Spiritual Growth – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

“How Do I Know If It My Thoughts, Or God Speaking To Me?”

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105).

“The Word of the living God is not merely written, but spoken. It is God’s voice speaking to us, just as surely as if we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, with what awe we would open God’s Word, and with what earnestness we would search its pages.”

“How do we distinguish it [God’s Voice] from the voice of a false shepherd? God reveals His will to us in His word, the Holy Scriptures. His voice is also revealed in His providential workings…”

God’s Providence is manifested daily in our lives. The impossible situation you faced was not resolved by using your own power, with love, God intervened.

[God’s Providence]…will be recognized if we do not separate our souls from Him by walking in our own ways, doing according to our own wills, and following the promptings of an unsanctified heart…”

The Consequences of Compromise

God’s Warning: “Do not be wise in your own eyes…” (Proverbs 3:7).

Self-reliance always blocks the Holy Spirit from giving us spiritual clarity. Following our thoughts not only distorts our perception, but also prevents us from receiving God’s gifts of wisdom and discernment.

Those who live according to their thoughts will always be in a state of confusion. “…the senses become so confused that eternal things are not discerned, and the voice of Satan is so disguised that it is accepted as the Voice of God.”

Practical Ways to Recognize God’s Voice

How do we know God is speaking and directing us?

“If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” (1 John 2:29, ESV).

Reflect on God’s Righteous Character: He is Holy. We recognize God’s Voice because His guidance always brings glory and honor to His Holy Name.

God never blends righteousness with the worldliness of success or prosperity. Because God brings honor to himself, His blessings never exalt human beings.
God never coerces us to make immediate decisions. If we are confronted with, “this deal is only good for today, or do it now,” then we know it is not of God. Instant gratification always reveals that Satan is involved.
We know it is our thoughts if the outcome satisfies our innermost desires, or exalts us, instead of God.

“Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10).

Before making decisions, always pray for God’s direction. Pray and Wait! Patience is a righteous characteristic that reveals faith in God and our willingness to obey.

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14).

Do not follow your anxious thoughts, which will only bring unwanted consequences to your life, and result in the separation of your life-sustaining relationship with Christ.

If we wait on the Lord then we can expect God to perform supernatural miracles that reveal His overwhelming Love and Sovereign Power.

From spending intentional time with Christ in personal worship, we learn to recognize God’s Voice speaking to us. The Holy Spirit conveys God’s will and plans through the Holy Scriptures and our thoughts.

“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17, NIV).

“In this verse, James gives an example of a sin of omission. When believers know the right thing to do yet fail to do it, God holds them accountable for not doing it. So, it is not only what we do that matters to God; it is also what we fail to do.”

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, our lives are not our own. With humility and surrender, we pray, ask, and acquiesce to God’s perfect plans for our lives.

Our prayers should always focus on asking God what we need to do to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. Placing ourselves in alignment with God requires total obedience to His will and plans.

We are living in the last days of Earth’s history, our priorities must align with God’s priorities of receiving daily spiritual growth, character transformation, and godly wisdom.

“Pray continuously.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Everyday pray, ask God to search your heart, and reveal anything that would prevent you from hearing His Voice.

The Holy Spirit guides us in our daily decisions, and keeps us on the Path of Righteousness when we consecrate ourselves to serve God through surrender and faithful obedience.

“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ “(1 Samuel 3:10).

Bible Study: 1 Samuel 3

Lord God, teach us how to recognize Your Voice. We ask for the blessings of spiritual wisdom, discernment, and the strength to do Your will. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.

“Am I Growing Spiritually?” Signs of Spiritual Growth

God tells us to, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10).

Growing closer to God is not an emotional experience of highs and lows, it is a day by day spiritual transformation of our mind, character, and personality that allows us to receive Jesus’ gift of peace.

Sanctification Prepares Us for Eternal Life

Sanctification is the gradual and daily spiritual process of growth and transformation performed by the Holy Spirit, which requires the human effort of surrender, faithful obedience, and renouncing our desires, and sinful practices and pleasures.

Sanctification requires the human effort of full cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Instead of following our thoughts, we pray for God’s guidance, and obey His answers. Yes, this is a struggle!

We do not use our emotions to react to conflict, or stressful situations, instead, we strive to possess the Spirit of Christ, and immediately pray for Divine Help.

Christ’s Character: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering [patience], gentleness, goodness faith, meekness [humility], temperance [self-control], against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Through our daily personal worship of Prayer and Study of the Scriptures, we receive spiritual wisdom. It is in the times of separation from others, the Holy Spirit quietly teaches us the deepest meaning of God’s Righteous Precepts.

As we begin to perceive life through the Spiritual Eyes of Christ, we begin to recognize that we are growing spiritually. Not only do our desires and goals change, but we also approach the Throne of Grace before making decisions, and rely on God to fight our battles.

Loyalty to God is manifested by righteous thoughts. Instead of pursuing earthly success and material possessions, we seek to fulfill our God-given purpose of using our talents and spiritual gifts to honor God, and witness to others.

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33, CSB).

Remaining loyal to our Shepherd does not exclude us from enduring suffering, trials, and hardships. The apostle Peter tells us that we will experience fiery trials.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12, NLT).

“These ‘fiery trials’ are seen not as surprising misfortunes, but as opportunities to test faith, purify character, and deepen one’s connection with God, ultimately preparing us for future glory.”

Spiritual Fact: When facing challenges, our first response reveals the status of our faith and trust in God.

