Spiritual growth is a progressive process that improves your spirit and soul from alienation status to a level of close relationship with GOD making it easier for you to represent Him in the public.
My interrogation with a small group of Christians shows that 70% taught confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is all about Christianity while 60% are not ready for the discipline associated with the spiritual growth.
Today’s message explains the importance of spiritual growth and the best ways to attain the glorious status.
5 Major Benefits of Spiritual Growth
1. Easier to know GOD deeply more than how anyone can describe Him to you.
2. You acquire great authority that silence any noise from the demons or the Devil.
3. Your spiritual strength and maturity make it easy for you to trek the rough road to heaven.
4. You won’t become lukewarm, Agnostic or Atheist in the future when the storm of life hits you.
5. Not only the power of the LORD but also peace and mercy would be your companion all the days of your life.
10 Steps to Spiritual Growth of a Genuine Christian
You’ll become a Christian when; you confess that Jesus Christ is your saviour, confess your sins to the LORD and take a bold step to repent from the iniquities through His grace and mercy.
So, the next stage is the growth of your spirit-man from spiritual infancy to maturity. The following are practical steps that can help you develop your spiritual being:
1. Change Your Mind-Set
Your orientation about the world must change. Take a firm decision that you are of the LORD and not for the things of this world anymore.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 JOHN 2: 15-17)
2. Separate to Reunite
Relationship with unbelievers or non-genuine Christians may be toxic to your growth. So, separate yourself from bad influences and make friends with God-fearing people. Your faithfulness to the LORD is non-negotiable!
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
3. Start a Prayerful Life
Learn to pray audibly when you are in your private place and silently in your heart when in public. If you devote more time for prayers, then you would receive more spiritual strength from the LORD. Always pray in the morning, afternoon and night.
4. Fast and not Hunger Strike
The major benefit of fasting is to avoid distractions of necessity such as; cooking, eating, thoughts about wears, money, social gatherings etc. Don’t fast if you won’t be in an environment that allows constant prayers. Learn from Moses, Elijah and Jesus Christ.
5. Eat Up Your Bible
You must intensify the act of Bible Study. Read and understand the Scriptures under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I always write notes because the Spirit of the LORD interprets the scriptures to me accurately.
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guides you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)
6. Constant Meditation
You cannot have a spiritual growth if the word of GOD did not reform your soul. Meditating the Word of GOD means digesting the scriptures you read. Always find a quiet place every day to meditate the scriptures.
7. Practice with the Sword
After meditation then the next step is practicing the holy acts. Set a strong determination in your heart that your life is all about obedience to the word of GOD and nothing else can change it.
8. Dig Out Your Talents
I discovered that when I use the spiritual gifts given to me by the LORD, my spiritual growth becomes conspicuous! So, always use your talents to make positive impacts in the lives of people.
9. Praise and Worship GOD
If you want to grow spiritually then do not joke with regular praise and worship to GOD Almighty!
10. Endure the Pains
The more you overcome trials then the stronger your spiritual growth.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Prayer Points for Spiritual Growth
Many years ago, when I fall as a spiritual infant, I cry out to the LORD to lift me up. HE lifts me up and I am happy today that I enjoy the spiritual maturity. So, I chose to share some prayer points the Holy Spirit told me when I always fall and rise. Please the prayers below are guide for you and not a prayer manual:
1. Father take away my heart of stone and replace with the heart of flesh in Jesus’ name.
2. Guide me to know how to remove the log of wood in my eyes.
3. LORD bless me with your divine power and boldness that overcomes temptation every day.
4. Always speak to me oh LORD, I want to hear your voice.
5. Open my eyes to see You in Jesus name.
6. Cast away the spirit of pride in me and give me your humble Spirit.
7. Help my unbelief and make my ear deaf to the devil’s whisper in Jesus’ name.
10 Signs of Spiritual Growth
Spiritual maturity is a gradual process related to your holy responsive spiritual growth, so some signs in your life to show that you are growing do not limit to the following points:
1. Humility and gentleness would be your character.
2. The attractive things of this world would make no sense to you.
3. You can forcefully rise up when you fall without blaming anyone or GOD.
4. Your body, soul and spirit will hate sin and love to stay holy.
5. No one can deceive or manipulate you to do the wrong things.
6. You’ll find it easy to pray, read the Bible, meditate and witness the Gospel.
7. Love, peace, joy and endurance would be your attributes.
8. You are not afraid of death because you are storing your treasures in heaven.
9. When you pray the LORD hears and your testimonies increases.
10. You neither reject GOD nor abuse Him when you go through tough and sad moments…
Bible Quotes about Spiritual Growth
1. “…beloved, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:17-18)
2. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)
3. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Timothy 3:16-17)
4. “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby…” (1Peter chapter 2)
5. “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2: 6-7)
6. “Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
7. “…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15)
8. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)
9. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15)
10. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
Spiritual growth is inevitable for any Christian who want to be victorious on earth. And it is a strong criterion to gain heaven because confessing Jesus Christ as saviour is not enough, you have to build a strong relationship with the LORD.
