Prayer for Spiritual Growth

 

    Life is never picture perfect.  You wake up.  You have a plan on how you are going to do better than yesterday.  You are excited.  You read your Bible and you prepare for the day.  Before you know it something happens to disrupt that perfect image.  You may appear calm on the outside, but you have lost your tranquility.  This is part of the spiritually growing process.  It will continue until the day comes that we no longer really notice the disruptions.

    The point is for us to give each other grace to be human and still in a relationship with Jesus.  We need to hold our peace no matter what other people do to us or around us.  The world will never be perfect until Jesus returns.  There is no point losing your self-control over that fact.  Instead focus on what you can do.  Focus on living in peace with other believers.  Pray for each other in love.

    Faith and love stem from hope.  The ultimate hope come from what we know about Jesus.  Our hope is rooted in our salvation.  This hope comes from Heaven and will give you strength if you will allow it to live within you.  It is time that we live like we are rooted in hope.  We are the truth in the flesh.  We should live out the gospel to glorify Jesus.

    Living out the gospel bears fruit in your life.  It helps you grow closer to Jesus and become that person you want to be in your heart.  Love overflows from the Holy Spirit in your heart to clarify that picture and help you live it out.  This is more than knowledge.  This is living out your faith in life and prayer.  It requires the willingness to grow and change.

    Pray for Spiritual growth and you will be thrown into some challenges immediately, but you are not alone.  Truth the process.  Don't try to avoid it.  Don't try to plunge through it.  Accept it and go at the pace of the Holy Spirit who will guide you through the disruption no matter what kind: mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual.  No matter what kind of conflict it is, it is meant to grow you spiritually.

    Pray for others to grow spiritually.  Some people get stuck where they are and complacent about change.  Sometimes they need other people to pray for them, so that they can grow.  Pray for unbelievers to go through what they need to go through to be open to Jesus.  It takes spiritual wisdom to know how and when to pray specific things upon other people.  However, if it comes from a place of love, then it is never wrong.

    This is how we live a life that is pleasing to God.  His strength gives us endurance and patience.  Be joyful and have thanksgiving over the fact that you will never face anything alone.  He rescued you from the darkness and moved you into the kingdom of Jesus, the light.  You are redeemed, so don't look back to the darkness and think that you are still there.  Don't think that you are alone.  You are free and loved and united through redemption.

    Jesus is the head of the church.  Evil can enter a building, but it can never enter Jesus.  Fortify your church in Jesus to be protected from evil.  The church is the believers, not the building.  He is the only one that can free any of us from the evil that tries to claim us.  

    Evil is trying to destroy the church because of how powerful we can be if we acknowledge the power of God.  A faithful life redeems us from accusations, but not suffering for Jesus.  No matter how much you suffer, you can still rejoice because your soul is secure.  No matter what proclaim the truth, admonish evil, and teach using wisdom through the Holy Spirit.  Perfection is awaiting us. We just don't have it yet.  

Colossians 1