24","slug":"preparing-your-heart-and-ministry-for-easter-with-spiritual-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/preparing-your-heart-and-ministry-for-easter-with-spiritual-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing Your Heart and Ministry for Easter with Spiritual Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article was transcribed from portions of the Preparing the Way for Easter: Ideas for Posturing Your Heart and Ministry Toward Jesus. You can\u00a0watch the full webinar here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easter is my absolute favorite. And I think it’s because it’s had the most impact on my spiritual walk. From Ash Wednesday to Resurrection Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what I have found to be the most important way of posturing myself to help kids talk to and listen to God is to experience something. Spiritual practices or disciplines<\/a> help believers to be intentional in their time with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, we come before You humbled to be able to spend this time with You. Lord, we know Your Spirit is among us and we invite Your Spirit to speak to us right now. Lord, may we lay down before You, any anxiety we bring, any frustration, any worry, any joy, any excitement, whatever we are feeling or holding right now, Lord, we lay before Your feet so that we are completely open to what You have for us right now. Holy Spirit speak for we are listening. Amen.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What are spiritual practices?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you hear the words ‘spiritual practices’, what do you think of? There are some words that come to mind from Adel Calhoun’s book, The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook<\/em>. She says, \u201cit’s a place where we begin to notice God and respond to his word to us simply to keep company with God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spiritual practice, simply put, is time spent with God. It\u2019s time spent with God in an organized, yet Spirit-led way. It\u2019s not a program, it’s a practice. It’s something you’re invited in to. We’re simply meant to set the table for kids to keep company with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are we making space for kids?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word contemplation or contemplative comes up quickly when thinking about this. But instead of thinking kids simply are quiet, it means they are having a prolonged thought.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to remind myself that’s more about slowing down, not about complete silence. It’s all about helping kids notice God and providing space so that they can. That means physical space and space of time to slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit:Getty Images\/E+\/andreswd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why is these practices or disciplines important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, a dear friend of mine told me of this metaphor that her spiritual director used to help explain the importance of intentional spiritual practices. And this is what she said. \u201cSo, the Christian life is like being on a boat in a river. When we choose to walk with Jesus and accept him as a leader in our lives, we step into the boat. So we’re in the boat and because of the Holy Spirit in us, and while God’s amazing grace, the river’s current carries the boat down the river. So we’re moving, but we can do more than passively ride the current. We can put up the sail and the spirit’s wind will carry us farther and more swiftly. Engaging in spiritual practices is like putting up the sail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we participate in spiritual practices, when we keep company with Jesus<\/a> through intentional habits and practices, we submit to the Holy Spirit to power our journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spiritual practices are a way that slow us down so we can join God on how and where and when and why He wants us to journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does it look like to make space for spiritual practices or disciplines?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n