3 Essentials for Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth should be the goal of every follower of Jesus. What are the requirements that cannot be neglected to ensure spiritual growth?

Foundational

Before we define the three requirements, there are two obvious basics.

You must desire it. You won’t ever grow spiritually unless you want to. While this seems obvious, I have seen many people show no evidence that they desire spiritual growth. The desire to growth must be informed by knowledge. Spiritual growth requires work, perseverance, action and faith. If you will follow through on the three essentials I will share with you, you will grow.

You must also be surrendered to Jesus. It is impossible to grow spiritually if you are not surrendered.

Three Essentials

Bible Reading

When you read your Bible, you are hearing the voice of God. Think of God’s Word as God’s words. This is God speaking into our lives. He shares with us his values, his story and his plan. When you read you can expect him to change you even when you don’t immediately perceive it.

Five Guidelines for your Bible Reading

1. Be systematic. Random reading is not what is best. When you are systematic it aids your understanding of God’s Word. There are numerous Bible reading plans that are easily accessible so I won’t try to lay out plans here. It is, however, important that you find a way to read the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
2. Go deep. When you read go slowly enough to ask questions, to meditate on passages and to fully understand what you read. You will find that some passages are very challenging or even feel impossible to understand. And that’s okay. Keep reading.
3. Go wide. If you spend all your Bible reading time going deep, you will find it difficult to read the entire Bible in a reasonable amount of time, so you must also spend time reading the Bible at a normal pace. Reading the entire Bible helps you understand individual passages as well.
4. Read repetitively. When you finish reading it, read it again. It is the repeated exposure to scripture that helps us learn, so we must never stop reading it. Even when you have read a passage 100 times, you may find some new nugget of truth to apply to your life.
5. Read it increasingly. Here’s what I mean. When you start reading the Bible, it may be a challenge to finish it all in one year. However, once you have read it a few times and once you have established your commitment to following Jesus, you will find an increasing appetite for God’s Word. At some point, you should be reading the Bible more quickly, spending more time reading it. I know several people that read the entire Bible at least 10 or 12 times each year.

Prayer

The second essential is prayer. Spending time in prayer is a must. We must take time to communicate with God. The two elements of prayer are the devoted time of prayer and the prayer without ceasing.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:6 (ESV)

You need this one on one time with the Father.

pray without ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)

Of course, this doesn’t mean you spend all your hours in your prayer room. It means we are in constant conversation with God. There is nothing to trivial in your life that you cannot share it with Jesus.

Worship

The third essential is worship.

There are three vital elements for personal engagement in worship.

1. Worship expectantly. We should enter worship expecting to experience the power and glory of God. We should expect to express our deepest love and adoration for him.
2. Worship consistently. Worship should be a high priority in our lives. Nothing should keep us from gathering with other believers to worship. Worship is not an option nor is it simply a matter of convenience for a follower of Jesus.
3. Worship actively. You cannot worship as a spectator. You can express worship in many different ways, but worship must be expressed. Simply watching others worship is not worship. You must enter worship whole heartedly.

Get Serious about Spiritual Growth

When you engage in these three essentials, you will grow. I encourage you to turn these three spiritual disciplines into delights on your journey to spiritual maturity.