Focusing on spiritual growth in our lives is essential. Without an intention to become more like our Saviour, we become stagnant and completely blind to our faults. We are instructed to work out our salvation, which does not mean that we save ourselves, absolutely not! Rather, we are to listen and obey, continually striving to improve and please our Father more.
The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians gives us a great list of character qualities that should be present in our lives. Understanding these character qualities, such as love and peace, and praying for the ability to live them out in our lives, is vital to seeing real spiritual growth. We want to prosper and grow spiritually, but there is also another very important reason to focus on spiritual growth in our own life. We want to be an appropriate model for our children. The best way for them to learn what spirituality looks like is to see it modeled in front of them. How will they learn to seek peace first? By seeing their mother and father seek peace in the home. How will they learn to give a gentle response? By seeing their parents give gentle responses. We are not without fault, but a combination of intentional modeled behavior and apologies when we fall short, will go a long way towards facilitating their spiritual growth as well.
You know that I love using a planner. They help me keep track of everything that needs keeping track of. In recent months, I have discovered that planners are also a great tool for intentional spiritual growth. You can write verses in the margins, jot down prayer requests and praises, and more. Here are some specific tips.
Tips for using a planner for growth
- Prayerfully decide what character quality is lacking in your life right now and needs your attention.
- Write this down in your planner in the form of an intention, ie. I will show gratefulness for three things daily.
- Find verses and quotes that support your intention. (Pinterest can be a great place to topically search verses and quotes.) If you need more space, use a tip-in, which is simply a little card taped to the edge of the page.
- Look at each situation throughout the week as an opportunity to work on your intention. This is often seen in how we respond to said situations.
- Add verses to your planner throughout the week as you continue to study the character quality and how YHVH wants us to live that quality out.
- Write down your successes.
- Continue to pray for help. It is through divine help that we are able to grow, not through our own power alone.
Resources
For we are known – This is a journal style Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit. You can find my full review here, and you can purchase a copy here.
Torah Sisters prayer journal – This is a beautiful, free printable designed to help you keep track of prayer requests or write your prayers out. You can download it here.
Torah Family Living planner – If you want your planner to support you in your Torah journey, then this is the planner for you. Purchase your copy here.
Free printable planner – A free printable planner is available for my email subscribers. You can sign up here.
Contentment copywork book – This is a small, month long copywork book filled with verses on contentment. Purchase it here.
How are you being intentional in your spiritual growth? Share your ideas and tips in the comments below.
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