What can I do to grow spiritually?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Spiritual growth is not something we manufacture but something God produces as we walk in His ways and stay rooted in Him (Deuteronomy 30:16; John 15:5). God has given us all we need to grow spiritually. He has given us the ability to speak to Him in prayer and His Word. He has told us that those who meditate on God's Word become like flourishing trees sustained by His truth (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2–3). Spiritual growth is also nurtured through consistent rhythms of remembering Him, worshipping Him, and continually returning to Him in repentance (Deuteronomy 6:12; Psalm 51:10; Psalm 62:8). God has also given us community to grow together. As we do these things, we abide in Him and allow Him to produce spiritual fruit in us (Galatians 5:22–23). Even trials are not wasted, as God uses them to refine our faith, build endurance, and deepen our trust in Him (James 1:2–4; Job 23:10). He is faithful to bring our faith to completion (Philippians 1:6). So, for believers the question is not whether God will grow us—but whether we are positioning our lives to abide in Him, where real, lasting growth is inevitable.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Walking in God's ways helps us grow and experience the life and blessing God gives (Deuteronomy 6:5–7; 30:16).
  
• We know God's ways through His Word. God uses His Word to grow and shape us. In Joshua 1:8, we see that growth comes through meditating on God’s instruction day and night (Joshua 1:8), and in Psalm 1:2—3, we see the promise that the one who is rooted in God’s Word is like a tree that naturally flourishes.
  
• Parents were commanded to teach God’s commands diligently to their children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Spiritual growth was meant to be passed on through daily life, not isolated individual experience.
• Even without the Word fully written down, Israel was commanded to regularly remember who God was and what He had done (Deuteronomy 6:12). Worship through sacrifice, songs, and festivals kept hearts oriented toward God’s holiness and faithfulness (Psalm 95:1–6), which kept them reliant on Him and growing spiritually.
• The Psalms model honest, continual prayer—praise, lament, repentance, and trust (Psalm 51:10; Psalm 62:8). Spiritual growth happens as we bring our thoughts and emotions before God instead of hiding from Him.
• When people sinned, turning back to God was essential for restoration (Psalm 51). Growth includes ongoing repentance and returning to covenant faithfulness.
  
• God also uses trials to grow us spiritually. Suffering is not meaningless; it is part of God’s refining process (Job 23:10).
• Overall, spiritual growth happens as people trust God instead of relying on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6).
• Though there are many things we can do to grow spiritually, we must remember that God is the one who transforms the heart for believers by giving us a new hear and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Growth is ultimately the work of God’s grace in believers’ lives. He is the one who starts spiritual growth, and He carries it to completion (Philippians 1:6). Yet growth happens as believers actively cooperate with God’s work in them (Philippians 2:12–13).
  
• Spiritual maturity is described as fruit produced by the Spirit, not just human effort or behavioral change (Galatians 5:22–23).
• Abiding in Christ is key to growing spiritually. Growth happens by remaining connected to Him like a branch to a vine (John 15:5). Apart from Him, no lasting spiritual fruit can be produced.
• Daily surrender is the posture of growth. Discipleship requires daily self-denial and taking up the cross (Luke 9:23).
• Spiritual growth is cultivated through a life of constant dependence on God and is practically cultivated by living according to His ways, including spiritual disciplines that help us focus our lives according to God's ways. Prayer, for example, refocuses us and allows us to seek God's heart (Matthew 6:9–13; Mark 1:35). Studying God's Word is also important. Believers are called to let God’s Word dwell richly within them, allowing it to teach, correct, and train them in righteousness, not merely by hearing it but by actively obeying it (Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; James 1:22).
• Growth is strengthened through worship and regular gathering with other believers, just as the early church devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, and prayer, encouraging one another toward faithfulness and perseverance (Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:24–25). Fellowship and accountability also have a place in spiritual growth, allowing believers to confess sin, pray for one another, and grow through honest, Christ-centered relationships rather than isolation (James 5:16).
• Spiritual maturity is also expressed through obedience and active discipleship (John 14:15; Matthew 7:24–25).
• Growth also happens as believers serve others and use their spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10; Romans 12:6–8). This causes us to put to practice what we say we believe and allows us to be engaged in building up the church.
• Even trials play a crucial role in spiritual growth, as hardships are used by God to produce endurance, refine character, and deepen trust in Him (James 1:2–4).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

What does it take for a living thing to grow? Sunlight, water, nourishment, and the right environment. So spiritual growth requires elements to grow. God is ultimately the one who helps us grow spiritually. We don't create growth ourselves. This is important because He, like the sun, is our source of growth, yet we need other elements to position ourselves where that growth can actually happen. Regularly studying His Word, memorizing Scripture, praying, worshipping, walking in obedience, and staying connected to other believers are all ways that we can partner with God to produce growth in our lives. As we consistently place ourselves in those rhythms, God faithfully does what only He can do: He brings real, lasting growth from the inside out.

UNDERSTAND

• Spiritual growth is not self-produced—God is the one who transforms us.
• Growth happens as we consistently abide in Him.
• God uses all of life—including trials—to grow us.

REFLECT

• How concerned are you about your spiritual growth?
• How do you understand your role and God's role in spiritual growth?
• What practical things are you doing to seek God for spiritual growth?

ENGAGE

• What role do spiritual disciplines have in spiritual growth, and how does it relate to the work God does to grow Christians?
• How can Christians encourage others to actively participate in spiritual growth without implying that growth ultimately depends on human effort rather than God’s work in us?
• What role does community play in spiritual growth, and how can Christians encourage others to abide in Christ and seek to grow spiritually?