Is This One Thing Stopping Your Spiritual Growth?

Daily Effective Prayer newsletter issue 210.

TODAY'S TEACHING

He restores my soul. —Psalm 23:3


For a long time, I thought everything I didn’t like was the devil’s doing, so I’d rebuke it with all my might. 

I was rebuking so much, that I just flat out got exhausted

But here’s the truth: some of what I was trying to fight off was actually from God

It was His way of stretching me, growing me, and shaping me into who I needed to be.

Isn't it funny how we can say that God is the Potter and we are the clay, yet we keep running away when He tries to mold us?

I wasn’t fighting the devil.

I was fighting God’s discipline and stopping my spiritual growth.

In Hebrews, we’re told to accept God’s discipline. 

He doesn’t chastise us because He’s angry.

He does it because He loves us, just like any loving parent would. 

And the sooner we stop resisting what God is using for our spiritual growth, the better off we’ll be. 

Instead, ask God to do a deep work in you. 

Let Him mold you into everything He wants you to be—so you can do all He has for you to do, and receive all He has for you to have.

During the years I tried to avoid pain and hardship, I was stuck in the same cycles. 

I kept running into the same mountains and facing the same struggles

I was doing Figure 8's when it came to my spiritual life—there was movement, but I wasn't growing.

It wasn’t until I realized that trying to avoid pain didn’t keep pain away—it just delayed the growth. 

The truth is, the pain of staying the same is far worse than the pain of change

As the saying goes, discipline weighs ounces, but regret weighs tons.

And, the longer I resisted what God needed to change in my life through discipline, the more I was setting myself up for regret down the road for not obeying.

Our souls—the very core of our mind, will, and emotions—are often wounded and beat up by life’s experiences.

But God promises to restore our souls. 

When we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, He heals any brokenness and strengthens us to keep going. 

I know what it’s like to feel shattered and tired, without peace or joy. 

But God has healed and empowered me over and over again, and He wants to do the same for you. 

Open your heart to Him, let go of anything you may be trying to hold onto, and let God’s work in you take root so you can continue to grow spiritually.

If this resonates with you, here's a short prayer you can say today:

"Dear God, I come to You with a heart wide open, ready to grab hold of whatever You want to do in me. I’ve spent too much time fighting battles that You’re using for my spiritual growth, and I’ve missed the lessons You were teaching me. Help me to trust You more deeply, to welcome Your discipline like a loving parent correcting a child, knowing it’s for my good. Show me where I’ve been resisting Your work, and give me the strength to let go and let You transform me into who You’ve called me to be. Amen."

God bless you! 


Your brother in Christ,

Daniel

DailyEffectivePrayer.org

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TODAY'S QUESTIONS

1. How can we recognize when God is allowing challenges in our lives for our growth, rather than simply resisting them as attacks from the enemy?

When challenges come, we can easily mistake them for attacks from the enemy, but God often uses hard situations to grow us. It’s like a muscle that only gets stronger when it’s stretched and pushed. We can ask ourselves: is this situation making me rely on God more, teaching me patience, or helping me trust Him in new ways? If so, it’s likely a part of God’s plan to stretch our faith. Recognizing God’s hand in our trials requires seeing beyond the surface to the deeper purpose He’s working out in us.

2. In what ways can Christians learn to embrace God's discipline, trusting that it is always rooted in His love and intention for our development?

Embracing God’s discipline starts with understanding that He’s not out to punish us, but to refine us, much like a potter shaping clay. It’s not always easy, but when we realize that God disciplines us like a loving parent, we can start to trust the process. We need to stop seeing correction as rejection, and instead, view it as an opportunity to grow stronger in our character and faith. The more we accept that God’s discipline is for our benefit, the less we’ll resist it when it comes.

3. What are some practical steps Believers can take to open our hearts and minds to God’s transformative work, especially when it feels uncomfortable or painful?

Opening ourselves to God’s transformative work requires a willingness to be vulnerable and honest before Him. We need to be willing to ask God to search our hearts and show us areas where we’ve built walls or held onto bitterness. Prayer is a big part of this; it’s about surrendering our fears and doubts, trusting that God is doing a good work within us, even when it feels uncomfortable. We can also lean on the support of other believers, because sometimes we need each other to remind us of God’s truth when our emotions want to tell us something else.

4. How do Christians discern the difference between avoiding necessary pain for growth and giving in to fear or complacency?

It’s tough to know the difference sometimes, but the key is to check our hearts and motivations. Avoiding pain to stay comfortable often comes from fear—fear of change, fear of failure, or fear of not being in control. But growth requires us to step out of that comfort zone, even when it’s painful. When we’re avoiding pain for the sake of growth, we feel a quiet tug in our spirit to push forward, trusting God’s plan, while fear keeps us stuck. The more we walk with God, the clearer it becomes which voice we’re listening to.

5. What does it look like for us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in healing our brokenness, and how can we support one another in this journey of spiritual growth?

Cooperating with the Holy Spirit means we’re not fighting His work in us, but yielding to His healing touch. It looks like confessing our wounds, offering our pain to God, and being open to His restoration, even if it’s not always instant. It also means inviting the Holy Spirit into every area of our lives, asking Him to heal our brokenness and lead us to wholeness. We can support each other by being a safe place to share our struggles, offering encouragement, and reminding each other that healing is a process that God is faithful to complete. Together, we walk this path of growth and healing, knowing that we’re not alone.


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Scripture Of The Week

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:3-4

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