All believers should grow spiritually. There are things that hinder our growth. We should identify these obstacles and deal with them. Then we will grow in our spiritual growth.
A common obstacle to our spiritual growth is a lack of prayer. Through prayer, we share our thoughts directly with God. When we distance ourselves from prayer, we do not receive God’s presence and guidance. Through regular prayer, we strengthen our relationship with God and live in His will.
On the other hand, if we do not confess our sins to God, it will become an obstacle to our spiritual growth. Sin separates us from God, so we should regularly ask God for forgiveness for our sins. When we ask God for forgiveness of sins with a repentant heart, God’s fellowship with us is restored.
Being attracted to the things of the world is a hindrance to our spiritual growth. If we pursue the wealth, success, and entertainment of the world, we will distance ourselves from God. The Bible says that if we are friends with the world, we will be enemies with God. So we should remember that all the things of this world are temporary, but God and His kingdom are eternal.
If we do not attend church regularly, we will fall behind spiritually. By attending church regularly, we can learn more about God’s Word. When we all sit together to worship God and read God’s Word, and pray, we grow spiritually.
In addition to these, we must abandon bad things such as pride, greed, hatred, jealousy, etc. When we abandon these, our relationship with God will be good. We must be like the Lord Jesus, where we can love others. We must humble ourselves and have a mindset of helping others.
Finally, what we need to do is obey the Word of God then we will progress spiritually. The Word of God gives us knowledge and guidance by which we can walk rightly with God.
Let us look at the following Bible passages that discuss obstacles to spiritual growth.
Matthew 13:22 : —
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; the care of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, he becometh unfruitful”
Matthew 15:8 : —
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me”
Matthew 26:41 : —
“Watch pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”
Matthew 6:24 : —
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, love the other; or else he will hold to the one, despise the other. Ye cannot serve God mammon”
Hebrews 12:1 : —
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, the sin which doth so easily beset us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us”
Hebrews 12:15 : —
“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, thereby many be defiled”
Hebrews 3:12-13 : —
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living GodBut exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”
Hebrews 5:12-14 : —
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; are become such as have need of milk, not of strong meatFor every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babeBut strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good evil”
James 1:22 : —
“But be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves”
James 4:4 : —
“Ye adulterers adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”
Proverbs 14:12 : —
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”
Proverbs 28:13 : —
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth forsaketh them shall have mercy”
Proverbs 4:23 : —
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”
Galatians 5:16-17 : —
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, ye shall not fulfil the lust of the fleshFor the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh: these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”
Galatians 5:24 : —
“They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections lusts”
Galatians 6:7-8 : —
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reapFor he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”
Romans 12:2 : —
“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, perfect, will of God”
Romans 13:14 : —
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof”
Romans 6:16 : —
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
Romans 7:15-20 : —
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do IIf then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is goodNow then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in meFor I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find notFor the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I doNow if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”
Romans 8:13 : —
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”
Ephesians 4:14 : —
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”
Ephesians 4:22-24 : —
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lustsAnd be renewed in the spirit of your mindAnd that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness true holiness”
Ephesians 5:15-16 : —
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wiseRedeeming the time, because the days are evil”
Ephesians 6:11-12 : —
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devilFor we wrestle not against flesh blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”
Colossians 2:8 : —
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, not after Christ”
Colossians 3:5-10 : —
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness, which is idolatryFor which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedienceIn the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in themBut now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouthLie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deedsAnd have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him”
Mark 4:19 : —
“The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, it becometh unfruitful”
Philippians 3:18-19 : —
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of ChristWhose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”
Philippians 4:8 : —
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things”
Luke 21:34 : —
“Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, drunkenness, cares of this life, so that day come upon you unawares”
Luke 8:14 : —
“That which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, are choked with cares riches pleasures of this life, bring no fruit to perfection”
John 12:43 : —
“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”
John 15:5 : —
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing”
Psalm 101:3 : —
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me”
Titus 1:16 : —
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, unto every good work reprobate”
Titus 2:12 : —
“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, godly, in this present world”
Ezekiel 33:31-32 : —
“They come unto thee as the people cometh, they sit before thee as my people, they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousnessAnd, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not”
Isaiah 59:2 : —
“But your iniquities have separated between you your God, your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear”
Jeremiah 17:9 : —
“The heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked: who can know it?”