Spiritual formation refers to the process by which our interiors are shaped be like Christ (Gal. 2:20, 4:19, Eph. 3:16-17). Just as Christ reflected the image of God perfectly (John 12:45), we are called to be conformed to His image (Ro. 8:29). Robert Mulholland defines it this way: Spiritual formation is a process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others (from Invitation to a Journey).      Spiritual Formation is often thought of as a set of practices or disciplines. Yet that is not the full story.  Spiritual disciplines and practices are a means of intentionally engaging in relationship with God, so that our presence and responsiveness to God and His interactions grow to resemble that of Jesus Christ’s.        Ultimately, the goal of Spiritual Formation and its practices is to cultivate obedience to Christ and His Word so that we learn to live our lives as Jesus would if He were in our circumstances. Spiritual formation is important because it uses practices to allow an individual to join God in His work of transforming the soul, growing our awareness of the loving presence of God and our responsiveness to it.   See also our article on spiritual formation.