NEXT STEPS FOR SPIRITUAL VITALITY

Has it ever felt like your spiritual life is stagnant or just not relevant to your life? If you're interested, we can help you reflect more deeply on Christian faith and identify some new spiritual practices. But, while you're at it, what if you could explore parallel areas of wellbeing and growth in a way that reflected back positively on your spiritual life as well?

Throughout history, Christian spiritual leaders have understood that faith is not isolated from the rest of who we are and what we do. It is all connected from the way we care for our bodies, share in relationship with others, manage our finances, nurture our minds, and tend to our emotional life.

It's about seeking wellness across our life.

Be sure to explore the interactive page below and then scroll down to the bottom of this webpage for additional details and resources. You can also return to the wellness home page.

DAILY DEVOTIONS

There are many alternatives for daily devotions. Here are some to consider.
  • Our Daily Bread app – providing a way to connect with God daily through Scripture and insights
  • God Pause – devotionals delivered to your email written by alumni of Luther Seminary
  • Henri Nouwen – daily meditations on the writings of Henri Nouwen, that take less than a minute to read.
  • Best 10 Bible Study Apps – “10 best” Bible apps named in 2022.
  • Ground Up Grace – Ground Up Grace is a ministry that provides podcasts, daily texts, and other resources to help people experience gracious freedom in Christ. The authors were directors of Mount Carmel Bible Camp Family ministries in Alexandria, MN for almost 30 years.

MEDITATION APPS 

Meditation is sometimes associated with a variety of religious and non-religious traditions. In the Christian tradition, it has been used back to the earliest centuries of the church by monastic communities as a way to reflect on scripture more deeply, listen for God's direction and contemplate the mysteries of faith and life. Time for quiet reflection, even apart from a specific religious intent, can center us and bring calm and insight in the midst of our busy lives and help our mind, emotions and soul become more grounded. For people of faith, we trust that God is at work in and around us throughout our lives and can be present with us in these times of silence and reflection.

All of the apps below offer some free resources while others require a paid subscription to access their full content.
  • Ritual app – We all face a variety of wellbeing needs — Ritual offers a full spectrum of practices that can help. There are an incredible range of practices that can help to boost and sustain your wellbeing – and they can be found in secular, spiritual or religious forms. Practices work for you when they meet your wellbeing needs and resonate with your identity and beliefs. That’s why Ritual doesn’t focus on just one type of practice, like mindfulness meditation. Instead, we share a diverse range of wellbeing practices and then help you find what works for you.
  • Hallow app – This Catholic-based app is a great way to incorporate prayer and meditation into a busy schedule, noted to cross denominations because of its variety of prayer types. The "Daily Conversation" and "Daily Gospel" are free and accessible to anyone regardless of background. These use an ancient Christian approach to reflection on scripture called Lectio Divina. Find whatever connects with you in this app.
  • Abide app – This app reflects a different piety and faith tradition from Hallow. Explore some of the guided meditations and prayers and see if this is a fit for you. Experiences include Bible and sleep meditations meant for reflection and bringing you closer to God, while preparing your mind for better sleep.
  • Calm app – Calm is a popular, non-religious meditation app. If you're simply seeking time for reflection and quiet, this may be for you.