Word Count: 711

Contact Jerry Ousley

Praying for Growth

by Jerry Ousley  
3/20/2015 / Christian Living

As a skinny kid in school, and especially in high school, I used to pray that God would make me grow. I was the butt of all the jokes, the kid that got picked on unless someone else of my stature and popularity status was closer by, and I hated it. I'd pray, "Lord, if only You'd let me be taller, a bit heavier and stronger, they wouldn't pick on me so bad!"

I tried everything I knew to do. When body builders on TV would say that all you needed to do was to eat this, if I could get it that's what I'd eat. If they said that this exercise machine would build you up like those using it on TV in only a matter of weeks, well, I couldn't afford the machines, but I'd watch what they were doing and improvise as best as I could.

But none of it worked, or so I thought. God did answer my prayers many years later. I did get taller, and bigger much bigger! I got stronger, only not until I was a grown man. Now I wish for those days when I weighed only half as much! We're never satisfied!

However, in a way God answered my prayers while in school too. I didn't change much physically, but emotionally, and spiritually I did. You see, I learned that if I went along with the jokes instead of getting angry about them, the teasing usually stopped. For instance, I've always had kinky hair. If I let it get too long it just curls up. It's very difficult to get a comb through it so I use a brush instead of a comb. One day during the eighth grade three or four boys began to tease me about my hair. Instead of getting offended I just went along with them and laughed at myself. One of the boys whipped out a comb and dared me to use it. Now-a-days we know better than to use someone else's comb but it didn't seem like such a big deal then. I grabbed that comb and pushed it through my hair which was so thick and comb-resistant that several teeth of the comb began to break off. I told him, "See, I can get it through my hair," and handed him back his comb with several teeth missing. The other boys laughed and the joke was now on him. So I did grow. I grew in other ways that allowed me to survive in the cruel world of public school.

As we have said, we are always growing while here on earth. As believers in Christ there are new levels of maturity to be reached. Each day brings a fresh revelation from the word of God as read it. God reveals things in our lives that need changing gradually instead of just dumping everything on us at once. We need to pray for growth, not just for ourselves but for others as well. As we are obedient to God, and as those we are praying for are obedient to God, He will grant our prayers. He said that he would give us the desires of our hearts. If we really want to grow we need to seek and search for desires that are like Jesus Christ. As God grants those desires we are slowly becoming what He really wants us to be.

Praying for growth as a Christian means that we are praying that God will lead us in the paths that will help us as we fulfill our purpose in worshipping Him. We become a little closer to Him each day. We aren't the same person we used to be. We are becoming something else. We are becoming like Christ. That is ultimately what God wants for us. Again, it won't be fully accomplished until we reach Heaven, be each day can be a new step taken towards that goal.

Watch how God will help you to grow in Him. Your heart's desires will begin to change. Instead of toys and trinkets your desire will turn more each day to what God wants. And after all, what He wants for us will turn us into a spiritual giant as we grow.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Jerry Ousley

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:

Not readable? Change text.

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer