This prayer to grow spiritually uses the examples of how to cultivate sunflowers that point out some of the things we need to grow in faith.   Here are some prayer steps to take in growing spiritually.

Ask God to show you a preview of how beautiful your spiritual life can be if properly nurtured.  

WE are God’s Sunflowers!   One of the prettiest sights, in my opinion is a field of sunflowers. The bright yellows, light yellows, light browns, dark browns, orange browns, oranges, coppers, maroons, and bi-colors show a diversity in the sunflowers themselves. To grow sunflowers, we need to know how they grow, where they grow, and how much sunshine they need, water, etc. Sunflowers in my experience are easy to grow if you follow the steps in your favorite gardening book.  Just a few easy steps and the result is breathtaking.

When we become believers in Jesus Christ, we become a diverse people coming together as one, we have the instructions of the Bible teachings, and our result is eternal life. The steps to follow Jesus Christ are simple.  Following in His footsteps and figuring out where to grow and where to go encompasses your life long journey. Like the sunflower, we need to be guided to grow. Enduring the storms of life, the winds of change, and trying not to topple over is a challenge. Its easy to give up when the circumstances are difficult. But like the sunflower, we can grow in the most difficult of circumstances with God’s help.

Ask God to show you the support and structure you need to grow spiritually

Sunflowers will grow quickly in the sun and heat but at a certain point they need a structure, wall, or each other so that they have ideal growing conditions.   I have seen sunflowers grow up by fences, walls, and closely grow up beside other sunflowers. I decided to make it easy on myself and grew my sunflowers next to a fence. But I used twine and I used some small nails to hang a clothes line of a sorts so that the line would guide the sunflower and hold it firm but not tight, while it grew.  I put one line of twine about 12 inches from the ground from right to left, then I put the second line from right to left, just below the flower head of the sunflower to hold it while It grew. If the sunflower was one that grew unusually tall, I would just add another horizontal line of twine and keep guiding it until it stopped growing. This line also prevented the sunflower from bending over if the wind was unusually strong.

As believers we need other believers, a fellowship, a church, a group of people that we can rely on to help us grow. We in turn help them grow. The sunflower needs a structure to guide them. We need guidance to help us to grow straight. Ephesians 4:17-24 says that we are to live as children of light. Like the sunflower needs the sun, we need the guidance of Son of God. At each step of our growth God holds us up, he helps guide us. The Bible and other believers guide us, but they also challenge us to make changes when storms of life come our way.

Ask God to show you how to protect your spiritual life as it grows

Sunflowers will need protection from wildlife as they grow but they are also attractive to birds and bumble bees. Deer, birds, and other wildlife will eat on the flower itself before it gets fully grown.

Many things can prevent us from growing as believers. Our Heavenly Father watches over us our whole lives. He helps us to grow, provides His Holy Spirit and His words from the Bible. So, we need to protect our spiritual garden. We need to avoid anything that will prevent us from growing such as doubt, busyness, fear, disunity, etc., as well as, feelings of defeat and feelings of depression will block our growth. If we allow relationships, hobbies, or sports, to block our growth, we will delay blessings, joy, and spiritual understanding.  We should allow God to guide our lives and trust in His guidance. But growth equals change, and a lot of times difficulties come our way that drive our growth.

 Ask God to help you grow spiritually toward him

Sunflowers grow toward the sun. This is so neat to watch. As your sunflower grows it turns toward the sun. The flower head gets heavy. Sometimes too heavy for the stem to hold it up so the plant itself needs to anchor into the ground and to become stronger to hold the flower. The twine is still holding it up, but the plant is stronger. The sunflower doesn’t hesitate to grow towards the sun for the life-giving sunshine.

We know that as believers we need to anchor ourselves to God and to become stronger so that we can continue to grow. Also, we need to be ready when He calls us out to do His will. We connect to our fellow believers and share our struggles and sometimes our spiritual growth spurts. If we share our blessings, it will bless others. We need to turn our face to the Son of God, so we can give Him our full attention. He can give us what we need whether it is the sunshine, the water, the ground in which we are sown or the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Growth can be very painful. But without a challenge, change, or pain, we don’t grow. We live a stagnant lifeless existence. Change is our enemy. Fear is our friend. We give up on our faith and on God.

We can avoid a lifeless existence by holding each other up, leaning on God, allowing Him to protect us, and to grow in any circumstance.   In the book of Philippians 4:11 the missionary Paul says, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  Some people think that living a Christian life is easy. They think that life hands them a stress-free existence. However, that is not the case. The difference is Jesus. Jesus can and will help us grow. He will help us to get through all our growth spurts. He loves us. We do not travel by ourselves. He is there with us on our spiritual journey.

Prayer to Grow Spiritually Like Sunflowers

Lord, help me to turn my heart toward you. Anchor my thoughts and help me to bend and adjust my stubborn and unwillingness to change. Guide my steps and protect my spiritual growth.  Be my wall of strength so I can lean against you as I grow. Make me fearless when the heat of indecision causes me to stumble. Help me to adjust my direction when life’s storms threaten me. Help me to appreciate diversity and learn from those you send my way. Help me to follow your ways and not my own.

Amen

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