Do you have established spiritual habits? Have you made worthwhile spiritual goals for the year? Even if you are completely organized in your spiritual life, you have probably not tried these 5 spiritual habits! They are a bit radical but certainly worth trying (and fun)!
In this article, we will cover what spiritual habits are and the 5 spiritual habits that will get you on FIRE for the Lord! Discover how spiritual habits can help you achieve your spiritual goals and so much more in this refreshing article!
Learn a completely different perspective when it comes to being radical for the Lord. Have you ever tried praying for an entire hour? Do you know what a war binder is? There will certainly be something new for you in this informative article!
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What are Spiritual Habits?
Like any habits out there, spiritual habits will help you accomplish your spiritual goals. If you have not made spiritual goals yet, be sure to grab our Spiritual Goal Worksheet. There is really no point in creating spiritual goals without a great, well-crafted spiritual framework.
You can build this spiritual framework by determining what your spiritual purpose is. If you have not yet received your spiritual calling from the Lord, be sure to pray about it – on a daily basis! He will reveal to you what He wants you to know in good time. Listen carefully to God!
Basically, spiritual goals, spiritual habits, your spiritual purpose, and your spiritual calling all go hand-in-hand together. Without habits, you are unlikely to accomplish goals. Without knowing your calling or purpose, you are unlikely to pursue the right spiritual goals.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
5 Spiritual Habits to Get You on Fire for the Lord
As you examine these 5 spiritual habits, make sure you keep an open mind. What works for one person will not necessarily be the right spiritual habit for another. You must discover for yourself what is most effective in your spiritual walk.
Also, keep in mind that these are merely suggestions, not mandates. This is not a “how to be a good Christian” article. Rather, it is IDEAS that you can try or test out to see if they work for you. Remember, take a little of one idea or another and adapt them to work best for your life.
If you are trying to grow closer to the Lord, there really are no good or bad spiritual habits because you have good motives.
Good spiritual habits will be productive and effective in helping you live out the spiritual calling you were made for. Bad spiritual habits might be ones that pull you away from God.
As you go through these 5 spiritual habits, take a close look at what you currently do and see if there is room for improvement. Maybe one of these ideas will spark a new interest or idea in you in regard to a different spiritual habit. If you find them motivating or inspirational, press on!
Practice makes perfect, so you’ve got to give each of the 5 spiritual habits a try before giving up or saying that you cannot do them. You would be surprised at what you truly CAN do if you set your mind to it. Plus, with the Lord’s help, you have the strength to surpass your expectations!
I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13 (MEV)
#1. Arm Yourself for Battle with a War Binder or Prayer Strategy Notebook.
The first of the 5 spiritual habits we will discuss is a war binder or prayer notebook. This is truly a lifesaver, a power tool, and the type of spiritual weapon you will be glad you are armed with!
You might call your war binder or your prayer notebook a prayer journal or something else. We are all unique in how we organize our spiritual lives. For example, some people track their prayers. I LOVE doing this!
With my war notebook, as I call it, I go to war with the devil! I prepare myself for battle by grabbing my favorite Bible to see how the Holy Spirit wants to lead me as I write out my prayer strategies. That is what a war binder is to me – my way of kicking the enemy’s butt!
How to Create a Basic War Notebook to Fight the Enemy
Maybe you’ve never heard the term “war binder” or “prayer strategy” when it comes to your spiritual life. That is okay! That’s what reading this article is geared to do – teach you something new! I first got the idea from Fervent by Priscilla Shirer.
Then, I saw how one believer chose to just write out her prayer strategies (basically prayers you write out in advance) in a plain notebook. After that, my organizational skills took over; I grabbed some blank Bible tabs and created categories for each topic I would need to pray about.
If you think you do not need to prepare prayers in advance, I would strongly advise you to rethink this. Remember, it is when we are standing firm that the enemy pounces! Arm yourself with prayers written out in advance, and be ready for any attack that comes your way.
If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. – Galatians 6:1 (NIV)
#2. Memorize New Scriptures Regularly!
One of the top 5 spiritual habits I recommend, memorizing scriptures, will truly help you. If you decide to keep a war notebook as I do, you will want to use scriptures to help you know what to say when speaking to the Lord in prayer.
It’s always very handy to have Bible verses on hand when going through spiritual warfare or speaking to friends, family members, or non-believers. Jesus had scriptures memorized and used this knowledge when He fought against the devil during His time of fasting.
Learn the many benefits of memorizing scriptures if you are still not convinced this will change your life. However, I can attest that this is a life-changing action that you can take. It WILL take practice, discipline, and self-control to memorize scripture daily.
How to Memorize Scripture
Consider using the Bible Memory application on your smartphone or computer. This will allow you to memorize many verses and have this discipline at your fingertips any time you wish to learn more. I find it especially helpful to review my memory verses when waiting in lines.
However, while it can be simple enough to memorize a verse or two a day, I want to really challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and truly stretch yourself. God has given us the ability to memorize scripture, so you do have it within yourself to do this!
Set up some spiritual goals that include memory verses. It is not recommended that you stretch yourself too thin by trying to memorize more than a couple of verses a day (maximum), but you should challenge yourself to learn at least two new verses each week!
You can totally have fun with this challenge, too! Consider purchasing some note cards and washi tape and decorating the cards as you memorize them. You might even wish to add the date you have them memorized to the individual card. Purchase an already-made set if you want.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. – Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
#3. Spend an Hour a Day in Prayer!
