DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT: Strategies for Growing in God #1

It is not well for a man to pray cream and live skim milk.
-- Henry Ward Beecher
-----------------------------------------------------------
2 Pet 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever! Amen.

Growing is fundamental to life! Do we ever stop growing? No not really... I figure we are either growing up, out or older. We never stop growing. The same is true in our spiritual life... we should never come to a point of “not growing" or "not wanting to grow."

High in the Alps is a monument raised in honour of a faithful guide who perished while ascending a peak to rescue a stranded tourist. Inscribed on that memorial stone are these words: HE DIED CLIMBING. A maturing, growing Christian should have the same kind of attitude, right up to the end of life.

Keeping this illustration in mind… Here are some Strategies I believe will help us to grow in God;

STRATEGY OF PRAYER
Looking to God in Dependence
Let us acknowledge how much we need God. Let us express our dependence to Him. Heb 4:16 So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need.

Come boldly… to His throne
Stay there… to receive mercy
Find grace… to help us

R. A. Torrey lamented the average believer's indifference to prayer by writing: How little time the average Christian spends in prayer! We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little... the power of God is lacking in our lives and in our work. We have not because we ask not.

If we want to grow in God, we have to pray!

Loving Father, I thank you that I can come boldly before your throne and receive the mercy and grace that I need. I thank you that your word tells me I can ask for anything in the name of Jesus and it will be granted to me. I give you the glory and praise you for answered prayer. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.