This is the second post in a mini-series on Spiritual disciplines. You can go back and read part 1: Foundations of Spiritual Growth for the Busy Homemaker. 
Last week we discussed that when it comes to our own spiritual growth, we do have an element of responsibility. But at the same time, it's only in God's strength and through His working that we grow. We rely on God's grace and grow through His strength...but we are also to be diligent in obeying His commands. 
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So how do we grow our faith? How can we get back on track in our Bible reading and prayer with the purpose of obeying God and drawing closer to Him?
Growth should be a normal part of our life
"Growth is also a normal expression of the Christian life. The New Testament writers assume growth and constantly urge us to pursue it. Peter urges us to 'Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ' (2 Peter 3:18). Paul instructs u that by 'speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ' (Ephesians 4:15)." - Growing Your Faith by Jerry Bridges
As Christians, when we look back and reflect on the past year or the past ten years, we should see growth in our spiritual life. We are not meant to be stagnant when it comes to maturing in Christ.
Of course, we do have times when we fall back into old sins or seem to be stagnant, but we shouldn't be okay with that. And it shouldn't become the normal in our lives. We should be striving to grow with each passing day, even when that growth is very slow and steady. 
"Spiritual growth occurs as a result of intentional and appropriate effort. The word intentional implies a diligent pursuit of a clear goal. Appropriate indicates that we must use the God-given ways of growth given to us in the Bible. We usually refer to these ways of growth as 'spiritual disciplines." - Growing Your Faith by Jerry Bridges
And that's what we are talking about today. Those disciplines that we practice such as Bible reading and prayer that draw us closer to God. 
We practice these disciplines because:
1) God has commanded us to 
2) They are the avenue through which God has given us to know Him more so that we can be transformed more into the likeness of Christ. 
Too often we wait for a "feeling" or a desire to want to read God's Word. We don't "feel" close to God so we don't pray or dig into His Word. But we shouldn't wait for these feelings, because they may never come or only seldom come. 
We disciplines ourselves to read God's Word and pray, not because we have to, but because we love God and are motivated to know Him more. Bible reading and prayer are simply two ways in which God has given us to accomplish that. 
Bible Reading
It's primarily through God's perfect word that we come to know Him more. We can observe God through nature and learn certain lessons, but it's only through God's word that we see the complete and whole story of who God is and His character. 
It is through studying God's Word that we come to know him more and more. It's through Scripture that we learn to put off the things of this world, to say no to ungodliness and to say yes to pursing a holy life more and more. 
"The primary means of growth God has given us is His Word. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:2 that 'like newborn babies, [we should] crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.' Although Peter does not explicitly use a word for Scripture, five commentaries I researched all agree that 'pure spiritual milk' is a metaphor for the Word of God.