If you follow Jesus, I’m guessing you want to grow closer to God each day. But how? What does it actually look like to grow spiritually?
While spiritual growth is a lifelong process, there are steps you can take today to fuel up and get moving—to start or continue the journey with Jesus. One of those steps involves prayer. Below, you’ll find five example prayers inspired by God’s Word to help you become the person God made you to be.
What Is Spiritual Growth?
Spiritual growth can feel like a vague concept, so let’s try to make it more practical. Everyone is uniquely made by God with a purpose: to know God’s love and become more like Him each day. Is that still a little hard to grasp? That’s okay; let’s break it down further.
Two thousand years ago, God came to Earth in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect human life. He treated others with kindness, showed grace to people in crisis, and never even once gave in to sin. Fortunately, we get a glimpse of His incredible life in the Bible. So if we want to grow spiritually, prayer and reading about the life of Jesus are great places to start.
What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Growth?
Even though Jesus lived a perfect life, He still needed to experience spiritual growth. Look at this statement written about Jesus’ time as a child and young adult:
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 NIV
What exactly did Jesus do to grow spiritually? We don’t know the details, but He certainly developed a strong habit of prayer and a deep understanding of Scripture. These spiritual practices helped Him resist temptation, remain confident, and bless those around Him.
So how do we grow spiritually? We look for opportunities in our daily lives to imitate Jesus. We pray for others, speak truth, pursue peace, resist sinful desires, and invite others to know the love of God.
Growing spiritually takes daily effort and focus. It’s a process that takes a lifetime—but it’s worth it. Why? Because God made you with a purpose, and the closer you grow to Him, the more joy and meaning you’ll find.
5 Prayers for Spiritual Growth
These example prayers are tools to help you begin your time with God. They’re not quick fixes or a replacement for intentionally being present with God.
1. A Prayer for Spiritual Growth
As you grow closer to God, you’ll develop qualities that reflect His character. These attributes are often called the fruit of the Spirit. If you’d like God’s help to develop more love, patience, faithfulness, and self-control, then try this example prayer:
Dear God, I’m ready to take responsibility for my own spiritual growth, and that starts with coming to You for help. I need You. Make me open and receptive to Your Word, and may Your love shape my daily actions. I’m confident that You can cultivate the fruit of Your Spirit in my life. Help me fully surrender to You as You do that, knowing that it’ll lead me to a closer relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
2. A Prayer for Spiritual Maturity
All of us start our faith journey as spiritual children. But we don’t want to remain children; we want to grow and become mature spiritual adults. Here’s an example prayer for spiritual maturity:
Dear Father, please provide me the strength to grow in spiritual maturity and deepen my understanding of You. Help me be humble and ready to change, so that my actions better reflect Your love. Please bring people into my life who can help me become more like You each day. In the name of Jesus my King, amen.
3. A Prayer for Greater Knowledge of God
God is infinite, but He wants to be known. While we can’t know everything about God, we can take steps to get to know Him better each day. As we do, we’ll experience greater peace, joy, and purpose. Here’s an example prayer to help you get to know God:
Lord, please help me get to know You more. I know that You’re infinite and beyond what I can fully understand, but I look forward to going deeper with You day by day. I’m so thankful that You love me and want a relationship with me. Help me to continue seeking You all my life, and bless my efforts to get to know You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
4. A Prayer for Other Christians
Your relationship with Jesus is personal, but not private. We need other followers of Jesus to help us grow. We also get to encourage the spiritual growth of others. Here’s an example prayer for fellow followers of Jesus:
Jesus, please provide strength to all Your followers. Help us find our hope and purpose in You. Please unite us with Your unfailing love, and help us support one another as we spread that love and make the world better together, one day at a time. In Your all-powerful name, Jesus, amen.
5. A Prayer for Spiritual Humility
All of us have room to grow. But it’s almost impossible to make progress spiritually if we lack humility. Let’s pray that God would help us see our needs, our weaknesses, and the opportunities we have to change.
Holy Spirit, please give me the gift of humility. Help me see that I need to grow. Please teach me to be gentle and selfless. Help me show love and understanding to others so I can be more like You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Experience Spiritual Growth
God invites all of us to know Him, so anyone can pursue spiritual growth. Are you ready to keep seeking ways to become more like Jesus each day? If so, what’s your next step? It depends. Because we’re all on our own unique spiritual journey, comparing our faith with others is usually unhelpful.
To discover your best next spiritual step, ask God about it. Maybe it’s developing a new spiritual habit, confessing a sin no one knows about, or finding a way to serve others. It might feel difficult or uncomfortable, but there’s a worthwhile reward on the other side. For some ideas of what you could explore next in your journey, click the button below.