The Kingdom of God is a like a man who scatters seeds. He goes to sleep. He wakes up. The seeds sprout and the plants grow, “he knows not how” (Mark 4:27), but he watches, and when the fruit is ready, he harvests it.
The spiritual life is similar. You “scatter seeds” by performing spiritual and religious practices. Then you “go to sleep” by turning away from spiritual activities to focus on material concerns, that is to say, to engage in worldly affairs. Then you “wake up” again, by turning back to your prayer. All the while, the life of grace grows within, you know not how. You watch, and when the time is ripe, you “harvest” the fruit.
You know not how the life of grace is growing within you. It may be linear. It may be parabolic. It may be exponential. It may be sinusoidal, that is to say, it may have peaks and valleys along the way. You know not how, and, frankly, you don’t need to know how, so let it go. You do know that the time of the harvest will come. You may have to wait for some time while the seeds in your soul sprout and grow. It may be as boring as watching the grass grow. Still, like a farmer, be persistent. Stay faithful to prayer routines and good spiritual habits, especially those recommended by the Saints. When the harvest comes, you will bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God.