When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways. 1 Cor 13:11

Prayer is one of the most important components in our walk with God.

Learning to pray can be compared to a baby learning to communicate. When a person first becomes Christian he or she prays like when a baby first starts communicating.  An adult or a child can use the same language to communicate whether it is English or Hebrew or a native dialect. A child and an adult can also use the same words and terms. But in general, the difference in maturity of an adult and a child is considerable. And it is absolutely normal. Apostle Paul reiterates that. It is normal to give up childish ways when we become adults.

As much as it is cute to hear a baby talk, a real parent would be concerned if the child continues to talk like a baby and not grow mentally. As much as it is fun to watch children grow into each stage remaining longer in one stage makes a caregiver uneasy than enjoyable. Each stage in life has its cuteness but ultimately it is expected of babies to grow up.

An important question to ask is if our spiritual maturity is growing from when we first met the Lord.

One of the areas the spiritual maturity is measured is in our prayer lives. Almost all Christians do pray. There is no question about it. Just like there is a difference between how babies and grownups talk our prayer language can also mature as we spiritually grow. We like to see our children grow physically. Also we like to see them grow in understanding and communication skills. Otherwise there is some health or mental issue for which help is sought desperately. Similarly, our heavenly Father is keen to see our maturity as Christians and is concerned when there is a lack or no growth. God expects u to grow in our faith and walk with Him. Unlike our frail nature, there is no issue He cannot handle in us. That is good news!

If there is a lack in spiritual growth it very well reflects in our prayer.

A person who claims to be a Christian for forty years and not have a proportional spiritual growth becomes a concern for the heavenly Father. Some blame God for not helping them. It takes more than God for one to spiritually grow. A parent can buy the latest gadget and sign up the kid for the best education. However, if the child does not want to and puts no effort, the results are regretful.  Likewise a Christian one does not spend time with the heavenly Father as much lacks spiritual growth. As much as He wants to spend time with us we still have a choice to spend time with Him or not. He wishes that our prayer life grow proportional to our Christian walk. Spending time with Him and in prayer opens a whole new perspective of the mystery of the knowledge of Christ. Unfortunately, there is no other place like His presence to grow our spiritual life. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Furthermore, without prayer it is impossible to find Him. It is a great to evaluate our lives in this lent season to see if we are making the right investment to grow our prayer life.