Prayer That Encourages Ongoing Spiritual Growth Even During Times of Crisis and Pandemic

Monday June 22, 2020

Wisdom

ONGOING SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Who of us at the beginning of this year thought things would change as dramatically as they have in the past few months with the COVID-19 virus pandemic? We never thought we’d be in this uncertain new world feeling a bit vulnerable, often irritated (if you are me standing in line after line). Is it possible to experience the abundant life Jesus said He came to give us during this kind of a season? Is it possible to learn and grow, particularly now?

God tells us that what we choose is a significant factor in how we are experiencing abundance. Every day we must decide,

DO WE WANT ONGOING SPIRITUAL GROWTH

or are we just okay for the moment – sort of satisfied with where we are right now, how we are reacting, how we are making use of the opportunities even these days give us.

This is the growing season here in the Northern Hemisphere countries. Seeds have germinated, sprouted, and are growing and in a few weeks or months we’ll be able to gather in a wonderful harvest. Those of us who’ve planted seeds checked that they were in healthy soil and we’ll need to continue to week and water the plants as they grow.

It’s the same with us. God has planted the Holy Spirit in us and given us new life but we need to do some things to grow spiritually. The Bible describes it this way.

Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. But if you don’t grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven. My friends, you must do all you can to show that God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won’t stumble and fall.

2 Peter 1:5-10

So, let’s ask God His help so we do mature our faith and learn how to stand strong.

Loving God, We are so thankful for the new life that we have in Jesus, that our sins are forgiven, that the Holy Spirit has come to live in us, and that You are transforming us from the inside out so we more and more reflect Your character in all we do and say. That’s our desire – that in simple ways we choose to follow Your guidance and life Your will in all our affairs.

We need You to help us understand what that looks like in various scenarios but we know that the bottom line is that we are to live with goodness, wisdom, patience, self-control, devotion to God, being concerned for others, and in all things acting with love. Sometimes when I see lists like this I think, “Oops God. I think You chose the wrong person for that agenda” But You don’t make mistakes. You do love us and You have chosen us to display Your power. No matter how weak and useless we feel, You are able to help us grow into this kind of mature and loving person. As surely as one small piece of potato with an eye goes in the earth and grows over a few weeks to produce many potatoes, so we are going to trust You to use the pieces of our lives to make something good and useful for Your kingdom, and for blessing others.

Help us today to recognize what it is we need to know to make wise decision. Strengthen us to then carry out what we know from You to be the next right step. Give us hearts that make that move with joy and love in response to Your goodness and Your loving care for us. Fill us with faith that You are able to make something more than we can see today out of the actions we take under Your guidance.

Give me the knowledge to make wise decisions.

I trust your commands. Before I suffered, I did many wrong things.

But now I carefully obey everything you say.

Psalm 119: 66-67

Help us to steer clear of things that would poison or make our hearts and minds impure or full of doubt. There are so many influences in the world around us that keep our thoughts outside of the way You show life to be pure and holy. As surely as a gardener pulls out weeds so the good plants have plenty of the right soil and room to grow, so we want to keep our minds and hearts clear of the garbage the evil one would like to plant in us. Lord there are simple choices about things we watch on television or our phones that either fill us with good things from You or with evil things that You tell us in the Bible You hate and that destroy us. Help us, even though so much of our society lifts up these things as entertainment and good recreation, to stand against these media and messages, and to keep our focus on what is pure and good.

Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So, we should make

ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul

unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be

completely holy in the way we live.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Thank You for helping us to remain strong in the faith because we belong to You. You have anointed us. You have put Your Spirit in our hearts an marked us as Your own. We’re blessed and grateful. Amen

He makes both us and you remain strong in the faith because

we belong to Christ. He anointed us. He put his Spirit in our hearts

and marked us as his own. We can now be sure

that he will give us everything he promised us.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22