Have you ever wondered what it takes to have spiritual maturity or how important it is in the Christian life?
If you have children who are old enough to be out on their own, you know it is important for them to grow up. You don’t want them to be constantly needing instructions on “do this” and “don’t do that.” There are some things they should have made a part of their daily lives just to survive in this crazy world we live in.
Likewise, we need to grow up as Christians. The spiritual world is much more dangerous than the physical world.
So as a child of God, you need to ask yourself this question. “What are some prayer points for spiritual growth that I need in different areas of my life?”
Prayer Point 1 – Deep roots
We will never grow up in Jesus if we do not have deep roots. But what does that mean?
Here is some insight from the book of Psalms and agriculture.
“Blessed is the man (or woman) who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither … ” Psalm 1:1-3 ESV
You see, trees that have plenty of water and deep roots weather the storms of life. They are mature and do all the things that God created them to do even in adverse surroundings.
Paul continued this theme on roots when he said,
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith … ” Colossians 2:6-7 ESV
So how can we pray for deep roots?
“O Lord, I know that all blessings come from you.
- Help me to not take my advice from those who do not love you.
- Help me to delight in your words and think about them off and on all day long.
- Help my roots to grow deep in you because you are the living water that I need.
- Help me to do the things you created me to do, producing spiritual fruit and standing strong.”
- Help me to be well established in the faith, in the gospel of Christ Jesus.
Do you see why this is a powerful prayer point? It is exactly what God wants for us.
Prayer Point 2 – Knowledge of God’s word
We can’t expect to have powerful prayers and grow spiritually if we neglect to get into the Bible.
- This is the place where God talks to us the most.
- This is where we gain knowledge of our Lord and find the power of the Holy Spirit.
- This is where we get our daily spiritual vitamins to stay strong.
“This Book of the Law (the Bible ) shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 ESV (explanation added)
Here is an example of how to pray for Knowledge of God’s word.
Dear Heavenly Father,
- Help me to hear your voice as I read your words.
- Give me a growing desire to read and study the Bible.
- Help me to see you as I read, and find your instructions for my life.
- Help me to think about your words throughout my day.
If you don’t have a regular Bible reading schedule I would encourage you to start today. The Creator’s Classroom has many free Bible reading plans to choose from. We also have free online Bible Studies which are easy for beginners but also dig deeper into God’s word.
Prayer Point 3 – Spiritual understanding
It is one thing to know what the Bible says. It is another thing to understand it to the point that we make it a part of our lives. The more we grasp it and take it to heart, the smoother our spiritual journey will go.
“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened (understanding), that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you … ” Ephesians 1:16 – 18a ESV
Spiritual understanding is important. When we comprehend the power of His resurrection in our lives, we will live differently. We will see spiritual development.
Dear Jesus,
- I ask you to give me your spirit of wisdom as I read your words.
- Open my spiritual eyes and heart to understand how it applies to my life.
- Grant me comprehension of the hope that you have called me to.
Prayer Point 4 – Knowledge of God’s will
Not only do we need to have a knowledge of God’s word and spiritual understanding, but we also need a knowledge of His will.
I am not talking about what college one should attend, or what house to buy. Yes, we need wisdom in these areas, but there are deeper issues within our “inner man” that need to be addressed.
Here are some Scriptures about God’s will.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40 ESV
Rejoicing in the Lord, praying throughout the day, being grateful for all God has done, renewing our minds by what we think about, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ is not only a good thing, it is God’s will.
Once we have those things down, we will understand that we can do God’s will regardless of what school we go to or what house we live in.
Here is a list of prayer points for knowing the will of God.
“Dear Lord,
- Help me to rejoice in you even when things are not going the way I want, even in the tough times because you are with me and we can talk about it.
- Help me to see all the things that you have provided for me or the ways you have protected me so that I will have a grateful heart.
- Remind me each day of the importance of Bible study to transform my mind. Help me to make it a priority.
- Give me opportunities to share the love of Jesus with others so that they too will believe in your death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins.”
- Thank you in Jesus’ name that you will give me spiritual wisdom for the choices that I need to make. (James 1:5)
Prayer Point 5 – Powerful prayers
Daily prayers are important. But this is not about a list we give to God with all the things we want like a child would send a letter to Santa Clause. God is not our cosmic genie in the sky.
Powerful prayers, ones that get answered, are when we pray according to the will of God. Besides the Scriptures listed in the section above, the more we immerse ourselves in the Bible, we will find our prayer time begins to change with less focus on ourselves.
We will begin to pray more like this.
- Praises to Almighty God for the blood of Jesus who has saved us (Psalm 92:1-2)
- Forgiveness for our own sins and restoration of a clean heart (1 John 1:9, Psalm 139:23-24)
- Helping us long for God’s word like a deer longs for water (Psalm 42:1-2)
- Growth in our Christian walk, living in a manner worthy of the Lord (Ephesians 4:1-3)
- Spiritual growth for our friends and church family. (Ephesians 1:16, James 5:16)
- Our friends who don’t know Jesus (1 Peter 3:9)
- The list could go on and on.
Prayer Point 6 – A closer relationship with Christ Jesus
Spiritual growth begins here. The longer we know Jesus the closer we should feel to Him.
One way to measure the quality of our relationship is when we see an increase in the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
We will see more of these in our lives.
- Love for others
- Personal joy
- Inner peace
- Patience with others
- And more.
Jesus said that when we abide in Him or stay close to him we will have much fruit in our lives. (John 15:4-5). Fruit is evidence that we have a close relationship.
If you don’t know Jesus, you probably have questions. The people at Chat About Jesus have answers. You can text, call, or chat with them online any time of the day or night.
To help remind you about the prayer points for spiritual growth, I have prepared this prayer prompt worksheet. It is a gift that you can download for free. No email is required.
If you are wanting more examples of how to pray Scripture for yourself for spiritual growth, this is available.
You might also like to read:
- Christian faith for beginners
- 36 free topical Bible reading plans
- Free Online Bible Studies
- Powerful prayers for beginners
- Powerful prayers for single women
- Praying Scripture, a powerful experience
- Her Secret? Pray about everything
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