By Thomas Moll
Director of Content & Innovation
Take a moment to think about a time in your life when you grew. What were the circumstances? Did you have a teacher who encouraged you? Did you have a cohort to compete with? Was there a project you were especially passionate about that required you to learn some new skills?
When we think about learning and growing, for many of us, our school days come to mind. Yet, we know that no matter what age or stage we find ourselves in, we can learn and grow.
In our “Aging Well” research journal we conducted with The Barna Group, we found that 87 percent of older adults agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “It is important for me to see continual progress in my own spiritual life.”
This isn’t too surprising as passages like 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) encourage us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” There is certainly no age limit on spiritual growth! We know that the Holy Spirit works through God’s Word to create, sustain, and grow our faith.
If you’re open to some new ways to grow spiritually or if you’re looking for a spiritual refresh, here are some ideas to spur you on:
Getting Into God’s Word with Others
Studying God’s Word with others is a great blessing. If you’re connected to a local church, call and ask about opportunities they provide to study God’s Word in a group. Cognitive growth is more pronounced when other personalities and ideas are part of the discussion. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your vast knowledge and wisdom with others.
If you’re not able to get to a church Bible study, see if a friend or family member would be willing to come to you or do a devotion together over the phone. Every one of our Broadcaster Magazines has a Bible study toward the end with questions that you could work through together.
Getting Into God’s Word on Your Own
A great way to start every day is in God’s Word. If you don’t already have a daily practice of reading the Bible, it’s never too late to start. We offer a daily devotional called Hope-Full Living that is written for seniors, by seniors. We have a paid subscription for the printed devotion, but each devotion can be read for free online at HopeFullLiving.org where you can also listen to each devotional as an audio track.
There are other great daily devotionals out there such as Portals of Prayer and Our Daily Bread. Ask your local pastor if they have any spiritual resources they would recommend to daily grow in God’s Word.
Grow Through a Church Community
Having a community where you can grow and receive God’s gifts of grace in worship is a wonderful opportunity that we’re called to value. There are so many benefits we get from meeting together. If you’re unable to get to church, contact your local church to see if they have a visitation pastor who could come to you so that you can continue to hear God’s words of forgiveness, pray together, and receive communion. Even if you’re unable to be in a church assembly together with parishioners, they can be connected to and pray for you.
Practice of Prayer
Isaiah 65:24 (ESV) reminds us that even before we call upon the Lord, He will answer us and that while we are speaking, God will hear us. We’re called to cast our burdens on God. He loves you and wants to hear from you, His beloved child.
One way to pray is to keep a list of requests in a journal or on a pad of paper. What’s nice about this method of prayer is that you can return back to it and see how God has answered prayers. If you’re having a hard time thinking of things to pray for, you can break up your prayers into categories such as thanksgiving, struggles, others in need, and praise.
Don’t forget that it’s never too late to grow. Psalm 1:3 (ESV) tells us that being in God’s Word is “like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
May you continue to grow and prosper daily with our loving God.