In college, I remember telling a friend, “I feel like I’ve hit a wall. I’ve been a Christian as long as I can remember, but I feel stuck. I want to grow in my faith but I’m not sure how.”
I quickly learned that I was not alone. The feeling of being stuck in your walk with God is extremely common among believers. If you grew up in the church, this can happen as you get older and start to make your faith your own. If you become a Christian later in life, you might find yourself feeling this way after several months or years—once you’ve had a chance to settle in your Christian walk. After we’ve been through the initial excitement of conversion, and understood the basics of Christianity, we all tend to wonder where we go next. How do we grow in our relationship with God?
Why Does Growing in Your Faith Matter?
Spiritual growth in an important part of the Christian life. While our initial repentance and salvation is crucial, our faith is lived and worked out through the rest of our lives as we walk with Jesus. In 1 Peter 3:18, Christians are encouraged to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” This growth is typically referred to as sanctification, or the process of becoming more like Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Once you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you, and begins this work of sanctification. This is great news—growing in your faith is not up to you! As you work out your faith, it is truly the Spirit that is at work in you (Philippians 2:12). However, that does not mean you take no action. There are many things you can do to come alongside the Spirit and grow in your relationship with Christ. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of seven practical steps you can take to deepen your Christian walk.
Prioritize Daily Time with God
If you want to deepen your relationship with someone, it is vital that you spend time with them. Therefore, quiet time with God is essential to the Christian walk. Practically, this can look like carving out a set time every single day to study God’s Word. Using a Bible study or devotional are great ways to kick off this habit. You can also use The Daily Grace App for quick access to Bible studies on your phone, so you can prioritize time with God wherever you are.
Stay Rooted in Scripture
Scripture is not just something to read everyday—it is what we want to shape our minds, words, and actions. Being rooted in Scripture means not only knowing what the Bible says, but allowing it to permeate every single part of us. In addition to reading and studying the Bible daily, consider memorizing Bible verses using our verse cards. Memorization is a great way to grow in your knowledge of Scripture.
Develop a Consistent Prayer Life
Part of spending time with someone is talking to them, and we talk to God through prayer. You might be wondering how you can pray effectively. But the good news is, there isn’t a special formula that exists to make your prayers “better” or more likely to reach God. Your prayers matter to God because of the work of Jesus, who died to give you access to God (Hebrews 10:19). So simply pray, and pray often. Talk to God about everything—big or small—and trust that He hears you. For help and guidance on the topic of prayer, check out our Pray Bible study or our book of pre-written prayers and liturgies, Draw Near to God, as well as our upcoming Prayer Handbook!
Get Plugged Into Christian Community
One of the best ways to grow in your faith is to surround yourself with other Christians. And the best way to do this is through the local church. There, you can find groups of like-minded people to share your life with, older or more experienced Christians to mentor you, and other believers to encourage you and hold you accountable. To learn more about the value of Christian fellowship, check out Craving Community: A Bible Study on Friendship.
Serve Others with Your Gifts
An important though often-ignored part of growing your faith is service. Through serving others, we embody the nature of Jesus (Mark 10:45, John 13). As we use the different spiritual gifts we’ve been given to build up those around us, we also grow ourselves (Ephesians 4:11–16). Through service, we are often stretched and challenged to love others even when it is difficult, which is a key part of the sanctification process.
Learn to Trust God in All Seasons
Trusting God is vital for spiritual growth—especially during difficult seasons. The more you rely on God, the easier it becomes to trust Him, even in hard times. It may be easy to trust God when things are going well, but relying on God in challenging seasons stretches us and grows us. When we are in hard seasons, we can trust God by consistently reading Scripture, praying, and staying plugged into our community.
Reflect, Journal, and Set Faith Goals
Finally, you can grow your faith through journaling, introspection, and setting goals. Journaling is a great way to write out prayers, set goals, and reflect on who God is and how you have grown in your faith. Writing out prayers allows you to go back later and see how God has worked through your life.
Setting specific faith goals allows you to focus on ways you desire to grow. These goals can include daily quiet time readings, praying for others, praying with your spouse, attending church, etc. Then, reflecting on God’s character and your growth allows you time to appreciate all that the Spirit has done in your life, and how you have achieved the faith goals you have set.
After that conversation with my friend, I continued to press into these spiritual practices, and as I did, I learned that I always have room to grow in my faith. Spiritual growth is a lifelong journey, where the end goal is not perfection, but fellowship with Christ. So as you press on into your faith through the steps above, remember the goal: knowing and loving God more and more each day.
Hopefully, these steps provide you with tools and encouragement to persist in your spiritual growth. Remember that ultimate sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit within you. And know that as you follow these steps, we are here to help! Sign up for our email list for more encouragement and resources
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