Spiritual Disciplines for Spiritual Growth
The soul must also be nourished, disciplined, corrected, strengthened, and trained in the ways of God.
Joseph A. Mayaki
9/5/20266 min read
Spiritual growth does not happen by accident. No child becomes physically strong by merely wishing for strength. The body must be fed, exercised, rested, protected, and trained. In the same way, no young believer becomes spiritually strong by mere desire, church attendance, family background, or occasional religious excitement. The soul must also be nourished, disciplined, corrected, strengthened, and trained in the ways of God.
This is the burden of the September edition of GFG Youth Devotionals, titled “Spiritual Disciplines for Spiritual Growth: Growing Strong in My Walk with God.” It is a call to help teens and young adults understand that a real walk with God requires daily attention. God gives grace, but grace does not make us careless. God saves us, but salvation is not an invitation to spiritual laziness. God calls us His children, but children must grow.
Some young people are spiritually interested but not spiritually disciplined. They may love Christian music, attend youth programs, enjoy conferences, repost Bible verses, or admire godly people, yet struggle to maintain a consistent life of prayer, Scripture reading, obedience, self-control, fellowship, service, and witness. This is not always because they are unserious. Sometimes, they have simply not been taught that spiritual strength must be cultivated.
The Christian life starts with salvation, but it must continue in growth. A baby who remains a baby becomes a concern, no matter how joyful the birth was. In the same way, a believer who does not grow remains vulnerable to confusion, temptation, fear, deception, wrong relationships, and spiritual instability. God does not want young believers to remain weak, inconsistent, and easily carried away. He wants them to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Spiritual disciplines are the habits that help us grow.
They are not empty rituals. They are not religious performances designed to impress parents, pastors, mentors, or friends. They are not a way of earning God’s love, because God’s love is not purchased by human effort. Rather, spiritual disciplines are faithful practices through which we respond to God’s grace and make room for His Word, His Spirit, His correction, and His transforming power in our lives.
The first discipline this month emphasizes is feeding on God’s Word. Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. This means the soul needs Scripture the way the body needs food. A young person may be well-fed physically and still be spiritually starving. They may consume videos, music, social media content, schoolwork, conversations, entertainment, and opinions every day, yet give little attention to the Word of God. Over time, this affects the heart.
God’s Word feeds, guides, corrects, cleanses, and strengthens us. It gives us truth in a world full of noise. It shows us what is right when culture is confused. It warns us when temptation looks harmless. It comforts us when life becomes heavy. It reveals Christ and teaches us how to live. A God-First youth must not treat the Bible as a church object or Sunday habit only. Scripture must become daily bread.
The second discipline is prayer. Prayer is not performance. It is not the ability to arrange impressive words. It is conversation with God. Young people need to know that they can talk to God sincerely, simply, and honestly. They can bring Him their fears, temptations, questions, worries, dreams, failures, and desires. They can ask for help. They can seek forgiveness. They can receive peace. They can learn to surrender their will to His will.
A prayerless Christian will struggle to remain spiritually strong. Prayer keeps the heart connected to God. It reminds us that we are not living by our own intelligence, strength, beauty, talent, or ambition. We need God daily. When young people learn to pray, they learn dependence. They learn that God is not distant from their school life, friendships, emotions, decisions, and struggles. He is near to those who call upon Him in truth.
The third discipline is obedience and self-control. This is where spiritual growth becomes visible. A young believer is not growing merely because they know more Bible verses or attend more religious meetings. Growth must show in choices. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Love for Christ becomes real when it becomes obedience.
This is especially important for teens and young adults because this stage of life is full of pressure. There is pressure to belong, pressure to experiment, pressure to compromise, pressure to be noticed, pressure to follow trends, pressure to hide sin, and pressure to appear spiritually fine while privately drifting. Spiritual discipline helps a young believer say, “I will not be ruled by every desire. I will not follow every crowd. I will not let my body, appetite, anger, lust, laziness, or fear lead me away from God.”
Self-control is not weakness. It is spiritual strength. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit. A young person who learns self-control early is being protected from many avoidable wounds. This does not mean they will never struggle. It means they are learning to bring their desires under the authority of God.
The fourth discipline is fellowship, service, and witness. Spiritual growth is personal, but it is not meant to be isolated. God places believers among His people for encouragement, correction, teaching, prayer, accountability, and shared strength. A young person who tries to grow alone may become easy prey for discouragement and deception. Godly fellowship helps us stand.
But fellowship is not only about what we receive. It is also about what we give. Growing believers learn to serve. They learn to bear burdens, encourage others, help without demanding applause, and use their gifts for God’s glory. Jesus Himself came not to be served, but to serve. If we are following Him, we must also learn the humility of service.
Then our lives must shine as witnesses. Faith is not meant to be hidden inside church walls. It should show at home, in school, online, among friends, in conversations, in attitude, in diligence, in kindness, in purity, and in courage. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men.” This means young believers are called to visible godliness, not noisy hypocrisy. Their lives should make others see something of the goodness, truth, and beauty of God.
This September devotional is therefore not merely about “habits.” It is about formation. It is about the kind of people our children, teens, and young adults are becoming. Are they becoming spiritually hungry? Are they learning to pray? Are they obeying God when no one is watching? Are they developing self-control? Are they staying close to godly fellowship? Are they serving with love? Are they shining for Jesus in their generation?
Parents, mentors, and youth leaders must help young people see that spiritual discipline is not punishment. It is preparation. It prepares them for temptation, decision-making, disappointment, service, leadership, relationships, and purpose. A spiritually undisciplined youth may have gifts but lack stability. They may have zeal but lack depth. They may have language but lack life. They may have public enthusiasm but little private strength.
God-First Generation aims to raise young people who are not only excited in gatherings but steady in secret. Not only expressive in worship but obedient in daily life. Not only familiar with Christian language but formed by Christian truth. Not only present in church but growing in Christ.
The hymn for this month, “I Am Thine, O Lord,” captures the heart of the matter: “Draw me nearer.” That is the true goal of every spiritual discipline. We read the Bible because we want to hear God. We pray because we want to commune with God. We obey because we love God. We practice self-control because we do not want sin to rule us. We fellowship because we need God’s people. We serve because we want to follow Christ. We witness because we want others to see His light. The disciplines are not the destination. God is the destination.
As we enter this September devotional journey, the invitation is simple but serious: grow. Do not remain spiritually passive. Do not wait for maturity to happen automatically. Do not assume that yesterday’s devotion is enough for today’s battle. Feed your soul. Pray daily. Obey sincerely. Control your choices. Stay close to God’s people. Serve with humility. Shine for Jesus. A strong walk with God is built one faithful step at a time.
May God raise a generation that is not spiritually careless, shallow, or easily moved. May He raise God-First youth who are strong in faith, pure in heart, disciplined in conduct, fervent in prayer, rooted in Scripture, loving in service, and bold in witness. May this be our prayer throughout the month: Lord, draw us nearer. Make us strong in our walk with You.
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