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•A Prayer to See Spiritual Progress•👉 “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8)I once read that forming a new habit takes roughly 2-3 months. Conversely, I’ve also read that most people give up on their goals within a few weeks of starting them. We are impatient and live in an instant gratification world; we desire fast results with minimal effort. • Have you ever quit something before you started because you didn’t see results fast enough? • You’ve been watching your diet and exercising daily, but the scale doesn’t move. • You’ve made a point to speak kindly to that difficult co-worker, but your relationship still remains tense. • You’re dedicated to putting a few extra dollars aside each month, but the debt pile barely moves.I’ve experienced all the above, but where I tend to get most discouraged is in my Christian walk. I become impatient with God, irritated that His timetable isn’t mine, and want to throw in the faith towel too often. But just as eating one good meal won’t move the needle on the scale, neither will a lackadaisical commitment to growing our faith.Paul understood the commitment it takes to grow our faith. In a letter of encouragement to Timothy, a new pastor charged with growing a church, Paul urges Timothy to give the same, if not more, attention to his spiritual training much like he would his physical training (1 Timothy 4:7). While it is necessary to take care of our health and give attention to our physical health, Scripture exhorts us to provide more focus to living a godly life.One day our bodies will fail us, and our brief time on this earth will end, but our souls will last forever. As Paul instructs us, let's spend more time investing in the spiritual over physical heart work. However, we shouldn’t be so consumed by our eternal future that we ignore our current reality. We, and others around us, have genuine physical needs that must be met daily. We can glean from Paul’s words that the person pursuing a godly life will naturally develop an eternal prospect that translates to a well-lived earthly life.Friend, don’t give up on your spiritual growth. Even when progress is slow, know that the Lord is doing a good work in those whom He loves and that He is faithful to complete it! Continue to be obedient in the small things, not neglecting to meet with Lord in Bible study and prayer and gathering with a local body of believers. Be encouraged by these words from Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”Let us Pray.✝️ Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You’ve done for us. You’ve known us before the beginning of time, so You know the human struggle to persevere in our faith. Lord, we want to serve You faithfully, but sometimes we question, doubt, and wonder if it makes a difference. Help us in our unbelief; let us experience an unshakeable faith, a confidence in Christ that guides us to lean farther into You and Your will for our lives.Lord, we ask for steadfastness as we navigate the ups and downs of our life. May our lives testify to Your faithfulness, goodness, and all circumstances. We pray for those who don’t know You as Lord and Savior and humbly submit ourselves to Your will. Keep us from growing weary; give us strength and peace that only comes from You as we pursue godliness. We love You, Lord. We trust You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name,AMEN 🙏 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. Amen.(2 Peter 3:18)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.(Philippians 1:6)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, 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.(Colossians 1:9-10)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.(Galatians 5:22-23)“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.(Matthew 5:6)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.(2 Peter 1:5-8)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.(2 Timothy 3:16-17)Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He 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.(Psalm 1:1-3)Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.(James 1:2-4)I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.(John 15:5)But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.(Ephesians 4:20-24)When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.(1 Corinthians 13:11)Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.(2 Corinthians 5:17)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.(1 Peter 2:2-3)Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.(1 Corinthians 11:1)“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(Matthew 7:21)(pic verse)“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.(Revelation 1:7)Artist 👨‍🎨 I Am With You Always - David Delfeld