15 Bible Verses About Spiritual Growth (With Applications)

I once asked a friend how to discern spiritual growth.  She said, “Are you more loving than you were a year ago?  If so, you are growing.”  I took her words to heart.  After she left, I began searching for Bible verses about spiritual growth.

Bible Verses About Spiritual Growth

I found the following 15 Bible verses about spiritual growth.  I pray these verses bless you as you apply them to your life

Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you grow closer to God.

15 Bible Verses About Spiritual Growth

1. Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Take a moment to reflect on the past year.  Are your more loving, joyful, patient, and kind than you were a year ago?  If so, you are growing spiritually.

The fruit of the Spirit is a good measure of spiritual growth.

Note that we cannot bear this fruit by trying harder; rather, we bear it by staying connected to Jesus, the Vine.

2. 2 Peter 1:5-8

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is another helpful list of traits for spiritual growth.

If these traits are increasing, you are growing!

3. 2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. 

We are to grow in the knowledge of Christ.

The Apostle Paul wrote that he considered everything a loss compared to knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:8-10).

Is knowing Jesus your highest goal?  If so, you are growing in your faith.

4. Philippians 1:6

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

We must always remember that God changes us.  Transformation is a work of grace, not self-effort.

Our role is obedience.  God completes the work as we obey him.

5. Colossians 1:9

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

God wants to reveal his will to his children.  He does not veil his will.

Seek to grow in the knowledge of his will for your life as you seek spiritual wisdom and understanding.

God answers these prayers.

6. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We grow by spending time in God’s Word.

God’s Word is the primary tool he uses for renewing our minds.  The renewed mind is the transformed mind.

7. Ephesians 4:15-16

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

As a child’s body grows, we are to grow in Christ, building the body of Christ through acts of love.

8. Colossians 1:10

So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Are you walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work while growing in the knowledge of God?

If so, you are growing spiritually.

9. 1 Corinthians 3:7

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Again, this verse reminds us that growth comes from God.

We are obedient when we follow him, but he produces the fruit in our lives and the lives of others.

10. James 1:23-25

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

We grow spiritually by obeying God’s Word.

Reading, studying, and memorizing are not enough; we are called to follow Jesus in our actions.

5 More Bible Verses About Spiritual Growth

11. Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

God wants our lives to be poured out for him like living sacrifices.

Have you surrendered every area of your life to God?

12. Romans 5:3-4

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

Affliction is God’s primary tool for helping us mature spiritually.

This is never pleasant; however, when we have suffered, we emerge looking more like Jesus.

13. Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We are called to seek God’s kingdom first; everything we need will be given to us.

Are you pursuing God’s kingdom by deliberately carrying his love to the world around you?

14. Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

We grow spiritually by setting our minds on the things of God.

Where are your thoughts most of the time?

Ask God to bring your thoughts into alignment with his thoughts.  He will answer this prayer and transform your life.

15. James 1:4

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Part of growing in our faith is endurance.  God calls us to persevere.  When we have pushed through life’s trials, we emerge more mature, looking more like Jesus.

Let’s now apply these Bible verses about spiritual growth to our everyday moments.

Applications of These Bible Verses About Spiritual Growth

The day after my friend asked whether I was growing in love, I decided to move a rocking chair to the window overlooking the yard.  I knew I was failing to be fully present to my kids, my days, and my life.  I had a deep sense that one of the ways to grow spiritually was to carve out space for being more fully present in my moments.

Mostly, I wanted to become more aware of God’s presence with me throughout my everyday moments.

4 Ways to Grow Spiritually

I pulled the rocking chair to the window because I needed to force myself to be still.  I needed a few short minutes of silence and solitude each morning.  A few minutes away from technology.  A few minutes spent gazing into God’s created world.

Most of us could use a few tools to help us live less hurried lives, more present lives.  Perhaps these simple steps might enable us to step into the spiritual growth we crave.

Here are just a few tips to help you slow down, seek the Lord, and grow by spending time with him.

1. Begin your mornings with stillness.

Commit to five minutes of silence and stillness each morning.  Use this time to do one thing: Rest in God’s presence as you sit in the awareness of his love for you.

If possible, turn away from the tasks and messes that tempt you to make to-do lists and move from your spot.  Sit by a window and watch the heavens declare the glory of God or light a candle and watch it flicker.

This practice will force you out of your frenzied pace and set a slower, more intentional, and focused pace for your whole day.

By reminding yourself of God’s love for you during this time, you will also anchor yourself in your unchanging identity as his child.  Understanding your identity as God’s dearly loved child holds the power to transform every area of your life.

2. Reset with a weekly day to rest and play.

God wants the Sabbath to be a gift for you.  I grew up with a misunderstanding of God’s good intentions for this day of rest.  In her memoir, Stranger in the Midst, Nan Fink writes these words about the Jewish Sabbath, or Shabbat:

“Shabbat is like nothing else. Time as we know it does not exist for these twenty-four hours, and the worries of the week soon fall away. A feeling of joy appears. The smallest object, a leaf or a spoon, shimmers in a soft light, and the heart opens. Shabbat is a meditation of unbelievable beauty.”

I want to fall in love with the Sabbath like this, and I believe Nan Fink’s words are relevant to us today.  Do you look forward to a day of rest?  Have you made it a priority to carve out a day for rest and play?

It doesn’t have to be Sunday, and if you can’t find a full day, find a half-day.

Use this time to do something you love.  Step away from the regular demands of life and enjoy the gifts of God.

We take a day of rest to learn to carry this mentality of rest into the remainder of our lives, learning to rest in the Lord, even as we work throughout the week.  Learning to rest in God’s presence is essential for spiritual growth.

3. Talk to God throughout your days.

One of the most powerful ways to grow spiritually is to talk to God as you would talk to a friend.  Before you get out of bed in the morning, tell him hello.  Thank him for a gift in your life.

Talk to him as you make breakfast and get ready for the day.

Talk to him about your worries, hopes, and cares as you drive down the road.

Continue talking to him all day.  He will guide you and help you live with intention and focus.  This is a key for spiritual growth.

4. Prioritize unhurried Bible reading.

God uses his written Word to renew our minds.

Do you truly want to find ways to grow spiritually?  Begin with the Bible.  Spend time reading your Bible daily, and you will begin to grow with God.

If you’re not sure where to begin, start by slowly reading one Psalm per day.  Read slowly.  Soak in the words.  Don’t rush through this as you aim to hurry to the next task of the day.  God wants to use this time to draw you deeper into his love.  He already knows everything about you.

Reading your Bible helps you know him more deeply.  This is a key for spiritual growth.

Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!

As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God.  Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision.  They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love.  You can find all three books here or read more below.

Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!

God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom.  Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world.  I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven!  You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord.  Find this life-changing devotional book here.

Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter

Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion.  I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven.  Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.

Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20.  It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing.  This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start.  Bekah and I will help you right here.

Find Our Family Devotionals Here

Find all three books right here.  They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial!  These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them.  Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.

A Free Devotional to Help You Learn to Overcome Sinful Habits:

If these Bible verses about spiritual growth blessed you, I have a gift for you today.  Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance.  We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more.  This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower.  Get your download for free with promo code GRACE right here.