Spiritual Growth Part 2

    Salvation is only the beginning.  Once you receive salvation, the relationship with Jesus begins.  You will be put into the fires of life pretty quickly to burn away all the things that keep you from being who God created you to be.  The Holy Spirit is with you ever step of the way to help you grow in grace and knowledge of the Bible.  When you start understanding the Bible, you start to understand who God really is and your wisdom develops.

    To follow Jesus is to grow in your faith.  Your faith grows as God's grace is poured into your life.  You see it for what it is because you are spending time in your Bible getting to know God.  Trials push you into growth or to run away.  If you choose growth, then you will find it through prayer and Bible Study.  

    Prayer develops your relationship with God through communication.  The more you pray the easier it becomes because you are getting to know your creator.  He loves you more than anyone ever could.  Understanding that is humbling.  He knows everything there is to know about you and He still reaches out to have a relationship with you.  He meets you where you are and helps you find your way.

    Jesus is God and he prayed.  He was not in Heaven with his father.  He was on Earth reaching out to people to show them the way.  He prayed to have communication with his father.  By doing so, he taught people how to do the same.  Prayer is real.  It is powerful.  It is life changing.  It is intimate.

    The power of prayer is knowing that God will respond.  The closer you are to God, the more intimate your prayers become.  You pray knowing that God will respond.  It develops adoration.  When you sin, you confess to get clean again.  You proclaim thanksgiving.  You give God your supplications.  Prayer is the most powerful thing you can ever do.  You can't help but grow spiritually if you pray to get to know God better.

Matthew 6:7-15, Mark 1:35-39, Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:11-13, Philippians 1:3-6, Colossians 1:9-10, & 2 Peter 3:17-18