Rooted to Grow

Most growth in life is quiet.

We tend to notice the big moments. The breakthrough. The achievement. The visible result. But most real growth does not happen in a single dramatic flash. It happens slowly, often invisibly, through repeated habits that seem ordinary at the time.

A marriage grows through daily conversations, not just anniversary trips or special occasions. A child grows through ordinary meals, bedtime prayers, correction, and encouragement. Strength or weight loss is built through steady repetition, not one heroic workout.

The same is true spiritually.

Most of us want to grow. We want to become more faithful, more grounded, more useful in the kingdom. We want to know Christ more deeply, and we want to help others do the same. But that kind of growth does not happen by accident.

It happens when our lives are rooted in the right things.

And Scripture is clear about what those things are. If we want to grow as disciples (and if we want to help others grow) we must be rooted in the Word of God and in prayer. Not occasionally. Not casually. Consistently.

Because disciples are not formed by good intentions alone. They are formed by abiding in a relationship with God, through His word and in prayer.

The Word of God Shapes the People of God

Paul writes something foundationally important in 2 Timothy 3. He says:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

That passage reminds us that the Bible is not just spiritually helpful literature. It is God-breathed. It carries His authority, His wisdom, and His voice. And because of that, it does what no other book can do. It teaches us what is true, exposes where we are wrong, corrects us when we have drifted, and trains us to live in a way that honors God.

In other words, Scripture does not just inform us. It transforms us.

That matters because many of us can fall into one of two errors. Some of us treat the Bible mainly as a source of information. We read to learn facts, gather insights, or understand theology more clearly. Others treat it too casually, reading only occasionally and hoping a verse here or there will carry us through the pressures of life.

But Paul gives us a fuller picture. God’s Word is meant to shape the whole person. It is how God matures us. It is how He steadies us when we are tempted, confused, discouraged, or pressured by the world around us.

If we are going to withstand temptation, discern truth from error, and remain faithful in a culture that often pulls us in the wrong direction, we need more than inspiration. We need roots.

And those roots grow deep in the Word of God.

Reading the Bible for Transformation, Not Just Information

One of the important things a disciple-maker learns is that helping someone grow in Scripture is about more than telling them to “read their Bible more.”

Most of us know we should read it. The challenge is learning how to read it in a way that actually shapes our lives.

That is why helping someone follow Jesus often includes helping them learn how to open the Bible with purpose. Not just to check a box. Not just to get through a reading plan. But to meet God there and let His truth speak.

Some simple questions can go a long way:

• What does this passage teach me about God?

• What does it reveal about the human heart?

• Is there something to obey, confess, trust, or change?

• How should I respond today?

Over time, those questions begin to train us to read not as spectators, but as disciples.

Simple tools can help too. A method like SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) can give structure, especially for newer believers. Journaling or note-taking can slow us down enough to notice what we might otherwise rush past. A simple reading plan through Mark, John, Acts, or the Psalms can help us stay steady.

And perhaps most importantly, we need to model what it looks like to love the Word, not just use it.

People learn a great deal by watching how we handle Scripture. Do we open it with humility? Do we obey it when it challenges us? Do we speak about it as if it is alive and needed?

A disciple-maker does not need to be a scholar. He just needs to be a faithful guide, someone who is learning to listen to God and helping others do the same.

Prayer Is Learned in Relationship

The same is true with prayer.

In Luke 11, the disciples watch Jesus pray, and when He finishes, they do not ask Him to teach them to preach, teach, or lead. They say, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1, ESV).

That request says a great deal.

There was something about the prayer life of Jesus that made them realize they were seeing the source of His strength. His intimacy with the Father. His dependence. His peace. His clarity. So they asked Him to teach them.

And Jesus did.

He gives them a simple pattern that we often call the Lord’s Prayer:

“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.“ - Luke 11:2-4 (ESV)

What is striking about that prayer is how balanced it is. It begins with worship. It moves into surrender. It expresses dependence. It includes confession and grace. And it ends with spiritual protection.

