Recovering Sacred Rhythms
Christian Practices
Embrace timeless spiritual disciplines to nurture modern discipleship.
Ancient Practices for a Modern Church
The Christian Practices initiative invites pastors, ministry leaders, and believers to rediscover the historic rhythms of Christian spiritual life. Through practices like the Daily Office, scripture meditation, contemplative prayer, and faithful stewardship, we emphasize spiritual formation, leadership development, and accessible theological learning.
The Christian Practices initiative is a developing effort to help the church rediscover the spiritual practices that have formed disciples for generations. Through prayer, scripture, community, and faithful stewardship, we seek to cultivate spiritually attentive leaders for the renewal of the church. Our mission is to guide individuals and communities in cultivating a deeper connection with God, fostering a transformative journey of faith that is rooted in tradition yet relevant for today’s church.
The Prayers of the Daily Office
Throughout the history of the Church, followers of Jesus have returned again and again to simple rhythms of prayer and Scripture, allowing their lives to be shaped by God’s presence from beginning to end. The Daily Office gathers these rhythms into a steady pattern of Morning Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline.
There is something deeply grounding about knowing that you are not alone in prayer. At any given minute, tens of thousands of believers across the world are praying the Daily Office. As morning unfolds across different regions, the Church continues its quiet, steady conversation with God. When you open the Scriptures, when you pause in silence, when you offer your prayers, you are joining a rhythm that is already underway. You are stepping into a global and historic movement of prayer that has never ceased.
The Spiritual Formation Pathway
The Spiritual Formation Pathway is a simple visual framework that draws from historic Christian teaching about prayer, spiritual practices, and the transformation of the heart. It brings together biblical imagery, the rhythms of prayer taught by Jesus, and the classic Christian understanding of spiritual growth found in early Christian writers.
For centuries Christians have understood spiritual growth as a journey shaped by intentional rhythms of prayer and devotion. The Spiritual Formation Pathway illustrates how historic Christian practices help believers grow in their life with God.The image of a tree provides a helpful way to visualize this process.
The Roots: The Rhythms of Christian Life
At the foundation of the spiritual life are three rhythms taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Prayer • Fasting • Giving
These practices anchor the believer’s life in God.
Prayer cultivates communion with God.
Fasting trains the heart in humility and dependence.
Giving expresses love for others and trust in God’s provision.
Together these rhythms nourish the entire life of faith.
The Trunk: A Rule of Life
The trunk of the tree represents a Rule of Life.
A rule of life is simply a pattern of spiritual practices that helps believers remain rooted in Christ. It provides structure for daily rhythms such as prayer, Scripture reading, worship, and acts of generosity.
Rather than being rigid or legalistic, a rule of life creates space for a consistent and sustainable life with God.
The Growth Path: The Journey of Spiritual Formation
As the tree grows upward it reflects the historic path of spiritual growth described by early Christian teachers.
Purification
This stage focuses on turning the heart toward God and allowing Him to reshape our desires and habits.
Illumination
In this stage believers grow in awareness of God’s presence through Scripture, prayer, and reflection.
Union
The final movement describes a life increasingly rooted in communion with God and expressed through love for others.
These movements are not rigid stages but describe the gradual transformation that occurs as believers walk faithfully with God.
The Goal: A Life Formed in Christ
The purpose of spiritual practices is not the practices themselves. Rather, they are means through which God shapes the life of the believer.
As Christians remain rooted in prayer, guided by Scripture, and attentive to God’s presence, their lives are gradually transformed to reflect the character of Christ.
Christian Practices Initiatives
The Christian Practices Initiative is rooted in the formation pattern Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount. Through rhythms of prayer, fasting, generosity, and Scripture, believers grow in humility, love, wisdom, and union with God.
Online Bible Institute
Offering accessible biblical education, the Online Bible Institute provides courses that deepen theological understanding and scriptural knowledge for believers worldwide.
Church Encourager Initiative
Focused on leadership formation, the Church Encourager Initiative mentors ministry leaders through collaborative learning and support networks.
Kingdom Influence Project
Dedicated to contemplative leadership development, the Kingdom Influence Project equips leaders to integrate spiritual practices into their leadership roles.
