For most of us, renewal must be addressed every day. One does not “arrive” at a place of spiritual peace and simply remain there without regularly taking steps of renewal.
The reason this is true is everywhere around us: the continuous onslaught of noise, enticements, obligations, seductions, demands, and distractions that make up daily life. We have to find a way to come apart from all of that and renew the peace within us. Fortunately, the more steadily you go about this renewal, the more readily peace returns to you.
One tried and true method of renewal is to pursue daily spiritual practices, which can be almost any combination of silence or meditation, verbal prayer, sacred reading, sacred writing, art as worship, etc. Once you find a routine that works well for you, you will benefit most by daily attention to these activities, preferably at about the same time every day. Many people find that the first thing in the morning is best because it sets the tone and gets the day off on the right footing. It’s also helpful to find a short phrase or verse that particularly speaks to you, and call it to mind numerous times throughout the day.
In your daily renewal, as in all things, be intentional in asking for the Divine Spirit’s aid. You might even start with the direct request in Psalm 51:10, asking God to renew a right spirit within you.
