5 Prayers for Spiritual Growth

Person praying

What does spiritual growth look like?

Healthy relationships require hard work, good habits, and time spent together. That’s why becoming spiritually mature involves drawing near to God every day.

Below are five prayers that focus on different pathways toward intimacy with God. As you read through them, pick one area to focus on this week, and allow God to transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.


A Prayer for Living Generously

God,

Without You, I have nothing. Every good and perfect gift comes from You—but sometimes, I view the gifts You’ve given me as something I deserve. Sometimes I am tempted to hoard my wealth, time, and resources instead of sharing them with others. Ultimately, I know that I am blessed to be a blessing—so please help me wisely steward the gifts You’ve entrusted to me. Turn me into someone who lives—and gives—generously.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Save Prayer


A Prayer for Rest

God,

In a world that glorifies busyness, it is so easy to fill my time with things that don’t matter. If I’m not careful, I numb out or burn out because I don’t create enough space to rest in Your presence each day. I need You to change the way I think and the way I live. I need You to help me make space for rest. Help me come to You daily—I want to simply be with You.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Save Prayer


A Prayer for Reading God’s Word

God,

Thank You for showing me the paths that lead to life. I am so grateful that I can experience joy in Your presence forever! Help me to live in a manner that is worthy of the calling to which You have called me by spending time in Your Word. I never want to forget that having access to Scripture is a gift. So please make me eager to read Your words. Reveal Your will to me as I spend time in Your presence. Teach me Your word, which is truth.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Save Prayer


A Prayer for Serving

God,

You are so kind to me. And when You gave up Your only Son to save me, You provided me with an example of humble obedience. Thank You for showing me what servant leadership should look like. Instead of seeking my own way, help me to seek Yours. I want to serve You by serving others. So change my heart and help me love others genuinely. Shape me into someone who considers others as better than myself.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Save Prayer


A Prayer for Talking with God

God,

Sometimes I don’t feel like I have the words to pray. I don’t always know what to say to You. What do I say to someone who is perfect in every way? Please help me remember that You want to hear from me. Give me the confidence to speak what’s on my heart with You, but help me to do so with respect. And please let these honest conversations lead me to a deeper sense of awe, wonder, and love for You. Show me how to talk with You, and then make me eager to do it regularly.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Save Prayer

Teach your kids to pray like Jesus.

Bible App for Kids

It can be intimidating trying to teach your kids how to pray—especially if no one ever taught you. But prayer is simply an ongoing conversation between us and God.

Explore prayer together, at a level that’s appropriate for their age, and practice—together. How will you know if you’re doing it right?

You’ll all enjoy praying together so much that you look forward to it.

Your children learn best in fun, meaningful activities that you do together. Take advantage of natural opportunities throughout the day to pray for the different areas Jesus outlined in the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4):

Early in the day. Thank God for today, and ask Him to help you be who He wants you to be.

Mealtimes. Thank God for your food, and ask Him to continue providing for your family.

When we’re upset. Ask God to help you feel better, apologize, forgive—and love each other better.

Bedtime. Here’s a simple prayer modeled after Jesus’ prayer in Luke 11:1-4. Tap below to save it to your Bible App:

Our Family’s Bedtime Prayer: God, we love you. Thank You for today. We’re excited for tomorrow. Please wrap Your angels around us and keep us safe. Help us have a good sleep tonight, with only good dreams. Amen

Save This Prayer

Download Image

How to Discover God’s Will

Compass

What does God want you to do with your life? Maybe you have an idea of what He is calling you to, but you’d like confirmation. Maybe you’re not sure what God’s will is … or maybe, you’re still trying to figure out what a personal relationship with God should look like.

Ultimately, the only way to know God’s will is by spending time getting to know Him. It’s through drawing near to God that His guidance becomes evident. So, how do we do that?

There isn’t one correct way—but there are steps we can take that help.

Here are 4 steps to help you discover God’s will:

Seek God through Prayer

Think about a recent conversation with a close friend. If you’ve known them for a while, you probably know what they like and dislike without asking because the closer you are to someone, the more you understand them.

The same goes for our relationship with God. Knowing God’s will comes from having honest conversations with Him. That’s why we need to get into the habit of talking to Him regularly, about everything.

Prayer isn’t just about asking God what He wants us to do—it’s about getting to know who God is.

Pray with Us


Search the Scriptures

God’s will for your life will never contradict what is written in Scripture. So as you get to know God through prayer, familiarize yourself with His Word.

The more you study the Bible, the more your desires will begin to reflect God’s will. And when this happens, you can confidently ask God anything—and He will hear you.

If you’re not sure where to start studying, here are a few Bible Plans that can help:


Listen to the Holy Spirit

Listening for the Holy Spirit often requires silencing the noise around you. When you get rid of distractions and stop fixating on fearful feelings, you can start to notice God’s peaceful presence in your present circumstances.

So as you pray and search the Scriptures, ask God to reveal any feelings you need to surrender, and any others you need to give special attention. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through this process, and keep this in mind: you can feel uncertain and still experience God’s peace.

Want to intentionally seek the Holy Spirit?

Try Guided Prayer


Look for confirmation from wise people

The final say on what God’s will is should come from God, but it’s wise to seek trusted, outside advice. Consider inviting several people who are further ahead in their faith journey to be your “wise counsel.” Ask them to seek God’s will for your life with you.

This step must be done alongside the previous ones. Seeking wise advice should confirm what you sense God is already telling you to do—it should not take the place of talking directly to God.

Add Friends to Your Bible App


Now what?

You may not always get it right, but the more you try to understand God’s will, the easier it becomes. God created you on purpose, and He wants you to be involved in seeing His Kingdom come “on earth as it is in heaven.”

When your desires align with God’s desires, He can trust you to do what is right. Applying these steps will help you do that, but this will be a lifelong commitment that involves seeking God every day.

FacebookShare on Facebook

TwitterShare on Twitter

EmailShare via Email

Download the Nepali Bible

Bible in Nepali & Audio Bible

Thanks to the generosity of visionary Bible society and translation partners, YouVersion is pleased to offer the Nepali Bible available through the YouVersion Bible App.

Download the Nepali Bible App

Helpful links:
Bible versions in Nepali
बाइबल अनुप्रयोग अहिले नै डाउनलोड गर्नुहोस्
Bible App for Kids in Nepali
अब तपाईंका छोराछोरीले नेपालीमा बाल बाइबल एप अनुभव गर्न सक्छन्!
Nepali Bible for Android

Download the Bengali Bible and listen to a Bengali Audio Bible

Bible in Bengali & Audio Bible

Thanks to the generosity of visionary Bible society and translation partners, YouVersion is pleased to offer the Bengali Bible available through the YouVersion Bible App.

Download the Bengali Bible App

Helpful links:
Bible versions in Bengali
Bengali Audio Bible
এই বাইবেল এ্যাপটি এখনই ডাউনলোড করুন
Bible App for Kids in Bengali
Experience the Bible App for Kids in Bengali!
Bengali Bible for Android