With the year ending soon, I wanted to take a moment to set some intentional spiritual goals for the new year. Instead of writing them down in a journal, I figured it would be better to write them down in this blog post to keep myself accountable and have others join in with me! So if you are trying to develop better habits as a Christian in the new year, I invite you to join me in this challenge! Below I am sharing 5 good habits christians should develop to grow their relationship with God.

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SAVE THESE “5 GOOD HABITS CHRISTIANS SHOULD DEVELOP” FOR LATER!

Habits worth developing but not obligatory.
The keyword in this blog post’s title is “should” not “must”. So, take the post as you will but please don’t feel obligated to develop any of these habits. Or worst feel shamed if you don’t have these habits! As the post suggests, these habits should de developed by Christians who want to grow their relationship with God. But they are not obligatory in any sense.
We are saved by grace, not works. But our faith should be reflected through our works.
So, if your goal is to grow your relationship with God, strengthen your faith, and mature as a Christian, these habits are worth developing.
If not, I encourage you to pray to the Lord and ask Him to personally convict you and help you figure out what habits YOU should personally develop.
Because if God gives us free will to choose our own path, who am I to impose habits on anyone, right?
I am merely just dumping my thoughts onto this post and bringing you into my brain for a bit.
Why 5 Habits?
For starters, the number 5 represents “God’s grace”.
As someone who has set dozens of goals in the past only to fall short after being overwhelmed with accomplishing all, I want to be very intentional with my goals this years and give myself grace!
I rather ser five intentional habits that I can follow through with grace than set ten or more habits that I won’t follow through and will overwhelm me.
So, that’s why I’m aiming for five habits this year.
5 Good Habits Christians Should Develop
1. Incorporate more prayer into your daily life without falling into routine.
I’ll be the first to admit that developing a life of prayer is not easy. Especially when you have a busy schedule that requires a lot of your time and energy. I currently leave my house for work before 6am, which means that I’m up pretty early.
So, getting up anytime earlier than what I already do to pray is VERY VERY DIFFICULT and not very productive in my opinion. There is no point in getting up early to pray if you are just going to mumble a few words when you are half awake.
Instead of setting myself up for failure, I want to incorporate prayer into my daily life in a more intentional, natural, and do-able way. Here’s how:
- Pray while I drive to work – I usually listen to podcasts, music, or the Bible when I drive to work, but I want to start my drive everyday praying to God, putting my loved ones in his hand, and turning over any projects/events/thoughts/goals I have for the day.
- Pray on my drive back home – Thank God for blessings I’ve received throughout the day, dump into his ears anything that’s on my mind, and just have a casual chat with Him.
- Always be open to prayer and be intentional whenever the occasion arises, whether this be in church, at home (after work) or elsewhere. It’s hard for me to set a specific time for prayer because everyday looks different for me, so I rather take advantage of every opportunity I get to pray.
Supporting Scriptures
Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. (NKJV)
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (NKJV)
Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. (NKJV)
2. Dive into scripture intentionally every single day without exceptions.
When it comes to reading the Bible, I feel like I am more consistent than I am with prayer, but can still do so much better. Currently I like to read the Bible as soon as I get home from work. So it’s become a natural habit of mine to sit down, open the Bible, read, and take notes on what I read, at around the same time everyday Mon-Friday.
However, I will say that I struggle during the weekends to read my Bible consistently because of how different my weekends look every week.
And I’ll miss a couple days throughout the week from time to time whenever something comes up.
So my goal this upcoming year is not go to bed without opening my Bible, Monday-Sunday.
Even if it means reading only one verse!
Some books I recommend/will use to help me read the Bible consistently:
Joy Everyday Journal
Joy Everyday was designed to become a diary of what God blesses you with everyday of the year. Each page was carefully designed to include 3 important sections: bible verse of the day, message for my heart, and doodles with love.
