The Upper Room Disciplines 2016

Book excerpt: The word discipline stirs up many feelings—anxiety or anticipation, dread or excitement. Yet spiritual disciplines (or practices) can give structure to our Christian life and help us grow spiritually. The practice of setting aside a regular time to spend with God—reading scripture, praying, meditating on God's message for us—is one of the most helpful disciplines Christians can undertake. Let The Upper Room Disciplines help strengthen your daily walk with Christ. This award-winning daily devotional guide features 53 writers from various Christian traditions and locales. Writers for 2016 include Elaine Stanovsky, D. J. del Rosario, Mary Donovan Turner, Thomas R. Hawkins, Linda Douty, Juan Huertas, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, and Heather Murray Elkins. The Upper Room Disciplines offers us the annual gift of deciding to be disciplined—to schedule and practice daily attention to God. We can choose whether to accept this invitation. When we do, Disciplines grants us the opportunity to meet the living presence of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the one who creates, redeems, and sustains us through all the seasons of our lives.