From Milk to Meat: Praying for Spiritual Maturity

Discover why spiritual maturity is worth praying for, what Scripture teaches about it, and how to pray intentionally using a simple GROWTH framework.

The Vineyard and the Vision

If you plant a seed, you don’t just hope for a sprout — you hope for fruit. A harvest. Something full-grown, resilient, rooted. Whether it’s tomatoes in the backyard or grapes in a vineyard, the goal is never just green leaves. It's the fruit that feeds.

Spiritual growth is no different. When we pray for one another, we're not only asking for help in the moment—we're watering a life. We're asking God to cultivate something deep and lasting in someone’s soul. We’re praying people into Christlikeness.

But here's the truth: maturity doesn't happen by accident. It doesn’t come with age or experience alone. It is something formed, shaped, and yes—prayed into being.

Paul knew this. Again and again in his letters, he lifted up churches in prayer—not for ease, but for depth. Not for comfort, but for Christlikeness. And in that, he gives us a model: to pray not just reactively, but proactively. Purposefully. With a vision of growth in mind.

Let’s explore why praying for spiritual maturity matters—and how we can do it well.

Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash

Why Spiritual Maturity Is Worth Praying For

In Colossians 1:28–29, Paul says, “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” This was his goal, his energy, his prayer: not just that people would believe in Jesus—but that they’d become like Him.

Spiritual maturity is God’s desire for every believer. It’s not for a select few or ministry leaders. It’s for everyone who has started the journey of following Jesus. And praying for it isn’t just noble—it’s necessary.

When we pray for someone’s maturity, we’re asking for long-term transformation. We’re praying them out of shallow faith and into rootedness. Out of emotional reactions and into discernment. Out of spiritual apathy and into abiding love.

In The Primary Reason for Praying, we explored how the glory of God is the ultimate aim of prayer—and spiritual maturity magnifies that glory. Mature believers reflect Christ, depend on Christ, and live for Christ in a way that speaks to the world around them.

Spiritual maturity makes a believer steady in trials, soft in relationships, courageous in mission, and joyful in obedience. That’s why it’s worth praying for.

And it doesn’t take a seminary degree to pray this way. It takes faith, consistency, and love.

What the Bible (and Paul) Teaches About Praying for Maturity

If we want to pray deeply and well, we don’t need to look far—we only need to open the Scriptures.

Paul’s prayers are some of the richest soil we can dig into. In Prayers from Paul, we took a closer look at how the Apostle didn’t just teach maturity—he prayed it into the people he served. His prayers weren’t reactionary or surface-level. They were intentionally planted, shaped by the Spirit, and full of eternal perspective.

Let’s look at a few of the ways Paul prayed for others to grow:

Colossians 1:9–12

He prays that they would be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” leading to a life worthy of the Lord—fruitful, strong, joyful, and grateful.

Paul prays for wisdom, fruitfulness, strength, and endurance—not once does he mention external success.

Philippians 1:9–11

He asks that their “love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment,” so they can approve what is excellent and be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Love isn’t just emotional here—it’s discerning, wise, and anchored in holiness.

Ephesians 1:17–19

He prays that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened to know the hope to which they are called, the riches of their inheritance, and the immeasurable power available to them.

Maturity begins with seeing clearly—who God is, who we are in Him, and what He has given us.

These aren’t checklist prayers. They’re formation prayers. They reveal a deeper goal: not behavior modification, but heart transformation.

What’s beautiful is that these prayers aren’t just Paul’s—they’re God’s Word to us. This means we can pray them with confidence, knowing we’re aligned with God’s heart, His will, word and ways.

Try this: Put your name or someone’s name into one of these passages.
“Lord, fill James with the knowledge of Your will. Help Suzanne walk in a way that pleases You. Strengthen me for endurance. Make us fruitful in every good work…”

This is how we become participants in the spiritual maturity of others. We don’t just wish it for them—we pray it into them and into ourselves.

What to Pray For: Markers of Spiritual Maturity

So if we're going to pray people into maturity, what exactly should we be asking for?Scripture gives us more than vague aspirations. It gives us a practical portrait of spiritual maturity—something we can recognize, pursue, and pray for.

In God’s Prayer Manual, we talked about letting the Word shape our intercession. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Knowledge of God & His Will

• “Filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” (Col. 1:9)

• Pray: “Father, help me know You—not just facts about You. Let their life align with Your heart.”

2. Wisdom & Discernment

• “…with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent.” (Phil. 1:9–10)

• Pray: “Give them clarity to make wise, Spirit-led decisions.”

3. Love that Abounds

• “…abounding in love…” (Phil. 1:9)

• Pray: “Grow our love for You and for others—especially when it’s hard.”

4. Endurance in Trials

• “Strengthened with all power… for all endurance and patience with joy.” (Col. 1:11)

• Pray: “Give us strength to stand steady in hard times—joyful and faithful.”

5. Obedience & Holiness

• “…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him.” (Col. 1:10)

• Pray: “Shape in them a life that says yes to Your will every day.”

6. Spiritual Fruitfulness

• “Bearing fruit in every good work…” (Col. 1:10)

• Pray: “Let our life overflow with good works and lasting impact.”