Whether you’re a woman or a man, God wants you to redefine your life and start living according to biblical truths that comes from His heart. 365 Biblical Truths To Live By was created to help you remember His Word, hold on to His promises, and make His truths a reality in your life.
365 Biblical Truths To Live By
Sweet Daily Bread
Satisfy and fill your soul every day of the year with a sweet verse from the Bible, enjoy the very best verses from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, and be part of this book by filling each verse with your personal touch. Enjoy every bite of God’s word for the next 365 days with Sweet Daily Bread.
The Bible In 365 Days
Embark on a challenging but exciting journey through the entire Bible in 365 days with The Bible In 365 Days. Challenge yourself to read the Bible intentionally, consistently, passionately, and entirely during the next 365 days. If you’ve never made your way through the entire Bible before, now is your chance to do it in a unique and creative manner.
Supporting Scriptures
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (NKJV)
Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (NKJV)
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (NKJV)
3. Prioritize time with God and soak in every moment with joy.
This is more like a mindset habit, but I it’s still so important like the rest. Prioritizing your time with God makes it so much more easier to follow through with your other godly habits.
Because, if spending time with God isn’t a priority, you’ll always find something better or more important to do than spend time with Him.
If God isn’t your priority, neither is reading the Bible.
If God isn’t your priority, neither is praying.
You get the point.
It’s not only about making time for God, but prioritizing the time you have with Him!
Now this is something I’ve been getting better at as the years go by and my priorities are more clear, but I still fall short some days when my routine is challenged or altered by life!
So, my goal this year is to not only make time and enjoy my time with God but to prioritize it.
Supporting Scriptures
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)
Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. (NKJV)
Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (NKJV)
4. Always go to church with a hungry heart that’s willing to receive.
I don’t mean to sound aggressive in any way, but what is the point of going to church if you are not taking away anything when you leave? Not because there isn’t anything to takeaway but because YOU are not opening your heart to God while in church.
You can spend years going to church and still not know who God really is.
You can spend years going to church and still be an immature Christian that hasn’t grown at all!
The reality is, going to church only makes a difference in your spiritual life if your heart and mind go along with you when you go to church. Your presence in church is NOT enough. Your heart needs to be there to, not just your body!
Otherwise, what really is the point of going?
God did not let the multitude leave without feeding them, so why should we leave church without feeding our souls with God’s Word?
My goal this year is to be very present in church every time I go and takeaway something in every service, whether I am serving or attending!
Supporting Scriptures
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (NKJV)
Psalm 84:10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (NKJV)
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (NKJV)
5. Fix your eyes on Christ, in the good, in the bad, and the in-between.
The last habit I want to work on very hard this upcoming year is fixing my eyes on Christ rather than the circumstances around me, my own thoughts, or other people. It’s hard to not fall into the trap of following the footsteps of other Christians. But the fact of the matter is, everyone is just as human as I am – with flaws and imperfections. So, attempting to mirror another Christian (regardless of their level of spirituality) is setting myself up for disappointment!
The only footsteps that will never bring disappointment are the footsteps of Christ.
The best example to learn from is from Christ.
And the only one we should compare ourselves to, in order to avoid feeling righteous and superior, is to Christ. We’ll always fall short when we compare ourselves to Him. So that’ll always keep us busy working on ourselves and finding areas in our lives to work on!
That’s why my last goal is turn my eyes away from myself and others to Christ.
Supporting Scriptures
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NKJV)
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (NKJV)
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV)
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope you found these 5 good habits christians should develop helpful!
More Posts You May Like
- 20 Reminders For Christians In Every Season
- 14 Wonderful Things Women Of God Do
- 30 Things Christians Should Not Do In Church
- 25 Bible Verses To Remind You That You’re Loved
- 25 Gifts From God To Cherish Forever
- 50 Short Bible Verses To Memorize
- 100 Powerful Bible Verses Everyone Needs To Read
Sending you blessings & love,
Gabby Abigail
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