FRIDAY
Mark Sayers helpfully divides the patterns of our lives into three categories:
- Formational Patterns that align us with reality
- Discipleship Patterns that align us with the kingdom
- Influencing Patterns that align us with God’s mission
These are patterns like resting, asking for help, time management, community engagement, working diligently, delayed gratification, wise relational decisions, wise wealth decisions, healthy rhythms of work and rest, etc.
These are patterns like prayer, Sabbath, church attendance, worship, Bible reading, Bible study, serving, etc.
These are patterns like evangelism, calling, sacrificial love for the poor, etc.
Many of feel as if our life patterns are out of sync with reality. Undue stress and anxiety are often the symptoms of this. Adding discipleship patterns just freaks us out and stresses us out even more. So, if you want to pray more, step one is to better manage your time and develop a pattern of carving out time for prayer.
Remember, we aren’t driven by our logic or thoughts nearly as much as we are by our loves—our desires, our passions, and our wills. The heart, as the wise old troll in Frozen says, “is not so easily persuaded.” In fact only God can change our hearts. When God changes our hearts, our wills must still be formed through the process of discipleship. The formation of our wills is a reciprocal cause-and-effect relationship.
To help form our wills toward God in discipleship, we must change our patterns of life. This takes intentional time and practice. However, if your heart is not directed towards God and you develop healthy formational patterns of time management, you won’t use that additional time for prayer. Instead you will waste it with social media or online shopping or tinkering around the house. On the other hand, if your heart doesn’t desire time with God now, you need to spend more time with him to see how valuable it is. Through the pattern of prayer, you eventually begin to desire it more and more. This is the reciprocating relationship of discipleship patterns and desiring God.
What are some counter-formational patterns you need to develop this year to help form your desires towards Jesus’ definition of the good life?