“but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ. to him be glory both now and forever. amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
A quick note to add: I want to humbly acknowledge that I am a sinner and far from perfect. By writing these faith-based blog posts, I am not trying to prove that I am a better Christian than anyone else. If anything, I am preaching to myself and sharing my personal journey and reflections. My hope is that my experiences and thoughts might resonate with others and provide some encouragement along the way to help you GROW as a Christian! 🙂
This post may contain affiliate links of products I use and love. You can read my full disclosure here.
As a Christian, it is commanded of us to increase our knowledge of our Father. The mission verse for our blog is “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18. That is a commandment, not a suggestion. Our job is not complete once we get saved and /or baptized. All the work (which was never promised to be easy!) starts after we are saved.
Jesus says in John 8: 31 “If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed”. We should want to be His disciples. So we have to continue in His word to grow in our commitment, knowledge, devotion, understanding, and love for Christ. To know the Lord is to love the Lord. The more we know him, the more we will love him, and the more we will grow.
Like everything in life, there are only two directions you can go and grow in your walk with God- downward or upward. Based on the actions we take with each decision will determine which direction we are going. Think of it this way- Imagine there is a straight vertical line where God is at the top, satan is at the bottom, and you are in the middle. Each time you make a Godly decision, you are moving up toward God and away from satan. But every time you make an ungodly decision, you are moving towards satan and away from God. I don’t know about you, but I want to constantly be moving toward God and far away from satan!
If you are more of a *visual* learner, see picture below for a better explanation of my demonstration!
Did you know that studies have suggested that adults make anywhere from 35,000 to 70,000 decisions per day?!
Some decisions are small and made automatically, that you do not even realize a decision was to be made. Others are more significant and require deliberate thought. That means somewhere between 35,000 to 70, 000 times a day we are deciding if we are moving in the direction of Christ or satan. What we decide in the thousands of decisions we make daily, in each aspect of our life, will determine which direction we will grow. This applies to decisions with work, relationships, health, income, studies, etc, and of course our walk with God.
It is quite black and white in Christianity. There are only two purposes for how we are conducting our actions. It is either to glorify God, or satan. Now I know what you are thinking- “I would NEVER do anything that would glorify satan!!” But that is how the devil is tricking you. He makes our sin seem so miniscule, so harmless, so innocent that we do not even realize what we are doing is not pointing others to Christ.
We may see it better if we categorize it as does this make me/ the world happy or God. A lot of the time, it will be the answer of ‘me’ or ‘the world’. We are called NOT to be of the world but set apart. Being set apart makes people notice. They will notice and comment on the joyful and loving spirit, servant’s heart, hospitable host, the kind giver, etc. When they notice these aspects, this is the perfect opportunity to be a witness for Christ. Walk through that open door of opportunity and tell them why you are full of joy, service, hospitality, kindness, etc.- because you have the love of Jesus in you!
I read a quote once in a book that said “When others see you, they should automatically think of the characteristics of the fruit of the spirit”. That impacted me so much. Even if they are not a Christian and have never heard of the fruits of the spirit, they should still think “she/he is loving, joyful, peaceful, has forbearance, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self- controlled” after they encounter us. We can only have those characteristics if we grow in our walk towards God.
Okay so we understand the importance of growing in our walk with the Lord, now let’s talk about how we can actively be growing with our Godly decisions 🙂
How to Actively GROW as a Christian
Daily Bible studies
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Timothy 4:13
One of the most essential ways to grow in your walk with The Lord is through reading his word. The word is how God speaks to us. If we do not engage in reading, then we are not allowing for God to speak to us.
We are not supposed to only read the Bible but we are supposed to study it. Reading His word is just informational, but studying His word is transformational. We want to transform ourselves to be more Christ-like.
Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
If you do not schedule an appointment with God at a specific time in your day, you will be more likely to not find the time to be with God in your Bible study. Think about what part of the day is the best for you to be alone. This may be in the early morning, mid day while on lunch break, or at night. I personally enjoy my quiet time with God in the morning before I go to work so I can start my day fresh and filled with the Holy Spirit.
I love this Bible because there are so many resources in it like devotions, commentary, explanations of each verse, Bible character biographies, and so much more! There are wider margins in comparison to my other Bible (which I use for going to church) to allow me to write notes in my study Bible.
Follow a reading plan.
Whether this is reading the entire Bible in a year, reading the new testament in a year, reading by topic, reading by Bible character, etc., find a scheduled plan to follow. If you try to go off of reading daily but have no direction or strategy, you are more likely to not read for that day. But if you are following a plan, you will be more motivated to read to prevent falling very far behind in the plan.
Get a resource for expanding your understanding of the word.
I really began enjoying reading the Bible once I found The Bible Recap resource. I enjoy listening to the podcast daily to gain understanding of the reading for that day. Most episodes are 10 minutes or less and there is a new one every day to go along with your daily reading following the plan I linked above.
There is also a physical book of The Bible Recap if you prefer reading over listening!
Use a resource to answer questions, respond to prompts, and provide insights on your daily Bible reading. This will demonstrate your learning and application of His word.
Need a resource? Enter your email here to receive a FREE Bible journal template to fill in each day after reading the word!
Prayer
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Daily Prayer
One of the pillars to gaining a personal relationship with God is daily prayer.
This is our privilege that He has granted us to have open, continuous conversation with Him. What other god, king, or ruler allows this?!
I have anentire blog post on how to GROW in your daily prayer, but here is a quick reference:
Let all your guards down, put away ‘fancy prayer language’, and simply have a conversation with God. As if he was your best friend who you feel so comfortable around to tell them anything with confidence that they will still love you no matter what you say. Because guess what? That is Jesus! Anything that is on your heart, tell it to the Father. He wants to know! Just like when we grow in our walk, we grow closer to knowing God, He also is growing closer to knowing us too! But we cannot hold things inside. He wants everything. Lay it at His feet and know that He is listening and loving. What a friend we have in Jesus.
