Being saved or born again in the family of God is certainly the foundation of being Christian. It is the most exciting experience to know that you no longer are a child of the devil but a child of God. Yet it is only the beginning of an exciting journey with God. The Christian must grow. The Christian should not remain a baby but must grow and mature. The Apostle Paul writes: When I was a child I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man (a mature person) I put childish ways behind me (1 Corinthians 13:11). In these verses we see progression in Paul’s life. He is able to look back and see where he has come from and he acknowledges development. Any parent would worry and be concerned if their child remained a baby and never grew and matured to adulthood. God certainly desires that we should grow and reach spiritual maturity. There are four things which are basic to Christian growth. These are Bible reading, prayer, fellowship and witnessing.

 BIBLE READING 

For every Christian to grow they need to feed on the word of God. Just as physical food is necessary for physical growth, the spirit will grow through being fed spiritual food. The Bible is the revelation of God. It reveals the mind of God and his will for his children as well as the world. All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work(2 Timothy 3:16). When we read scripture we discover God’s commands which we must obey. We discover God’s promises which we must claim. We discover warnings that we must heed. We discover instructions that we must follow. We discover lessons that we must learn. We must study God’s word and meditate upon it. Do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be successful and prosperous (Joshua 1:8).

 PRAYER 

Prayer is communication with God. In any relationship that is healthy there is communication between those that are relating. Through prayer we praise God for who he is. Through prayer we thank God for what he does for us (Philippians 1:3). Through prayer we seek forgiveness from God for what we have done wrong before Him (2 Chronicles 7:14). Through prayer we petition God to answer our needs (Philippians 4:6). Through prayer we seek guidance from God. Through prayer we surrender our will to God (Matthew 26:39). Through prayer we seek victory over temptation (Matthew 26:41). Through prayer we intercede on other people’s behalf (1 Timothy 2:1). Prayer should have the following elements: Adoration, Thanksgiving, Confession, Supplication and Intercession.

Prayer should not be for showing off and we should avoid babbling (Matthew 6:5-7). Prayer should be addressed God and not the devil(Matthew 6:9). Nowhere are we commanded nor do we find a pattern of addressing the devil. The only places in scripture where the devil or evil spirits are addressed are in exorcism (casting out demons). We must humble ourselves in prayer. We must seek the will of God (Matthew 6:10). We must have faith(James 5:15). We must pray in Jesus name (Colossians 3:7) and not plead the blood of Jesus.

 FELLOWSHIP 

As one walks in the faith one finds that one needs encouragement and is called upon to give encouragement. This happens in the context of walking with one another. This walking with one another is what we call fellowship. The Bible considers it a beautiful experience (Psalm 133:1, 3). Two is better than one. If we were to take one burning coal and leave it on its own it will soon die. If we take several burning coals and put them together the fire would be bigger and it would take longer for the fire to die down. One of the signs of spiritual decline is when a Christian begins to shun fellowship. When a Christian begins to miss church and does not feel bothered he/she has began neglect his/ her spiritual growth (Hebrews 10:25).

 WITNESSING 

One mark of spiritual growth is ability to reproduce. The good news about the gospel is that it must be spread to everyone. Anyone who is growing in his faith will desire to reach out to those that are lost. As a Christian reading this you will appreciate that someone played a role in sharing the gospel with you. You believed because someone shared the gospel with you. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. This is where a Christian needs to have a passion for the lost and pray for them but moreover tell the lost about Jesus who can save, redeem and restore them. Above all we are commanded by our Lord Jesus (Matthew 28:19, 20).