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Assessing Personal Spiritual Growth Through Prayer and Study

Assessing Personal Spiritual Growth Through Prayer and Study

Scripture presents spiritual growth as a measurable reality, not merely a subjective feeling. Paul prays that the Philippians "may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience" [1], establishing that growth involves observable expansion in both understanding and lived reality. This dual emphasis—cognitive and experiential—forms the biblical foundation for assessing spiritual maturity.

The Practice of Self-Examination

The biblical tradition explicitly commands self-examination as a spiritual discipline. Paul instructs believers to examine themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) and to do so particularly before communion (1 Corinthians 11:28) [2]. This practice requires specific postures: "holy awe," "diligent search," and "prayer for divine searching" [2]. The psalmist models this when he writes, "I will meditate on your precepts, and consider your ways" (Psalm 119:15) [3], demonstrating that assessment involves sustained attention to God's revealed standards rather than introspective navel-gazing.

The difficulty of self-examination stems from the heart's opacity. Jeremiah 17:9 warns of the heart's deceptiveness [2], which is why the psalmist repeatedly petitions God to conduct the examination: "Search me, O God, and know my heart" (Psalm 26:2; 139:23-24) [2]. This divine searching must accompany human effort, since believers remain prone to self-deception even after conversion. As one commentary notes, "we have not sinned" in 1 John 1:10 refers to "the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion" [8], acknowledging that ongoing sin complicates self-assessment.

Prayer as Both Means and Measure

Prayer functions simultaneously as the instrument of growth and evidence of it. Defined as "converse with God" and "direct address to him" [6], prayer takes multiple forms: "pouring out the soul before the Lord," "drawing near to God," "bowing the knees" [5, 6]. The variety of biblical descriptions—from ejaculatory to formal, from oral to mental—suggests that growth appears not in adopting a single prayer style but in deepening communion across all forms.

The content of prayer reveals spiritual maturity. Early prayers often focus on deliverance from trouble [7], but mature prayer seeks "divine teaching and direction" [7] and asks "that we may be turned to God" [7]. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:18 that believers "may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth" [4] indicates that growth involves expanding capacity to grasp divine realities, not merely accumulating information.

Study and Meditation as Formative Disciplines

Timothy receives instruction to "meditate carefully upon" his spiritual responsibilities [10], with the commentary noting that "spiritual food, in order to benefit us, needs to be appropriated by prayerful meditation" [10]. The analogy to digestion is precise: as food requires assimilation to nourish the body, Scripture requires meditation to transform the soul. The command to "be in these things" and "be wholly absorbed in them" [10] establishes that growth demands concentrated attention, not casual exposure.

Paul's prayer for the Colossians connects knowledge to conduct: "deeper understanding of the Good News" yields "conduct that pleases the Lord" and produces "endurance and patience to stand firm against evil" [11]. This sequence—understanding, conduct, endurance—provides a measurable trajectory. Growth appears when theological comprehension translates into ethical transformation and sustained resistance to sin.

Indicators of Progress

The tradition identifies specific advantages of self-examination: avoiding divine judgment (1 Corinthians 11:31), gaining assurance (Galatians 6:4), and achieving confidence before God (1 John 3:20-22) [2]. These outcomes suggest that assessment should produce clarity, not perpetual uncertainty. The purpose includes "amendment" [2]—concrete change in behavior—not merely emotional reassurance.

One commentary on 2 Peter 3:18 describes grace as "gradual" and "like a grain of mustard seed" [9], emphasizing that growth follows organic patterns rather than mechanical formulas. Gifts "neglected decrease, but stirred up and used, are improved and increase" [9], establishing use as the condition for development. The believer assesses growth by examining whether spiritual capacities expand through exercise or atrophy through neglect.

Sources

  1. Philippians “Philippians 1:9 (BBE) — And my prayer is that you may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience;”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Examination — Enjoined -- 2Co 13:5. Necessary before the communion -- 1Co 11:28. Cause of difficulty in -- Jer 17:9. Should be engaged in With holy awe. -- Ps 4:4. With diligent search. -- Ps 77:6; La 3:40. With prayer for divine searching. -- Ps 26:2; 139:23,24. With purpose of amendment. -- Ps 119:59; La 3:40. Advantages of -- 1Co 11:31; Ga 6:4; 1Jo 3:20-22.”
  3. Psalms “I will meditate on your precepts, and consider your ways. -- Psalms 119:15”
  4. Ephesians “may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, -- Ephesians 3:18”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Affliction, Prayer Under — Exhortation to -- Jas 5:13. That God would consider our trouble -- 2Ki 19:16; Ne 9:32; Ps 9:13; La 5:1. For the presence and support of God -- Ps 10:1; 102:2. That the Holy Spirit may not be withdrawn -- Ps 51:11. For divine comfort -- Ps 4:6; 119:76. For mitigation of troubles -- Ps 39:12,13. For deliverance -- Ps 25:17,22; 39:10; Isa 64:9-12; Jer 17:14. For pardon and deliverance from sin -- Ps 39:8; 51:1; 79:8. That we may be turned to God -- Ps 80:7; 85:4-6; Jer 31:18. For divine teaching and direction -- Job 34:32; Ps 27:11; 143:10. Fo”
  8. 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:10: Parallel to Jo1 1:8. we have not sinned--referring to the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion; whereas in Jo1 1:8, "we have no sin," refers to the present GUILT remaining (until cleansed) from the actual sins committed, and to the SIN of our corrupt old nature still adhering to us. The perfect "have . . . sinned" brings down the commission of sins to the present time, not merely sins committed before, but since, conversion. we make him a liar--a gradation; Jo1 1:6, "we lie"; Jo1 1:8, "we deceive ourselves"; worst of al”
  9. 2 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Peter 3:18: But grow in grace,.... In the gifts of grace, which, under a divine blessing, may be increased by using them: gifts neglected decrease, but stirred up and used, are improved and increase. And though men are to be thankful for their gifts, and be contented with them, yet they may lawfully desire more, and in the use of means seek an increase of them, which may be a means of preserving themselves, and others, from the error of the wicked. Moreover, by "grace" may be meant internal grace. The work of grace is gradual; it is like a grain of mustard seed, or like seed cas”
  10. 1 Timothy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Timothy 4:15: Meditate--Greek, "Meditate CAREFULLY upon" (Psa 1:2; Psa 119:15; compare "Isaac," Gen 24:63). these things-- (Ti1 4:12-14). As food would not nourish without digestion, which assimilates the food to the substance of the body, so spiritual food, in order to benefit us, needs to be appropriated by prayerful meditation. give thyself wholly to--literally, "BE in these things"; let them engross thee wholly; be wholly absorbed in them. Entire self-dedication, as in other pursuits, so especially in religion, is the secret of proficiency. There are chan”
  11. Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 1:9: 1:9-10 Paul prays that God would grant his readers deeper understanding of the Good News and its full expression in their lives. Spiritual growth yields a clearer and deeper comprehension of Christian truth and conduct that pleases the Lord, through which a believer will have the endurance and patience to stand firm against evil (1:11).”
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