Spiritual Growth
All living things grow and God wants every believer in Christ to grow as well. We are called to “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ( 2 Peter 3:18, NLT). That comes as we learn about putting off old habits, surrender our lives more and more to God’s control, understand and practice more of what the Bible says, and let God’s Spirit change our character. To do this, we need to learn and practice new ways of living so that we can be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:23-24, NIV)
One of the best ways to grow deeper spiritually is to develop the habit of spending time “with God” each day. That would mean setting a priority to take five to ten minutes in refocusing on God, His plan for your day (and your life!), and maybe getting your priorities reset. There are hundreds of resources out there, and we have chosen a few that can get you started on this. It’s the beginning of the year and it would be great to build on your commitment to Christ by reading one of these guides each day!
We know that we are all in different stages of our spiritual growth. Some of us are “walking” (we are learning what this is all about). Some are “running” (more in tune with God) and some are “flying” (feeling really strong about my faith). Find your “place” and use these helps to grow,.
I’m Walking: Quiet time with God is a bit unfamiliar to me. How do I start?
Not sure you’re even walking yet? If you’re skeptical of the Old Testament stories that sound like fairy tales or are stuck on the rules that come with being religious, here’s some good news: following Jesus requires faith, but not faith in a book, a list or rules, or even a particular religious system. This reading plan presents a starting point for faith that may finally be something—or more specifically someone—you can believe in.
Already convinced but ready to start a quiet time? Then Our Daily Bread is a great way to start a habit of quiet time with God. You can either read the daily devotionals on the website or listen to the podcast. Video options are also available. Set a reminder for yourself or sign up for e-mail reminders on the site.
If you are new to a habit of personal daily prayer, This article has some words of encouragement.
I’m Running: I have done daily devotionals before, but it is not a habit for me right now.
The Bible app from Life.Church (also available at bible.com) is a great resource for reading plans (devotionals). Start with the 30-Day Journey devotional and then explore other reading plans.
If you are short on reading time, put your commute to work by listening to the Drive Time daily devotional podcast from Saddleback:
The Essential 100 Challenge: Get an overview of the Bible… without getting bogged down. The Plan guides you through 50 Old Testament passages and 50 New Testament passages — The Essential 100 — so you can see the big picture of God’s Word, and form a daily Bible reading habit in the process. E100 is an achievable way to have a “through the Bible” experience; it’s the Bible reading plan people love to complete.
Our Daily Bread is another great option:
I’m Flying: I regularly practice daily quiet time with God. Challenge me!
The Desiring God blog has daily bible-based articles that dig into faith topics and tie the scriptures together.
Or choose an in-depth study of book in the bible or the nature or God on the bible app from Life.Church (also at bible.com):
Other Thoughts on Spiritual Growth
Grow on Purpose Topics