All of these practices are avenues to connect with God and grow deeper in faith, each with particular strengths for unique personalities and in various seasons of life. The corporate disciplines are practiced with others in a fellowship of faith, including confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. The outward disciplines are active practices that seek simplicity, solitude, submission and service, behaviors which help connect our hearts to God. The inward disciplines are practices like meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, which guide us into individual moments alone with God. Foster divides the spiritual disciplines into three distinct categories of looking inward, working outward, and participating in community (or corporate) disciplines.

Richard Foster, in his landmark book on spiritual practices entitled Celebration of Discipline, introduces readers to a variety of faith-cultivating activities that redirect our anxious hearts back to God. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:4-5). As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. Jesus encourages us to stay in fellowship with him, finding our strength and vitality through his nourishing, faithful presence.

Apart from our connection with God, life’s challenges can feel overwhelming. In Jesus, our lives are supposed to be transformed and produce good fruit cultivated by the Holy Spirit. God invites us to a life of divine connection, growing in him as the true vine. In our busy world, many things compete with our attention to God.

Richard foster disciplines