Spiritual Growth

Bible study tips, prayer, growing in relationship with God, building faith.

Encouraging Bible Verses for Busy Moms

Let’s face it, motherhood is challenging and exhausting. It can feel overwhelming at times – like everything is spiralling out of control. You may feel like a failure because you yell at your kids, or don’t give them enough attention. God’s word has some encouragement for you, mama! He sees you. He understands your challenges and struggles. He has a special place in His heart for you. Let’s take a look at some verses designed especially to give you – tired, weary mom – hope and courage. 22 Encouraging Bible verses #1 Matthew 11:28-30 “Come…

10 Things You Can Do to Leave Past Mistakes Behind

Note: This post first appeared in 2018 but has been updated. When I was 18 I did something that I’ve often regretted.  It was totally out of character for me and every time I think of it I feel shame.  I’ve prayed for forgiveness many times but it still haunts me.  I wish I could go back and change what I did but I can’t. Can you relate? You want to forget your mistakes, forgive yourself and move on but it’s hard. Maybe you’re divorced.  Maybe you were sexually promiscuous before…

4 Ways to Grow as a Christian

Why is it important to keep growing as a Christian? Because if you aren’t growing, you’re dying, retrogressing, going backward. And if you’re retrogressing you will lose the blessings, the peace, the comfort, the wisdom and satisfaction that comes from knowing God and His ways. So how should a Christian grow? The secret to Christian growth Your spiritual life is nourished by your invisible union with Christ.  Just like a plant gains it’s nourishment from its roots. I once got a few slips of basil bush from a friend. I planted one in my garden…

6 Things to Do When You Don’t Feel Like Praying

Do you ever not feel like praying? Is praying really that important? Is breathing important? If you’ve ever swum underwater, aiming to reach the other end of the pool, you know how desperate you get for air. Breathing becomes the one thing you are focused on. Nothing else matters! Without it you’re gonna die! Just as without breathing we die, without prayer our relationship with God will die. Prayer is the breath of the soul.  “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”  Martin Luther What to do…

Preparation for End Times Part 2: Physical Preparation

The safest place to be in a crisis is right where God wants you to be. That’s why we began with spiritual preparation for end times. While it’s essential to be spiritually prepared, it’s also wise to be physically prepared for the troubled times ahead. The bible speaks of this in Proverbs 22:3 –  “A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” (NIV) Are you prepared for a crisis? Would you be able to survive in your home without any outside help? – No power, water, communication…

6 Ways to Discern God’s Voice

We all face situations where we just wish God would tell us exactly what to do. But how do you know if it’s God speaking to you, just your own thoughts, or worse, the devil speaking to you? How can you discern God’s voice and get His direction for your life? Is there a way to know that it is God speaking and not just what you want to hear? Why is hearing God’s voice so hard? There are a few reasons it’s hard to hear from God. We haven’t learned to be still and…

4 Ways the Devil Separates You From God

It’s common knowledge that Satan is God’s enemy. If you are a follower of God, then you are automatically Satan’s enemy, and you can be sure he’s fighting to separate you from God. But God is one step ahead of the devil, He warns about the enemy: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 Satan’s strategy to defeat us The devil has developed tactics that he uses to separate us from…

How to Hear from God in Chaotic Times

We live in a loud world. And it’s getting louder by the day. Text messages, notifications, emails and phone calls constantly demand our attention. Technology is in a frenzy, keeping us occupied with the latest scandal or crisis. Intriguing facts and images keep us scanning and scrolling. And yes, we’ve learned to shut out some of the loud. We ignore messages, skip the ads on YouTube, put our phones on silent. But life is still loud! And God is a quiet God. He could be loud if He wanted to, but He chooses to speak in a still…

Preparation for End Times Part 1: Spiritual Preparation

I leaned against the reservoir beside our house, elbows resting on the aged cement wall, and stared at the water. Bugs skittered across the surface, barely making a dent.   I thought I couldn’t see the bottom of the reservoir, but then I caught sight of the fish swimming below and my eyes adjusted to the depth. A moment later wind rippled the surface and blew all the bugs away. And below, the fish swam serenely, unperturbed by the wind blowing on the surface.   It’s time to go deep with God. My Christian experience needs to be…