If there is one thing that sets apart spiritually stable people from spiritually unsteady people it is their participation in daily religious observances. It doesn’t matter what religion they belong to – it matters whether they willingly and consistently engage in personal acts of devotion. I got thinking about this after reading a comment from Peter Rival on this thread:
A parish that doesn’t nurture mid-week Mass attendance is one that will quickly see other practices fall to the wayside as well.
The principle there is applicable not only to parishes and attendance at Mass, but to many other contexts as well. It applies to parents who are seeking to help their children develop personal spiritual strength. It applies to individuals who are seeking spiritual growth. It applies at least as much to private practices such as personal scripture study and prayer as it does to public practices such as Mass or Bible study groups. The key, whether public or private, is that the practices need to be internally motivated (which is why the private practices tend to be a more accurate gauge of spiritual engagement than the public ones).
Those who wish to foster spiritual strength and growth, in themselves or in others, need to seek to nurture daily personal religious observances. The more someone engages in those behaviors the stronger their spiritual grounding will become. Correct beliefs are certainly helpful but the key isn’t belief, it’s steady action in spiritually nourishing practices.