Daily Devotional January 20 - Nine Stages Of Spiritual Growth - Preface

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."  1 Timothy 2:1-4

There are nine stages of growth.

1. Called - Searching for God
2. Washed - Found the Saviour 
3. Strengthened - Studying the Word 
4. Prepared - Adhering to the truths learned in scripture and looking ahead to see what God is going to do with you
5. Filled - At the crossroads of decision to never turn back
6. Empowered - Ready for specific service
7. Inspired - Continually following the leading of the Holy Spirit
8. Authorized - Ample biblical knowledge to be trusted to make the right decisions under pressure 
9. Anointed - God and man cooperating in will and purpose

These nine stages of growth are real points in time that can be marked by day and time, but they are also landmarks in time that overlap one another and weave in and out like a weavers knot.  The order of these nine stages of growth are for the purpose of learning practical truths from scripture, truth upon truth, line upon line, precept upon precept, in hopes that you will learn to desire the natural sequence of development that God ordained for you.


To jump ahead of the perfect balance of life that God has designed puts you in a place where you have no power or authority. 
To be ahead of God's intended plan only brings uncertainty and discouragement, doubt and pretense.


Just the same, to fall behind and crawl through life, uninspired and unmoved by God makes you feel unworthy. Low self esteem and depression are signs of falling behind where God wants you to be. Irritability, fault finding, an argumentative spirit, irresponsibility and disrespect are some of the signs of falling behind where God wants His people.


Jumping ahead of what God has ordained and falling behind what God ordained, both keep you out of alignment with God's plan for His people.


Each of the nine stages of development builds upon another and another upon another to take you from where you are to a place closer than you have ever been before, not only to God, but to understanding and developing your own personal experiences under the light of God's plan for your life.


There is much discussion about who is able to apprehend the truths of God. You will find that this writer believes that each and every individual is created to receive all that God has prepared for them. There are those who cannot, for whatever reason, (physiological or mental), those chemically imbalanced or mentally incapacitated), receive and respond to God's call.  God has provided grace for all those who cannot, of their own volition, move toward God; the unborn destroyed in the womb, babies that die an untimely death and those who cannot comprehend. But for you and I, who have been enabled to act upon our own will - we have a duty and a responsibility to God, to not only participate in His plan, but to have a deep residing understanding of His plan.

Not everyone wants to grow in Christ, but if you are one that has found God, but now you want more of God, you will enjoy every word of this treatise.  This is a discussion of the process that God takes you through, precept upon precept, faith to faith, glory to glory to make you more like Christ."