by David Mathis

We all have habits, good and bad; practices that work their way into the daily routines of our lives.

You might start your day with a cup of coffee. Maybe you go on a walk or a jog everyday. You bite your nails when you’re nervous. You check your social media every 20 minutes. An hour of TV before you fall asleep. You hum when you’re bored. You sleep in on Saturdays. The list goes on and on.

We are creatures of habit. We all have practices and patterns sewn into the fabric of our daily routines, and rarely does a day go by that we break from that routine.

In his new book, Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual Disciplines, David Mathis explores the idea that it is through three rather normal and routine habits that God gives us direct access to his love and his grace. It’s through three seemingly normal practices that God offers us the joy of knowing his Son.

Hear His voice. Have His ear. Belong to His body.

These three simple practices; hearing God’s voice through His Word, having God’s ear through the act of prayer, and belonging to His Body in fellowship with believers, are the foundation of the Christian life. They are the conduits of God’s grace to His people.

In this book, Mathis sets out to underscore the importance of these habits of grace, or spiritual disciplines, in the life of the believer. He wants us to know the great delight of enjoying Jesus through the simple habits of reading the Bible, praying, and being with believers. I believe that he does this in a compelling, simple, practical, and biblical way.

Mathis writes, “My prayer is that this approach will help to make the means of grace, and your own habits that develop around them, not just accessible and realistic but truly God’s means of your knowing and enjoying Jesus.”

If you’re like me, you know that you need to read your Bible habitually, pray constantly, and surround yourself with believers regularly, but you don’t always do it.

Between our busy schedules, our mounting to-do list, our scattered minds, and (ultimately) our sinful bent towards prioritizing lesser things over God, we neglect our bibles, we forget to pray, and we isolate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ. In doing so, we disconnect ourselves from the means of joy and grace that God makes available to us.

If we’re honest, we can admit that we all have days and seasons of disconnectedness. That is why we so desperately need God’s grace every day.

Read this book and be reminded and encouraged that we have a God who speaks to us through His Word, who hears and listens to our every prayer, and who has called out a people for himself who are able to stir up one another to love and good works. Cultivate these habits of grace and you will inevitably grow in loving and enjoying Jesus.

You can pick up your copy of the Habits of Grace at Books by the Park. For more book recommendations to help you build your personal library, please visit our website.

About the Author

David Mathis is executive editor for desiringGod.org, pastor at Cities Church in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and adjunct professor for Bethlehem College & Seminary. He is author of Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines.

About the Reviewer

Dan Schillero joined the pastoral team at Parkside in 2013. He and his wife, Emily, also recently became first time parents to a baby boy, Leo. Along with spending time with his family, Dan loves reading, running, playing basketball, and cheering on the Cavs.