Prayer, then, is not just asking God for things. It is aligning our hearts with Him. It is worship, dependence, surrender, honesty, and trust.

And Jesus modeled this constantly. Again and again in the Gospels, He withdrew to pray. Before major moments. After difficult moments. In solitude. In dependence. Prayer was not an accessory in the life of Jesus. It was central.

Which means it cannot be secondary in ours.

Helping Others Learn to Pray

For many Christians, prayer feels more intimidating than we admit.

Some do not pray regularly because they feel distracted. Others feel unsure what to say. Some are comfortable praying silently, but freeze up at the thought of praying out loud with someone else. Others still carry a fear that they are “doing it wrong.”

That is why one of the greatest gifts we can give a younger believer is helping them learn to talk to God.

Jesus goes on in Luke 11 to say, “Ask… seek… knock,” and then reminds His disciples that the Father gives good gifts to His children (Luke 11:9-13, ESV). That means prayer is not a performance. It flows from relationship.

God is not waiting for polished words. He is a good Father who invites His children to come.

That changes everything.

When we teach others to pray, we are not teaching them a religious script. We are teaching them how to bring their hearts honestly before God. Sometimes that may begin with very simple prayers. Sometimes it helps to pray with them out loud. Sometimes written prayers or guided prompts can help remove the awkwardness for a beginner.

The goal is not sophistication. The goal is connection.

A disciple-maker can help by normalizing simple, honest prayer. By praying with others, not just telling them to pray. By making prayer feel accessible rather than intimidating.

Over time, as people grow in prayer, they begin to see that it is not just something Christians are supposed to do. It becomes one of the ways we actually live with God.

These Two Habits Must Stay Together

One of the dangers in discipleship is separating what God meant to keep together.

Some people know the Bible well but do not pray much. Over time, truth can become dry and merely intellectual. Others pray often but remain loosely rooted in Scripture. Over time, they can drift away from truth.

But healthy discipleship holds both together.

In the Word, God speaks to us. In prayer, we speak to Him.

In Scripture, He forms our minds and hearts with truth. In prayer, He deepens our dependence, honesty, and communion.

Together, these habits anchor the Christian life.

And if we want to help others grow, we must not only talk about them, we must model them. We need to let others see what it looks like to open the Bible with expectation and to pray with sincerity. We need to make these habits visible enough that others can learn not just by instruction, but by example.

Because the truth is, many of us learned these habits because someone showed us.

A parent. A mentor. A Bible class teacher. A friend who invited us to read and pray together.

That kind of influence matters more than we often realize or remember.

So let me ask you…

As I ask myself these same questions:

• Am I consistently rooted in God’s Word, or mostly living off spiritual leftovers?

• Is prayer a living relationship in my life, or mostly an occasional response to stress?

• Which habit needs more strengthening right now: Scripture or prayer?

• Who has helped shape me in these areas?

• Is there someone I could help grow by reading Scripture or praying with them this week?

Disciples do not grow by accident. They grow by staying connected to the voice of God and the presence of God.

A Closing Word for Fellow Pilgrims

If we want to grow in Christ, and if we want to help others grow in Christ, we cannot neglect the basics. Not because they are small, but because they are essential.

God’s Word anchors us. Prayer keeps us near to Him. Together, they shape the kind of people we are becoming.

And while those habits may seem ordinary, they are often the very place where deep transformation happens.

So let’s not underestimate quiet faithfulness.

A Bible open on an ordinary morning. A simple prayer in the middle of a hard day. A conversation with a younger believer over coffee and Scripture. A steady habit of returning to God again and again.

This is how disciples are formed.

Slowly. Deeply. Faithfully.

Until the journey is complete,

Jonathan Pilgrim

P.S. This week, let's set aside 15 minutes each day to read Scripture and pray. Keep it simple and consistent. Then invite one other person to do the same and check in with each other. Sometimes growth begins with habits that look small but shape us deeply over time.