The Reformed Life

A Guide to Spiritual Growth Through Word, Ordinances, and Prayer

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” — Acts 2:42

There’s something beautiful—and profoundly countercultural—about God’s plan for how His people grow. In a world obsessed with innovation, performance, and emotional highs, the Christian life is sustained not by flashes of spiritual novelty, but by steady, Spirit-empowered, Christ-centered means that seem—at first glance—remarkably ordinary.

And yet, God delights to do extraordinary work through these ordinary means.

What Are the Ordinary Means of Grace?

The phrase “ordinary means of grace” refers to the regular, God-appointed channels through which He communicates grace to His people and grows them in Christlikeness. These include:

• The preaching of the Word
• The ordinances (baptism and the Lord’s Supper)
• Prayer

Nicholas Batzig says, “The means of grace are God’s appointed instruments by which the Holy Spirit enables believers to receive Christ and the benefits of redemption.” He adds, “God assigned the Word, sacraments [ordinances], and prayer to be the foremost means by which He communicates Christ and His benefits to believers.” 

The 1689 London Baptist Confession summarizes it this way:

“The outward elements in this ordinance, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to Him crucified that they truly, though figuratively, represent Him… The grace belongs to the spiritual realityof the thing signified.” (LBCF 30.7)

In other words, these are not empty rituals. They are real means by which God nourishes and strengthens His people. The Westminster Larger Catechism similarly states:

“The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of His mediation are all His ordinances, especially the word, ordinances, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.” (WLC Q.154)

Let that sink in: God is not distant or abstract—He meets His people through the ordinary rhythms of Word, table, and prayer.

Why These Means Are Essential

We often fall into the trap of thinking that spiritual maturity is a product of effort, insight, or intensity. But God has given us His way of growing us: the ordinary means of grace.

John MacArthur writes, “Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by feeding on the Word, participating in the body, and depending on the Spirit.”

Grace doesn’t float down to us randomly. It flows along God’s chosen paths—those means He has promised to bless. These are your anchor when life feels unstable, when emotions betray you, or when spiritual disciplines feel dry.

A Closer Look at Each Means

1. The Preached Word

The Reformers reclaimed the pulpit because they understood its power. Preaching is not a TED Talk or spiritual encouragement—it is God’s appointed way of speaking to His people. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Mark Dever puts it succinctly: “God builds His church through His Word.”

Preaching is not primarily for inspiration but transformation. Even when the preacher feels weak or the listener distracted, God’s Spirit works through the Word to pierce, correct, convict, and comfort (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Every Lord’s Day, Christ Himself feeds His sheep through His Word.

Sadly, Robert Vandoodewaard says, “the very Word of God has become underrated.” Christians ought to treasure God’s Word because we know, as Peter said, we “have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God (1 Pet. 1:23).” 

The Westminster Shorter Catechism catches this thought when it says, “The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching, of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.” 

2. The Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Baptism is the sign of entrance into the covenant community, the public identification with Christ and His church. The Lord’s Supper, on the other hand, is the regular meal by which the church is nourished and sustained. These two serve as “visible words,” as Augustine once stated. 

Too often, the table is reduced to a mere memorial. But the New Testament gives a deeper picture: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16)

While the elements remain bread and wine, the Spirit feeds us with the benefits of Christ as we eat by faith. It is not a mystical change of substance, but a supernatural means of grace to strengthen weary saints. 

William Barcley writes, “The Lord’s Supper…is an external, physical confirmation that I belong to Christ and that Christ has given himself to me.” Paul David Tripp reminds us, “The table is not for the strong. It’s for the weak who know they need grace again today.”

3. Prayer

Prayer is the breath of the Christian life. In the corporate gathering, prayer is not filler or formality—it is fellowship with the living God. Whether it is a pastoral prayer, intercession, or confession, these are sacred moments in which we participate in Christ’s priestly ministry.

Prayer aligns our will with God’s, deepens our dependence, and reorients our affections toward heaven. Paul writes, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful (Colossians 4:2).” Christopher Gordon writes, “That believers have the ear of God and are invited to cast their cares upon the Lord because He cares for them is the most remarkable of all blessings.” 

And yet, prayer is one of the most neglected spiritual disciplines in the Christian life, often reduced to a last resort instead of a first response. Gordon asks, “Are Christians stifled in their holiness because few are asking God for help in sanctification?” 

Anchored in Ordinary Grace

The Christian life is not sustained by sensationalism but by steadfastness. The ordinary means of grace are your weekly anchor because:

• They recalibrate your heart to the gospel.
• They root you in the life of the church.
• They reassure you that God is at work even when you don’t feel it.

They teach you to trust God’s promise more than your performance.

Perhaps that’s why Paul instructed Timothy not to invent new strategies, but to “preach the Word… with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The road to vibrant, enduring faithfulness is not paved with innovation, but with repetition—week after week, the Word is proclaimed, the table is set, and the prayers are offered.

Don’t Despise the Ordinary

You may not always feel it. Some Sundays you may walk away tired, distracted, or discouraged. But remember: God works even when you don’t see it. He is anchoring your soul through His means.

Mark Dever once said, “If you want to be a strong Christian, don’t just go looking for the right book or the right podcast. Find a faithful church and show up every week.”

Show up. Listen. Eat. Pray. Trust. There’s power in the ordinary—because it’s ordained by God.

Reflection Questions

• Am I regularly submitting myself to the preaching of the Word?
• Do I treat the Lord’s Supper as a nourishing grace or a church ritual?
• Is my life shaped by prayer both privately and corporately?
• What might change if I began to build my week around the Lord’s Day?

The means are ordinary. The grace is not. Anchor your soul in what God has promised to bless, and rest in the Savior who meets you there.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Josh Chambers

Want more Biblical truth for everyday living? Consider subscribing below! Thanks for reading!