CHAPTER 2: SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Spiritual growth is a transformative journey that deepens one’s relationship with God and aligns one’s life with biblical teachings. The Bible emphasizes the importance of spiritual maturity, encouraging believers to grow in faith, wisdom, and obedience to God’s Word.
KEY ASPECTS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
- Transformation through Renewal: Romans 12:2 speaks of being transformed by the renewing of the mind to discern God’s will.
- Growth in Faith and Knowledge: 2 Peter 3:18 encourages growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
- Fruitfulness and Character: Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit, highlighting qualities like love, joy, peace, and self-control that mark spiritual maturity.
PRACTICES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Prayer and Meditation: Engaging in prayer and meditating on Scripture (Psalm 1:2) fosters intimacy with God.
Studying God’s Word: 2 Timothy 3:16–17 emphasizes Scripture’s role in teaching and equipping for good works.
Community and Accountability: Hebrews 10:24–25 encourages believers to spur one another toward love and good deeds.
ENGAGING IN PRAYER AND MEDITATION FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Prayer and meditation are vital practices for fostering spiritual growth and deepening intimacy with God. The Bible encourages believers to seek God through these disciplines. Prayer for spiritual growth helps the believer to:
- Communicate with God: Prayer is a means of communicating with God, expressing thoughts, needs, and emotions (Philippians 4:6).
- Seek Guidance and Strength: Through prayer, believers seek God’s guidance, find comfort, and gain strength for living (Psalm 86:11).
- Pursue Intimacy: Consistent prayer fosters a closer relationship with God (Luke 18:1).
MEDITATION FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Meditation helps believers to:
- Reflecting on God’s Word: Meditation on Scripture helps internalize God’s truths and align thoughts with biblical teachings (Psalm 1:2).
- Contemplating God’s Attributes: Meditating on God’s character, promises, and works builds trust and awe (Psalm 145:5).
- Finding Peace and Focus: Meditation brings clarity and peace as believers focus on God’s presence (Joshua 1:8).
YOU ARE JUSTIFIED
What does it mean to be justified? It means to be declared not guilty. As far as God is concerned you are not guilty of any offence. The Bible says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). You have been justified.
Jesus took the punishment for your sins when He died on the cross, though He was not guilty of any sin (1 Peter 2:22). God is no longer holding your sins against you. The Bible says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).
BIBLE STUDY FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
If you must grow spiritually, you must give priority to the study of the Word of God. The Word of God is to your spirit what physical food is to your body. Eat the word, digest the word.
There are many Bible study methods, each with different aims and benefits. To have a balanced method of study, we need to both study the breadth of Scripture—seeing the big picture—and the depth of Scripture—seeing the details in every book, chapter, and verse.
All methods have their benefits, and so it is wise to at times employ various ones. I will be giving only three of them as I consider them to be more effective; you can study about others yourself:
Expository Method – It requires that one study a single book of the Bible deeply; for instance, you can have an expository study of the book of Matthew and so on.
Topical Method – The study of a specific topic such as faith, prayer, fasting, grace, etc., through the length and breadth of Scripture.
Read-the-Entire-Bible Method – One can decide to read the entire Bible in a month, couple of months, etc. You can as well decide to read either the New or the Old Testament in a month.
There are Bible reading plans that can help you finish reading in one month, two months, etc. when you follow them. You can decide to read the whole of the New Testament in one month.
PRACTICAL WAYS TO ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH
- Be disciplined and intentional – If you must make spiritual progress, you must be disciplined. Be disciplined enough to keep your phone away if it’s your major distraction; be disciplined enough to pray even when your body doesn’t feel like it. In this kingdom we don’t live by feelings. You won’t go far with God if how you feel dictates your spiritual activities. Do what you’re supposed to do whether the feeling is there or not.
- Have a system and a structure that will help you study your Bible and pray daily. You are to have a set time for daily prayer and study of the Word. The apostles had a time called the “hour of prayer.”
“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.” Acts 3:1 KJV
You can pray at any time, but make sure you have a regimented slot you can keep consistently. I suggest any time between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., depending on your schedule. - Be part of a spiritual community/company – It is too risky to live your Christian life in isolation. When Peter and John were threatened, they returned to their company.
“And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.” Acts 4:23 KJV
When Peter was in prison, the church prayed without ceasing, and he was released miraculously by an angel:“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” Acts 12:5 KJV
When Apostle Paul was stoned to death, the Bible told us he jerked back to life when he was surrounded by the brethren.And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:19-20 KJV.)