Prayer Journal
We are commanded to pray daily and multiple times within the day. But it can get overwhelming to keep up with all the different things you need to pray for, how to pray for them, and recording prayer requests. The number one product that has increased my prayer life tremendously is a prayer journal. My sister- in- law gifted one to my sister and me a few Christmases ago. Now, we request it every year because we both love it so much.
I think every Christian, man and woman, would greatly benefit from a prayer journal. The journal I use has a new edition each year. Each journal has the months with specific prompts to fill in each month for you to pray about. It is so amazing to look back over the years to see how much my prayer requests have changed, all of the answered prayers, and the prayers that I am still praying now. I feel much more accountable to praying with this journal.
Inside the prayer journal, (see above) there are categories for you to fill in specific prompts (ex: prayers for the world, community, family, friends, etc.). I learned from a resource that comes with this prayer journal to start dividing my prayers between the days of the week. It can get overwhelming to try to pray for 7 pages of prayer requests in one sitting! So, I follow a prayer plan and divide the sections between the days of the week. I pray the outline of the Lord’s Prayer each day as well as for my family and very specific prayers. But each day has a specific theme that I pray for.
Before and after you read the word, you should pray. Pray before you read to ask God to make your heart acceptable to His word. Pray after you read about what you read to apply it to your life.
I am more accountable to praying after I read if I write the prayer in my prayer journal. My prayer journal (see above) has a ‘conversation’ section. I use this section to reflect on the passage of scripture I read for that day in prayer. It does not have to be long. Most of mine are anywhere between 2-5 sentences.
While I am reading, I am consciously trying to find God in the passage. Yes, He is the Word so of course He is there. But it can be difficult to truly notice Him in all the passages. So that is what my prayers for post reading are mostly about. Reflecting on how I found Him in the scripture for that day.
3. Church
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another : and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25
If you are not connected to a Bible believing church, please stop what you are doing and find one now!! Church attendance and connection is so important. You do not have to go to church to be saved, but it is vital in your growth as a Christian.
Get involved!
Many churches have great outreach events and programs. This is the chance to connect with more people and obtain a revived spirit. If you feel as though your church is lacking in their outreach program, step up and volunteer to initiate one (or at least volunteer to help someone else initiate one in the process). This is also a great time to invite others in the community who do not belong to a local church to your church! Remember, we are called to continue in his word. Be a disciple and fish for men.
Belonging to a local church is a key factor in learning more about Christ and the Bible.
There are other believers who are so wise and knowledgeable about the Word who want to share their understanding with you. Every church should feel like a safe space to ask questions and comment on aspects of your Christian life that you may be confused/ struggling with.
Join a class/ small group
This will deepen your understanding of the word even more. These smaller number groups allow for more open conversation and discussion to be more personal with your needs. It is also great for fellowship and accountability. This leads us into our next point, community.
Community
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
As a Christian, we are to be loving and kind towards everyone. However, that does not mean we are to be close friends and persuaded by everyone. We have to guard our hearts and minds away from the world. People are easily influenced by who we are surrounded by. We have to surround ourselves with Godly people who will help us grow in our relationship with Christ.
Finding friends who are considered ‘good friends’ in God’s eyes, are friends who will hold and keep you accountable to your walk with God. It might hurt to be on the receiving (and sometimes on the giving) side of if, but know they are doing it out of love for you. You should feel honored and relieved when you have a friend that is keeping you accountable. That means they love you so much that they do not want to see you fail. Proverbs 27:6- Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Fellowship is so healthy for our Christian spirits. I feel so revived and replenished after fellowshipping with other believers. It does not have to be fellowship that is always centered around church. It could be going on a walk, getting coffee, running errands, playing pickleball, hosting a game night, having dinner, etc. Whatever it is you are doing, you know you are in godly company.
4. Devotions
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Cultivating a strong spiritual foundation through daily devotions with God can be a guiding light, offering clarity, strength, and purpose to supplement and be another resource to grow in our walk with God. Taking part in reading devotions can help foster a deep, personal relationship with the Divine.
The intentional act of setting aside time to connect with God, to seek His presence, wisdom, and guidance creates a sacred space for reflection, prayer, and meditation that can be expressed via devotions.
The benefits of reading daily devotions extend far beyond the spiritual realm. By prioritizing our relationship with God, we invite His peace and comfort into our lives. The authors of the devotions are using the words that were inspired to them through the Word, prayer, and their own relationship with God to help us deepen our understanding of Him.
There are so many great devotions on the market. But it can be overwhelming. How do you know which ones are the level of study I need? How do you know which ones are aligned to my doctrine? How do I know which ones will actually help me dive into the word and not be surface level? It can be hard! Here are some of my favorite devotions that I have completed over the years! Some are physical books and some are websites/ apps that post daily devotionals:
I pray that this has inspired and motivated you to deepen your relationship with God and GROW in your walk with Him. Through studying the Bible, daily prayer, becoming rooted in a local church, finding a godly community, and reading devotions, I am sure you will grow to know God so much more.
And guess what? There is no limit to the growth. No one is finished growing in their relationship with God. We should be constantly learning more about Him and growing in our spiritual maturity everyday.
I am praying for your growth and hope you found this resource helpful. Please pass it along to someone you know would benefit from learning more about how to GROW in their walk with God!
Leave a comment below on how you grow in your walk with The Lord!
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[…] GROW in the fruit of the Spirit? Growing in the traits of the fruit of the Spirit is essential to Growing in your walk with the Lord. Demonstrating these 9 traits will set us apart as Christians to hopefully draw those who are […]
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