Text: Psalm 42:7 (KJV)
“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.”
Your depth in God determines your height in life. The deeper you go in God, the higher you can soar in life.
2 Kings 19:30 (KJV)
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.”
Isaiah 37:31 (KJV)
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.”
Before a tree can bear visible fruit upward, it must first develop deep roots downward. In the same way, if you desire to bear lasting fruit in God, you must first develop spiritual depth.
God is a God of the deep, and as His children, we are called to be people of spiritual depth.
1 Corinthians 2:10 (KJV)
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
You cannot fully enjoy the benefits and possibilities of your salvation as a shallow Christian. While a shallow Christian can make heaven, such a believer may fail to experience the fullness of God’s blessings, power and purpose here on earth.
Nothing of lasting substance is found merely at the surface. Valuable resources are often discovered beneath the earth, in hidden depths. The same principle applies to our walk with God. If you desire to become a Christian of substance, you must not merely visit the depths of God occasionally; you must learn to abide there.
True spiritual depth produces Christlikeness.
HOW DO I GO DEEPER WITH GOD?
1. Give God Your Whole Heart
Jeremiah 29:13–14 (KJV)
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”
If you desire to go deeper with God, you must seek Him with your whole heart. God does not want a divided heart or a half-hearted commitment. He desires our complete devotion, affection and attention.
Do not seek God halfway. Do not give Him only the parts of your life that are convenient for you. Give Him your whole heart, and pursue Him with sincerity and intentionality.
2. Become a Student of the Word
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Spiritual depth is impossible without a deep understanding of God’s Word. The Word of God reveals His nature, His principles, His promises and His expectations for our lives.
You must move beyond occasionally reading the Bible to becoming a diligent student of the Scriptures. Study the Word, meditate on it, seek understanding and allow it to transform your thoughts, attitudes and conduct.
The more deeply you understand God’s Word and apply its principles, the stronger your spiritual foundation becomes.
3. Develop a Consistent Prayer Life
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)
“Pray without ceasing.”
Prayer is one of the most important ways we cultivate intimacy with God. It is more than presenting our needs and requests before Him; it is an avenue for fellowship, communion, spiritual growth and alignment with His will.
A deep Christian is not someone who prays only when there is a problem but someone who has developed a consistent lifestyle of prayer.
You cannot claim to desire intimacy with God while consistently neglecting the place of prayer. Make prayer a priority, not an occasional activity.
4. Walk in Obedience
You are blessed by what you do with what you know, not merely by how much you know.
Let us be sincere with ourselves: if we consistently obeyed everything God has instructed us to do, both through His Word and by His personal dealings with us, many of us would not be where we are today.
I have often said that my generation has access to more revelation than previous generations. However, I have also observed that the older generation often demonstrates greater spiritual depth through the practical application of the revelation they have received.
The older generation celebrated the actions that emerged from their revelations, while the present generation often celebrates revelation itself.
Revelation without action leads to frustration and lacks the power of practical transformation.
John 13:17 (KJV)
“If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
The Amplified Bible emphasizes the blessing of putting what we know into practice, while the New International Version also makes it clear that we are blessed when we act on what we have learned.
The message is simple: knowing God’s Word is not enough; we must put it into practice.
My generation has accumulated an abundance of revelation, but sadly, much of it has ended up in our notebooks rather than in our daily lives. We have become good at collecting sermons, taking notes, sharing quotations and discussing spiritual truths, but how much of what we have learned are we actually practising?
It is time to move from revelation to manifestation, from knowledge to obedience, and from hearing to doing.
Can we pray this prayer?
Lord, activate the grace to do Your will in my life. Deliver me from the habit of hearing without obeying, knowing without practising, and receiving revelation without taking action. Give me the grace to live out everything You have taught me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
5. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
2 Corinthians 13:14 (KJV)
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
The Holy Spirit is not merely a force or an influence; He is a divine person with whom we are called to have an intimate relationship.
