Practicing the Way: A Call to Intentional Discipleship

Lately, I’ve been diving into John Mark Comer’s book, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do as He Did, and let me tell you—I highly recommend this book! It is an eye-opening guide to true discipleship, urging us to move beyond simply believing in Jesus and to actively apprentice under Him. Comer lays out three primary goals of discipleship:

1. Be with Jesus – Cultivating an awareness of His presence in daily life.

2. Become like Jesus – Undergoing spiritual formation to mirror His character.

3. Do as Jesus did – Engaging in practices and rhythms that reflect His actions.

As I’ve been reading this book, I can’t help but reflect on how much we’ve neglected when it comes to following Jesus as He lived. We often assume that believing in Him is enough, but Jesus never called us to be mere admirers—He called us to be disciples.

Are You Being Formed by Jesus or Something Else?

One quote from Comer that deeply resonated with me is this:

“If we’re not being intentionally formed by Jesus himself, then it’s highly likely we are being unintentionally formed by someone or something else.”

Whoa. Let that sink in for a moment.

The reality is, formation is always happening. We are daily being “formed in to the image and likeness” of something. The question is—who or what is forming us? Is it Jesus, or is it culture, social media, entertainment, or even our own desires? Without intentionality, we drift. We don’t wake up one day as fully formed disciples of Jesus by accident. Discipleship is a daily choice.

It’s a choice to turn off the TV and open your Bible instead. It’s choosing to study Scripture with friends instead of just talking about surface-level things. It’s making time to break bread and share meals together, fostering real community the way Jesus did. It’s choosing to give a helping hand to someone in need, even when it’s not the most convenient thing to do.

Jesus Himself warned about this when He said:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24, NIV)

Could our lack of pursuit be a battle of affection—a tug of war between our love for God and everything else? Are there competing affections in your life that are pulling you away from Him?

The Need for Intentional Pursuit

The problem isn’t that we don’t love Jesus. The problem is often that we don’t love Him most. We want to follow Jesus, but we also want comfort, success, and control. But Jesus made it clear that following Him requires denying ourselves:

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.’” (Matthew 16:24, NIV)

Discipleship requires intentionality. We won’t just stumble into a deep relationship with Jesus. It requires setting aside time to be with Him, learning from Him, and aligning our lives to His way.

The Practices of Jesus

One thing I love about Comer’s book is how he emphasizes the practices of Jesus—not just His teachings, but how He actually lived. If we claim to follow Jesus, we should seek to live like Jesus lived.

So, what did Jesus do? Here are a few practices we see in His life:

1. Silence and Solitude – Jesus often withdrew to be alone with the Father (Luke 5:16).

2. Sabbath Rest – He modeled a rhythm of work and rest (Mark 2:27).

3. Scripture Meditation – Jesus knew and quoted Scripture regularly (Luke 4:4).

4. Prayer – He maintained deep intimacy with God through prayer (Mark 1:35).

5. Community – He did life with His disciples and shared meals with them (Acts 2:42).

6. Serving Others – He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and loved the broken (Matthew 20:28).

These were not just things Jesus taught—they were things He did. And if we truly want to be His disciples, we must learn to do them too.

Self-Assessment: Are You Really Following Jesus?

One of the most dangerous things we can do as believers is assume we’re closer to God than we really are. Spiritual complacency is real.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5, NIV)

How often do we take time to assess our walk with God? Are we truly growing, or are we just going through the motions? Do we spend more time scrolling than praying? More time chasing success than chasing Jesus?

Jesus isn’t looking for casual followers—He’s looking for committed apprentices.

A Call to Action

So, where do we start? Comer lays it out clearly:

1. Be with Jesus – Set aside time each day to be in His presence through prayer, worship, and the Word.

2. Become like Jesus – Let the Holy Spirit transform you from the inside out.

3. Do as Jesus did – Start practicing the rhythms and habits of Jesus in your daily life.

It’s time to stop being passive in our faith. Let’s step into a life of intentional discipleship.

Are you ready to truly follow Jesus?

From A Daughter’s Broken Heart

💔 Shae’

👉🏾📖Get your copy of John Mark Comer’s Book here. I’m excited to share this book with you because it’s been such a blessing in my own journey! If you decide to check it out through this link, I may receive a small commission—at no extra cost to you. It’s just a great way to support my blog while diving into a book that could encourage you too!