DECEMBER – FAITHFULNESS
Faithfulness as a spiritual discipline is the intentional practice of remaining loyal and committed to our faith in Christ, demonstrating unwavering devotion to God through consistent actions and attitudes, even during challenging times, essentially viewing consistency in the practices we have studied as an active pursuit to deepen one’s spiritual life with God.
This month we will reflect on this year of strengthening our relationship with God through our monthly practices. This will be broken down into two parts: daily prayers and weekly readings with reflection questions.
Daily Prayers:
Start every morning and end every evening with a prayer. Begin your day by praying God will strengthen your faith through the spiritual disciplines you engage in throughout the day. End your day by reflecting on how you spent your time and the activities you engaged in and pray that all was done for the glory of God.
Weekly Readings: Week 1 (December 1-7)
Romans 5:1-1
- How has your relationship with God been strengthened through this year’s study?
- In verses 3 & 4, we see a progression from suffering to hope. What part do the spiritual disciplines play in this?
- Has your hope in Christ deepen or grown through your practice of these spiritual disciplines?
Week 2 (December 8-14)
James 1:2-27
- Has your faith been tested this year? If so, was there a difference because of these practices?
- Did the practice of spiritual disciplines help you become better doers of the word? If so, how?
- At the end of this chapter, James calls pure and undefiled religion caring for the less fortunate and keeping unstained from the world. How do the spiritual disciplines equip us to do this?
Week 3 (December 15-21)
Hebrews 12:1-11
- How is endurance necessary for remaining faithful to God?
- What practices this year have helped you increase your enduring faith? What can you do to continue in these practices?
- The Hebrew writer talks about discipline in the normal sense we think of it. Reflect on your own. In what ways has God disciplined you? What was the result?
Week 4 (December 22-28)
Galatians 5:16-6:10
- Do you feel you have grown in the Fruit of the Spirit through this year’s study of spiritual disciplines? Why or why not?
- How do these practices help us keep in step with the Spirit?
- Our Christian faith is more than what we do on Sunday. Have these spiritual disciplines changed your Monday to Saturday? Why or why not?
Week 5 (December 29-January 4)
Romans 12
- Did this year’s study make you a perfect Christian? (Trick question) Why must we continually renew our minds to know the will of God?
- How have these practices brought us together as a congregation? In 2025, how can you make plans to continue to grow with fellow Christians through these practices?
- Looking at the evil in our world, how do the spiritual disciplines help us to overcome evil with good?
Going Deeper
- Ask the questions from our January practices for each passage.
- Meditate on each passage being open to how you can share the gospel with those you interact with day by day (May’s Practices).
- Review your journal and all of the reflection questions you have answered over the year. Have any of your answers changed?
- Have your views of God changed after this study?
- What names of God do you use when you pray now? What does this say about your view of God?
- What do you need to add to your “spiritual autobiography” after this year?
- How have you seen God work through this year’s study?
- Reflect on steps you need to take in the new year to continue persevering in the spiritual disciplines we have practiced this year so you can continue to grow in your faithfulness.