The Bible speaks of the communion of the Holy Spirit. This means that we are invited into a life of fellowship, intimacy, partnership and continual interaction with Him.
1 Corinthians 2:10 (KJV)
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
The Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God and reveals them to us. He is our teacher, guide and revealer of divine mysteries. If you desire to access the deep things of God, you must cultivate a consistent relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Do not relate with the Holy Spirit only when you need an answer, a miracle or a solution to a problem. Develop a lifestyle of fellowship with Him. Learn to listen to His instructions, respond to His promptings and follow His leading.
The depth of your fellowship with the Holy Spirit will influence the depth of your spiritual understanding and your walk with God.
6. Stay Humble
The deeper you grow in your knowledge of God, the more dependent on Him you should become, not the other way around.
Spiritual depth should produce humility, not pride. The more God reveals Himself to you, the more you should recognize your dependence on Him.
Pride is one of the greatest obstacles to accessing the deep things of God. A proud heart assumes it already knows enough, while a humble heart remains teachable, hungry and open to divine instruction.
God desires to reveal Himself to those who acknowledge their need for Him. You must never allow the knowledge, revelations, spiritual gifts or accomplishments God has given you to become a source of pride.
The deeper you go in God, the more humble you should become.
WHAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE DEEP?
There are several things we can discover when we go deeper with God. Two significant things revealed in Scripture are:
1. Wonders
Psalm 107:23–24 (KJV)
“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.”
The deep is a place of wonders. According to this passage, those who venture into the great waters witness the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep.
There are dimensions of God’s power, wisdom and glory that we may not fully appreciate if we remain at the surface of our spiritual lives.
As you deepen your relationship with God through prayer, the Word, obedience and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, you position yourself to experience more of His wondrous works.
Do not settle for a superficial relationship with God when there are greater dimensions of His presence and power to discover.
2. A Great Catch
Luke 5:1–7 (KJV)
“Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” (Luke 5:4)
In this passage, Jesus encountered Peter and his fellow fishermen after they had spent the entire night fishing without catching anything.
Jesus instructed Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch. Although Peter had already laboured throughout the night without success, he chose to obey the instruction of Jesus.
The result was extraordinary. They caught such a great multitude of fishes that their nets began to break. They had to call their partners to help them, and both boats were filled to the point of sinking.
This account reveals the significance of divine instruction and obedience. Peter’s breakthrough came when he acted on the instruction of Jesus and launched out into the deep.
There are opportunities, breakthroughs and possibilities that may remain undiscovered until we respond to God’s leading and move beyond our comfort zones.
You can receive a multimillion-naira business idea in the place of deep fellowship with God. You can receive divine direction concerning your career, ministry, family or future. You can even receive clarity concerning your choice of a life partner as you seek God’s guidance.
The deep is a place of divine direction, insight and possibilities. However, we must understand that going deeper with God is not a formula for obtaining everything we desire. It is about knowing Him, aligning with His will and trusting Him to lead us according to His purpose.
When God gives you an instruction, your obedience can position you for a catch that your human effort alone could not produce.
CONCLUSION
God is calling us beyond superficial Christianity into a life of spiritual depth. He desires believers who will seek Him wholeheartedly, study His Word diligently, pray consistently, walk in obedience, fellowship with the Holy Spirit and remain humble.
Your spiritual roots must grow deep before your fruits can grow upward. Do not be satisfied with occasional encounters when you are called to enjoy continual fellowship with God.
The deeper you go in God, the more you become like Christ, the more your life reflects His nature, and the more fruitful you become in fulfilling His purpose.
Do not merely desire the height that comes with spiritual growth; pursue the depth that sustains it.
Prayer:
Father, draw me into deeper fellowship with You. Let my spiritual roots grow deep in Your Word, in prayer and in obedience. Deliver me from superficial Christianity and give me a genuine hunger for Your presence. May my life continually reflect the character of Christ, and may I experience the wonders of Your power as I walk in Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.