7. Hope Rooted in Eternity

• “…the hope to which He has called you…” (Eph. 1:18)

• Pray: “Anchor my heart in eternity so we don’t drift in the present.”

8. Humility

• “Do nothing from selfish ambition… but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3)

• Pray: “Form in us a heart like Christ—serving, listening, lifting others up.”

9. Joy

• “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4)

• Pray: “Let joy be their default posture—rooted not in circumstances, but in You.”

10. Peace

• “…the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

• Pray: “Guard my heart with Your peace. Make us a calming, healing presence to others.”

When we pray for these things, we’re not asking for small changes—we’re asking for soul-deep transformation, in our inner-man. And God delights to answer!

You can focus on one per day, one per person, or all at once. There’s no wrong way to start—only an invitation to be part of the quiet, powerful work of becoming—and helping other believers become more like Christ.

How to Build a Habit of Praying This Way

Praying for spiritual maturity isn’t a flash-in-the-pan experience. It’s not a one-time event. It’s more like assembling a piece of IKEA furniture.

Stick with me.

At first, the box arrives with a picture of what it could be—clean lines, sturdy frame, beautiful finish. But inside? Chaos. Wooden planks. A strange instruction booklet, I mean, it has no words! Little pieces you’re sure you’ll lose. The process isn’t fast, and it’s rarely pretty. But piece by piece, with patience and intention, it becomes something useful and beautiful. Something strong.

I have several.

Praying for maturity is like that. It takes repetition, intention, and trust in the process. You won’t always feel momentum, but over time—your prayers build something lasting in your life or the life of another person.

In A Time, A Place, A List, we explored how simple structure creates space for prayer to grow. So here are a few ways to build this habit into your life:

1. Choose a Daily Routine

• Start small: one person, one prayer, one marker per day.

• Maybe Monday is for “love,” Tuesday for “discernment,” and so on.

• Consistency beats intensity—short prayers, offered often, shape lives.

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2. Use a Prayer Journal

• Write out the names of 3–5 people you want to pray into spiritual maturity.

• Under each name, note a few markers to focus on.

• Look back every few weeks—you’ll often see answered prayer in progress.

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3. Pray Scripture Out Loud

• Choose one of Paul’s prayers and personalize it with someone’s name.

• Speaking scripture aloud roots it deeper in your own heart too.

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4. Share the Practice

• Do this with a spouse, friend, small group, or even your church.

• Choose one maturity marker and all pray for it over the same person (or community) that week.

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5. Keep It Simple

• You don’t need the perfect words, just start with Scripture.

• You need a willing heart.

• Pray short, frequent, focused prayers—and trust God with the rest.

Bonus Tip from Experience:

Some people write the 10 maturity markers on index cards and cycle through them over two weeks. Others add reminders to their calendar or phone. You can tailor the rhythm to your personality and schedule—just don’t wait for perfection to begin.

Start with a name. A scripture. A prayer.

And build something that lasts.

A Framework for Maturity-Focused Prayer

By now, you’ve seen the why and what of praying for spiritual maturity—but if you’re like most of us, you may still be asking, How do I do this consistently without getting overwhelmed or scattered?

That’s where a simple framework can help.

Inspired by the themes in Paul’s prayers, here’s a pattern I like that you can return to again and again—a guide that keeps your heart focused and your intercession grounded in Scripture. I call it the GROWTH Model.

Each letter stands for one prayer theme that aligns with what we’ve seen in the New Testament. Use it to guide daily prayer, weekly rhythms, or whenever you want to intercede more intentionally for someone’s spiritual development.

The Growth Prayer Framework

You can cycle through this one letter per day (six-day rhythm), use all six in one extended prayer time, or even choose one that fits a particular situation someone is facing.

What’s important isn’t the method, or even the specific words—it’s the intentionality posture of your heart. This framework isn’t rigid, but it gives shape to our desire to see people move from milk to meat, from starting out to standing firm, from surface faith to deep transformation.

And the more you pray this way, the more your own heart matures too.

Conclusion: Praying People into Christlikeness

If you’ve ever watched a garden grow, you know it’s not about flashy moments. It’s about quiet, steady care. Seeds planted in faith. Watered with trust. Kept under watchful eyes—day after day.

That’s what prayer for spiritual maturity is.

It’s choosing to believe that God is forming something in His children that we can’t yet see. It’s lifting up friends, family, churches, and even strangers—not just for help, but for holiness. Not just for strength, but for fruit. Not just for comfort, but for Christlikeness.

So start small. Start somewhere. Start with someone.

Use the GROWTH framework. Open up Colossians or Philippians or Ephesians and put a name into the text. Set a time, a place, a list. And pray.

That’s exactly what I think Epaphras was doing!

Because the Spirit uses the prayers of the saints to do His deepest work.

A Final Prayer

Lord, thank You that You are not content to leave us as we are.
You’re forming Christ in us—and You invite us to join You in that work through prayer.
Teach us to pray with vision. With love. With persistence.
Help us pray people into depth, into joy, into fruitfulness, into Christ.
And as we do, grow us, too. Amen.