We have been looking at ways to measure our spiritual growth. We talked about yearning more and more for heaven, being more forgiving of others, becoming more aware of God’s work in our lives, growing in our appreciation of the Bible, having our worship become more God-centered, being more sensitive to sin and becoming quicker to forgive others as signs we are growing spiritually. We’ll look at 2 more signs this blog:
8. Are you becoming more aware of how great and powerful God is?
Ps 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Isa 64:8 Yet, O Lord , you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
2 Cor 12:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Phil 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Is God ‘growing’ in your life? We know God doesn’t grow, He doesn’t get bigger. He is as big as He can possibly be and
He has always been that way. But when we grow in our faith we become more and more aware of what a wonderful, awesome, all-powerful God He is! As we see evidence of His sovereign control day after day our concept of Him gets larger and larger.
Does God seem greater to you now than He did in the past? Are you continually seeing more and more ways He controls everything? When God gets bigger in your life your faith and trust in Him grow as well. We have big faith in a big God, but only small faith in a small God. Is your faith and trust in God growing as well? That shows that God is becoming greater and greater in your life.
If you are more aware than you used to be of how great God is, you are growing spiritually.
9. Is your prayer life becoming more personal and stronger?
James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Do you find yourself talking to God more than you used to? Is prayer more natural, something you do throughout the day without even realizing it at times? Does talking to God about things come naturally to you, something that automatically happens? Are your first thoughts about asking God for wisdom or taking to Him about the problem you are facing?
Do you find yourself talking to God about all kinds of things, not just asking Him to do things for you? Is your prayer more centered on God Himself instead of what you want Him to do for you? Do you feel more comfortable praying than you did in the past?
When a relationship grows people learn to communicate better. Do you find your prayer life becoming more personal and stronger? If so, you are growing spiritually.
(If I can answer questions or offer personal counsel, or if you would like a free copy of my Spiritual Warfare Handbook, email me at Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org or download it from http://sw.christiantrainingonline.org/. My next book, Spiritual Warfare in the Bible, which is a more advanced treatment of spiritual warfare, is also available there for free.)