Whether you have grown up in church or just recently became a Christian, as followers of Christ, growing in the Lord is something we constantly strive for. We want to live a life where we are putting God first, and we want to have a personal relationship with Him. A relationship where we can turn to prayer and find our comfort and peace in the Lord. But if we want to survive as Christians living in today’s world and thrive, we must turn to the Lord in all things.

It can be easy to worship and praise the Lord in the good times when things are going our way, but turning to Him when times are tough, allows us to lean on the Lord and grow closer to him. God has a plan for each one of us, and He wants to see us thriving. The Lord is on our side and wants us to flourish. The plans we have for ourselves do not compare to the good plans He has for us. When we are thriving spiritually, people around us notice. We can spread the good news of the Holy Spirit by thriving and praising His holy name.

Isaiah 54:2 tells us, “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords; And strengthen your stakes.” The symbol we are given of enlarging the place of our tent helps us to understand better how we are to establish the church. He is speaking about the church in this verse. We are being called to make our tents bigger, make room for everyone, and leave room for the tent to grow. Make room for everyone who wants to enter the House of the Lord. The Lord wants to gather all his children in the tent. We are to grow the area we have before us. But developing the church starts with spiritually growing individuals in the Body of Christ.

As Christians, we are the body of the church and must make sure we are spiritually sound in our minds, body, and spirit to spread the word of God. We are not confined to a church building as a Body of Christ. We come to church to grow spiritually, but God calls us to enlarge our tent, meaning we should not only be serving the Lord in our comfort zone. He wants us to broaden our area, and thrive through Him, to better serve Him.

When we live our life how God calls, He tells us we will be rewarded in grace. God’s plans for us are more significant than we could ever imagine, and when we follow Him, we will thrive. We will all go through trials and tribulations during our time here. We may not know why we are dealing with the storms we face. It may be financial, grief, depression, or family struggles, but God is still with us and has a plan for us. When we turn to the Lord during those times of hardship, we can not only survive the hard times but thrive. We can grow and strengthen our relationship with the Lord.

If we want to enlarge our tents, God tells us, “Do not spare; Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.” We can strengthen our stakes by spending time in God’s word, spending more time in prayer, and worshiping the Lord. When you turn your life over to God, His grace for you is more than you could ever imagine and far more than you deserve. The blessings He places in our lives when walking in the Lord are a gift. God wants us to thrive in all areas of our lives, relationships, our families, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. But how do we thrive spiritually? The Bible tells us how to walk with the Lord in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.” When we have the Holy Spirit in us, others notice. The Bible tells us we are the salt and light of the earth, and when you walk in the light as Jesus calls, His light will shine through you onto others.

When we want to grow deeper in the Lord and strengthen our relationship with Christ, the church offers many ways for the congregation to seek help. Church services are the first way to enhance your relationship with God. It is the first thing most people think of when someone is looking to grow in Christ, but there are many other excellent services the church offers to help others grow closer to the Lord. One of the best ways is getting involved in small groups or prayer ministries. This allows church members to connect with others and grow their relationships in the church and individuals closer to Christ. Prayer ministries are vital to a church, as the power of prayer can make an essential difference in the church’s strength.

Humbling ourselves and giving God thanks for all we have in our lives is another way to grow ourselves spiritually. Prayer is the chance to ask for things in your life and to worship the Lord and thank Him for the blessings he has poured into your life. Spending time in prayer allows us to have conversations with God and grow our relationship with Him. Find little times during your day to spend time in prayer, even if it is just a quick moment to show the Lord thankfulness.

If you are struggling with your relationship with the Lord or feel you need help emotionally, finding Christian Counseling is a great option to get the help you may need. Sitting down with someone and discussing challenges and hardships is one way to help settle your mind and spirit. Counseling can help calm the anxieties of life and help put things into perspective that you may be struggling with. Talking to someone trained in counseling who can offer Christian viewpoints and give you scripture to turn to can help you feel better emotionally and thrive spiritually.

As the Body of Christ, we want to ensure all our church members are growing closer to God and thriving spiritually in the Holy Spirit. We offer many services that can help members grow their relationships in Christ. When the church is moving spiritually towards God, we can feel the Holy Spirit moving in the church, growing the church and its members. We can follow the directions of the Lord and stretch out our tents when the stakes of the church are strengthened in the Holy Spirit.

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