Daily Spiritual Practice
Engage in daily prayer, scripture reading, and reflection to nurture a consistent spiritual rhythm.
Certificate in Christian Practices
The Certificate in Christian Practices is designed to guide believers into a deeper and more intentional life with God through the historic rhythms of the Christian life.
Virtual Church Spark
Support for pastors and churches seeking renewal through leadership coaching, digital ministry strategies, and practical guidance.
Kingdom Stewardship Initiative
Explore stewardship and discipleship initiatives that encourage living out your faith in everyday life.
Kingdom Encouragers Platform
Connect with others through shared spiritual practices and community support.
A Journey into Christian Practices Part 6 — The Practice of Lectio Divina
As we begin to establish rhythms of prayer through practices like the Daily Office, we are invited to go deeper in the way we engage with Scripture. Many of us are familiar with reading the Bible for understanding, studying it to learn its meaning and context. These are important and valuable ways of engaging God’s Word. But there is also a slower, more attentive way of reading Scripture that invites us not just to understand the text, but to be shaped by it.
This is the heart of Lectio Divina, which means “sacred reading.” Rather than approaching Scripture quickly or analytically, Lectio Divina invites us to slow down and listen. It is a practice of reading Scripture prayerfully, allowing a word or phrase to stand out, and then lingering with it. Instead of moving on quickly, we remain present, reflecting on what God may be saying and gently responding in prayer.
What makes this practice so powerful is its simplicity. You do not need a large amount of time or a deep level of expertise. You simply need a willingness to be present. As you engage in Lectio Divina, you begin to notice that Scripture is not only something you read, but something that begins to read you. It reveals what is happening in your heart, draws your attention to God’s presence, and creates space for a more personal and relational encounter with Him.
On the Christian Practices website, you will find guidance to help you begin this practice in a clear and approachable way. Whether you are new to Scripture or have been reading it for years, Lectio Divina offers a way to slow down and listen more deeply. As you continue this journey, the invitation is simple. Do not rush through the Word. Stay with it. Allow it to shape you over time, not just by what you learn, but by how you listen and respond in the presence of God.
Steve Lawes serves as the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church, founder of the Online Bible Institute Network, and leads the Christian Practices initiative through Tower of Praise, Inc. His heart is to help people grow in a steady and authentic relationship with God through simple, accessible rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and spiritual formation.
Walking the Rhythms of Grace Part 6 — Learning to Pray the Psalms
As the rhythm of living within the Word continued to grow, the Psalms began to take on a more central place in my life. I had read them many times before, but now I was beginning to experience them differently. They were no longer just passages of Scripture to move through. They became words I could return to, again and again, in every kind of moment. Whether I was aware of it at the time or not, the Psalms were teaching me how to pray. They gave language to what I was feeling, even when I could not fully express it myself.
What stood out to me most was the honesty of the Psalms. They hold together joy and sorrow, confidence and struggle, praise and questioning. There is nothing hidden. Nothing forced. Nothing polished for appearance. In them, I found permission to come before God as I truly was. Some days, the words felt like praise rising easily from my heart. Other days, they gave voice to confusion, weariness, or longing. Over time, I began to see that this was not inconsistency. It was formation. The Psalms were helping shape a life of prayer that was real, steady, and rooted in relationship.
As this rhythm deepened, I found myself wanting a simple way to remain connected to the Psalms throughout the day. Not just reading them once and moving on, but carrying them with me. This desire led to what would eventually become Daily Psalt Intake. It was not created as a system to follow, but as a way to stay present to the Word in a steady and accessible rhythm. A Psalm in the morning. A return to it during the day. A quiet reflection as the day came to a close. It was a simple pattern, but it created space for the Word to move from the page into the heart.
Looking back, I can see that the Psalms did more than give me words to pray. They helped shape how I related to God. They drew me into a rhythm that could hold both strength and weakness, clarity and uncertainty. They reminded me that prayer is not about saying the right things. It is about returning, again and again, to the presence of God. And through that returning, something deeper begins to take shape. Not just in what we say, but in who we are becoming.
Steve Lawes serves as the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church, founder of the Online Bible Institute Network, and leads the Christian Practices initiative through Tower of Praise, Inc. His heart is to help people grow in a steady and authentic relationship with God through simple, accessible rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and spiritual formation.