Although, we can resolve our obstacles, spiritual growth is evidenced by our desire to depend on God. Instead of developing strategies, our first response to adversity is a prayer asking for God’s Divine Intervention.

“Even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24, CSB).

Developing a life of prayer builds steadfast faith and trust in God, and demonstrates confidence in Jesus’ promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

In Philippians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul gives us Jesus’ instructions on maintaining our faith and gift of peace despite our circumstances.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Prayer connects us to Jesus, our Intercessor who receives every prayer, silent and spoken. From exercising our faith to believe in the Power of God, the Holy Spirit blesses us with Christ’s spiritual peace [an abiding inner calmness] that words cannot describe.

“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3).

God loves and honors His faithful believers. From surrendering ourselves to follow Christ, we receive the daily blessings of spiritual peace, a quiet spirit, provisions, the fruition of His perfect plans, and the ability to sleep like newborn babies.

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8).

Like David, even when facing adversity, we can have the confidence that Jesus Christ, Heaven’s Mightiest Warrior will fight every battle we face!

If you are living a life of faithful obedience then you are right where God needs you to be. Yes and Amen! Peace and Blessings.

Bible Study: Psalm 46

Lord God, we thank you for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who speaks to our hearts, giving us spiritual wisdom and discernment when we dedicate ourselves to follow Christ. Jesus, we thank You for Your amazing gift of peace, and protection from spiritual warfare. We give you the honor, glory, and praise, and ask this prayer in Your Holy Name, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

We Cannot Judge Ourselves

Our Heavenly Father Cares Devotional

At some point, in our Christian experience, we should be very concerned about our spiritual status with God. Yes, there are obvious sins that we can identify, but it is the hidden desires of our hearts that we need the Holy Spirit to identify as unrighteousness. Pray and Obey. Study the Scriptures and Strive for Spiritual growth. Live righteously!

We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit to receive the daily transformation of our minds, characters, and personalities into the likeness of Christ. Revelation 22:12 is sooner than we think. Peace and Blessings!

Spiritual Growth is Silent

Spiritual Growth Is Silent Devotional Reading and Podcast

Jesus created the world to have consistent and continuous growth and movement. All bodies of water, the sea, streams, and oceans give us evidence of that movement. And nothing is more exciting than planting seeds and anxiously watching and waiting for the little seedlings to burst through the dirt.

We were also created to achieve growth through spiritual and academic learning. Still, God’s plan is for us to utilize the Bible as our primary source of gaining knowledge. From the moment we pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit [before studying the Bible], we receive discernment of the Scriptures, wisdom, and spiritual guidance for applying the Truth to our lives.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16, ESV)

To live holy means we put God first. Daily worship includes prayer expressing gratitude, Bible study, and asking for Divine guidance regarding life’s challenges. Hearing God’s Voice can happen in various ways. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Scriptures and our thoughts. Make worship an intimate time between you and God without distractions or disruptions.

Our commitment to obey and walk in God’s Purpose is the only way to achieve spiritual growth. Spiritual growth and transformation are dynamic and occur throughout our lifetime as long as we remain dedicated to God.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…” (Colossians 1:9-11).

Like the plant that grows silently, our spiritual growth is also silent. We visualize the development of plant life stages, but how do we know if we are growing spiritually? Our characters change as evidenced by the desire to intentionally guard our hearts. The programs, music, and conversations we previously watched, listened to and participated in become displeasing to our eyes and ears. We become intentional and committed to our relationship with Christ.

As we grow, we begin to take better care of our souls. The more we learn about God’s character and the life of Christ, our hearts are filled with love—we love God, others, and ourselves. When our hearts are bursting with love for God, we willingly change our lifestyles to include praying and studying the Scriptures. Another godly trait we gain is compassion–we will begin to care about the well-being of those in need.

Our goals change from pleasing ourselves to pleasing God. We begin to desire a character that has the [righteous] qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit. Do not try to monitor or speed up your spiritual growth. We can change undesirable habits or curtail unrighteous traits, such as impatience [which demonstrates we are doing our part], yet, spiritual transformation is a continuous and lifelong process orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.

Like the plant that requires light, water, and nutrients for proper growth and maturity, we also need the Light and Living Water that only Christ can provide. Realistically, we will fall when we fail to pray for guidance. Do not become discouraged! “For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster” (Proverbs 24:16). We must repent, get back up, not repeat the same mistake, and keep going.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28, NIV

We have Divine Help every second of our lives. God is only a prayer away. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We have a Father who loves us!

Our transformation relies on a close relationship with Christ. Surrender and obedience allow us to receive the spiritual nutrients that flow from the Source, Jesus Christ. Yes, Christ not only gives us strength, but He also nurtures us with His everlasting love!

Every Christian’s Goal: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Every day we fight against our sinful traits, but we can win those battles with the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to overcome our carnal desires and resist temptation. Our willingness to cooperate and surrender to God’s will and plans allows the Holy Spirit to achieve the continuous transformation required for eternal life.

There is a marked difference between spiritual growth and natural growth. We reach mental and physical maturity by a certain age, but we never cease growing spiritually. God has designed that we are ever learning and growing in our walk on the Path of Righteousness.

Sanctification, to be molded into the likeness of Christ–His Character lasts throughout our cycle of life on this earth.

Scripture: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1: 15-16).

Prayer: God, I ask You to show me the way and reveal what You want me to do. I want to do what you want me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.