February 12, 2026
He set himself to seek God, ... and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.—2 Chronicles 26:5
Investing in our spiritual life and growth takes time, commitment, and self-discipline. It also takes faith, as making your spiritual life a priority can take time away from other things on your plate, when your life already seems to be filled to overflowing and time feels scarce.
When we face obstacles or circumstances that pull from our commitments to our spiritual life and growth, it helps to remind ourselves that giving time to our relationship with God is of first importance and an investment for eternity. Jesus taught us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and that as we do so, everything else will fall into place (Matthew 6:33).
One of God’s great desires is for us to be in close relationship with Him. Even when we fall short in spending time with Him, we can rest in the sure knowledge of His love for us. He understands our frame, our circumstances, and every difficulty we face, and He meets us where we are at and is more than willing to help us as we endeavor to deepen our walk with Him.
Let’s look at some foundational principles for investing in our spiritual life and growth.
Connecting with God through His Word and spiritual input. Making time daily for godly input and spiritual nourishment is paramount to having a vibrant spiritual life. Jesus affirmed that God’s Word is our source of spiritual nourishment when He quoted the Old Testament verse “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
The Bible is the Word of God, and just as we need to eat physical food every day for sustenance and good health, we need spiritual nourishment every day. Reading God’s Word and spending time with Him is something we need to fit in daily, even if it’s only a short time. Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). We can’t afford to miss our intake of His Word.
Needless to say, our source for spiritual nourishment comes first and foremost from the Bible. The Bible outlines God’s plan for humanity, from its beginning in Genesis to its promise of spiritual transformation through the resurrection, to its promises of immortality and everlasting life with God in the book of Revelation. The Bible teaches us about God and provides the principles and standards whereby we can make wise and godly decisions and act in a way that pleases God and serves others.
Another source for our spiritual growth is devotional, faith-building material (or media) authored by godly men and women. The inspired writings of other Christians can serve to strengthen our faith, open our understanding of the Scriptures, and help us to practically apply God’s Word to our current needs and challenges.
God desires to have a deep relationship with each of us, as our most trusted confidant and friend. As we build and maintain this privileged relationship with the loving God of the universe by spending time with Him, meditating on His Word, He will guide us and His Word will inform our decisions and actions. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
In today’s busy world, it can be a challenge to carve out time for building our relationship with God. But as Christians, we have to make our time devoted to God and His Word a priority. As we quiet our mind and spirit and meditate on God’s Word, He speaks to our heart and guides us on our life journey. This helps to strengthen our relationship with God, and we will experience the blessings which come from a closer walk with Him.
Developing an active prayer life. Prayer is a key component of our spiritual life; it’s how we communicate with God. We can speak with Him, praise and worship Him, and tell Him our concerns, troubles, needs, and ask Him for His help, intervention, strength, and guidance. Prayer is asking for the will of God to be done, as we reach out to our Father in heaven. We listen to His voice and seek His guidance, encouragement, comfort, and instruction.
Prayer is the means by which we intercede on the behalf of others, as we pray for those we love and care for, the needs of our community, and for people in any difficult or stressful situation. A strong spiritual life is one that incorporates daily prayer throughout the day, as the Bible teaches us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
God has given us prayer as a gift. Through prayer, we can cast all our earthly cares upon His strong shoulders. This life is rife with worries, fears, and anxiety, but Paul tells us to “worry about nothing” and to “pray about everything” (Philippians 4:6). Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about whether an issue on our heart merits prayer. If your heart is concerned about something, God is concerned too. As we learn to blend life and prayer, His presence is with us throughout the day.
We receive peace when we commit our cares and anxieties to God and trust that He will bring about the best outcome in the situation. We grow in our relationship with God through a consistent and committed prayer life, and we become more like Jesus as we spend time in prayer.
Keeping our heart right with the Lord. We all sin; we all make mistakes—every day. The Lord knows this, and He doesn’t condemn us for our lack of perfection or the times we stumble. Jesus knows all our faults and He understands our flaws and human weaknesses, as He experienced life as a human. He knows that we will never get everything right or do everything perfectly, no matter how hard we try.
If we walk in reverence before the Lord, we’ll be convicted to regularly confess our sins to the Lord and ask for His forgiveness. When you know your heart is right with God and there is no unconfessed sin in your life, you’re more apt to come to Him for times of worship and prayer, and you have more faith for Him to bless you and take care of you.
We can enter into that wonderful place of peace and forgiveness by confessing our faults, mistakes, and sins to the Lord. We can find peace in His forgiveness as we humble ourselves, acknowledge our faults, and run to His outstretched arms (1 John 1:9).
Walk in obedience to God. As followers of Jesus, we strive to know more about God and His Word. We study, research, and meditate on the truth of the Bible and other inspired Christian writings. We memorize Bible verses and study the Bible. We talk about God’s Word with other believers.
All this is good, but that’s not where our duty to God ends. Another foundational principle for spiritual growth is doing what God’s Word says to do. We are called to obey what God asks of all Christians, as well as His personal guidance and instruction to us as individuals.
We are called to take action and be living examples of His Word, and that comes from being doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22). We are called to be active participants in His great commission to reach the world with the gospel (Matthew 18:19–20).
Our obedience to His commands comes with a promise of blessing, as Jesus said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).
Fellowship with other believers. The Bible tells us to “not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25). As Rick Warren wrote: “God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship.”
When we spend time with other Christians worshipping the Lord, reading His Word, singing and praying together, we come away stronger. We are refreshed, our vision is clarified, and we are better prepared for what the Lord will bring into our lives as we work for His kingdom.
It can be a challenge to carve out the time for quality fellowship or to build or find a Christian community where you feel at home. But it is important to make the effort to gather with a community of believers as often as you can. This is important not only for your personal edification and enjoyment; it also helps empower and motivate you to make a difference in the world.
As you evaluate your spiritual life and invest in your spiritual growth, let’s remember the wonderful promises from Scripture of God’s blessings on those who love Him, walk in obedience to Him, and keep His commands. As Christians, we have been called “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Originally published July 2014. Adapted and republished February 2026. Read by John Laurence.
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