Pray for Maturity

Often times when we pray, we ask God for "comfort" kinds of things. We ask God for enough money to pay for the things we want. We ask God to heal the physical disease, take away the pain, and even keep us safe and healthy when things are going well. We would never think to ask God to give us trials to go through so we will grow in maturity. Those times of trial and tribulation, though, are the very times God uses to help us become mature.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 NIV)

I've prayed over prayer requests for almost twelve years now. People ask me to lift up all kinds of concerns before God. Some of them even offer Praise for God's answer to a previous request. Thousands of requests have been lifted up before God in this way. I can count on one hand, though, the number of people who have asked me to pray for their maturity. Maturity is just one of those things we don't seem to ask God to give us. Yet God clearly wants to give it to us. God's whole design for God's church is centered around this purpose.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV)

"The whole measure of the fullness of Christ" is the definition of "mature." When we are mature, we are living a life that is Christ-like. We are walking together with God. This is God's desire for our lives and God want's us to pray this prayer. When we ask God to make us mature, God will say "yes."

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way:

• bearing fruit in every good work, 
• growing in the knowledge of God, 
• being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 
• and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:9-12 NIV)

Wisdom leads to maturity and walking together with God.

So how about you? Do you see trials in life as an opportunity to grow in your trust of God through all circumstances? Do you ask God to do whatever it takes to make you Christ-like? Do you pray for maturity?