Praying is one of the 5 spiritual habits you should already do. Maybe you do not spend much time in prayer. Perhaps you just say, “Bless my day.” If you do not know how to pray or are just starting your prayer life, there is nothing wrong with short prayers.
I do not want to discourage you. Rather, I want to give you another option – a spiritual habit that you can adopt if you believe it might benefit your life. So, with each of the 5 spiritual habits, just try something new. Give one or more a shot to see how it impacts your spiritual life.
As for this spiritual habit, it is life-changing. You CAN easily spend an hour in prayer each day – believe it or not! If you have time constraints that do not give you an hour a day, consider spending 15 minutes with the Lord. Do what you can, and He will greatly reward you.
When I was reading The Hour that Changes the World and watching YouTube videos on this, I created a one-hour prayer planner for myself. It is nothing fancy; in fact, I used materials I had around the house, but that is a topic for another time! I’d get a little lost if I shared everything!
How to Spend an Hour in Prayer Each Day
In essence, the one-hour prayer planner has 12 parts, as mentioned in the book by Dick Eastman. If you want to do it in a very structured manner, each part can take approximately 5 minutes, which makes your total time one hour! Believe me; time flies when you follow it!
If you are unable to pray for an entire hour, consider just expanding your prayer time to embrace some new aspects of prayer. As mentioned in the book, examples include praise, intercession, listening, confession, petition, singing, and so much more!
As the book says, this prayer model should be applied with liberty, not regimented legality. In other words, do not get so hung up on the 12 parts that you forget the purpose of your prayers! It’s about spending time with God, not completing a checklist – something I’m often guilty of!
Pray continually. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)
#4. Read the Whole Bible.
There are numerous Bible reading plans out there that will help you read the entire Bible in one year. A two-year Bible reading plan is another option. If you pick this option, it has study questions and additional resources for you to use as you read through the Bible!
When I first read the Bible all the way through, I used a two-year Bible reading plan and retained the information well because of the study questions and interaction options.
I just find a year to be a bit fast. If you are like me, might I suggest reading the Bible in two years? A plan like this will give you a chance to meditate on scripture more and apply what you learn to your life. Is that not one of the most important reasons to study the Bible?
Application means you are taking what you learn and finding a way to incorporate it into your daily life or spiritual goals. Doing this is the essence of wisdom. No matter how often you read the Bible, just make sure you are applying it in your life. This will help you obey God, too!
How to Read the Whole Bible
Making time to study and read the Word of God can be quite a challenge, especially if you have other commitments like a career and family. Decide in advance when your “quiet time” will be, and ask your friends and family to respect your spiritual boundaries.
Also, if you can only dedicate 15 minutes to the Lord, make them count! Plan ahead what you will read so that your time is not spent getting organized! I use an academic planner to list out what I’ve planned to read in the Bible. You could use a regular notebook, as well.
Using a Bible reading plan from an application like YouVersion can also help you stay organized. If you have a little bit of additional time when planning, decorate your planner or notebook with washi tape, stickers, and Bible verse cards. Have fun with it!
Think about what inspires you when you spend time alone with the Lord. Create a space for this so that you will not be distracted by worldly things. Remember that you might need tissues, highlighters, pens, pencils, and your Bible!
As you go through and read the whole Bible, you might find it useful to use a Bible reading tracker. This way, you will be able to see where you are in the grand scheme of things. Always remember your “why,” too. Why are you reading the Bible?
If the answer is to grow closer to God, you might want to journal what you learn about God during your Bible study time. For example, in 1 John 4:16, we learn God is love, so the more we learn about love, the more we will know about God.
We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. – 1 John 4:16 (NIV)
#5. Do a Deep Bible Study Using the Inductive Bible Study Method.
If you would really like to expand your faith with one of these 5 spiritual habits, you should consider using the inductive Bible study method! This is like a deep dive into the Word of God. You will learn all kinds of new things if you adopt this Bible study method.
The inductive Bible study method explores the scriptures by looking at the main questions one might ask when studying something in-depth – who, what, where, why, when, and how. Answering these questions will allow you to look at the Bible in a new way.
When I began studying the inductive way, I just assumed this was marking the text a different color. If you want to highlight your Bible, I think that is just wonderful! However, consider WHY you are doing this. If you want to apply the verses to your life, you might have to be strategic.
How to Study the Bible Using the Inductive Bible Study Method
If you want to learn more about certain words or interpret the scriptures in a more in-depth way, you might consider using the inductive Bible study method. Precept Ministries offers free courses where you can learn and apply this method to your life.
However, if you are reading this, you likely want to shake up your spiritual life or enhance your walk with God. Taking an inductive Bible class will certainly do that for you. Many of these classes are available online, and from what I’ve experienced, the books are pretty inexpensive.
The inductive Bible study method does entail marking your Bible, but you could always purchase a Bible just for the purpose of marking it – one that is separate from your everyday Bible. It is totally up to you, but I would recommend the Inductive Study Bible.
Keep in mind that you are not graded, and there is no one that will look at your Bible or notebook to make sure you have done everything just right. The in-depth aspect of the Level 5 PUP classes is very comprehensive, but there are no-homework classes you can start with.
Since homework is not graded or checked in any way, you will have to hold yourself accountable or ask the leader or a classmate to help you with accountability. Remember, as with all Bible study classes, you get what you put into them, so put your heart into your work.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. – Colossians 3:23 (NIV)
5 Spiritual Habits Resources
The 7 Spiritual Habits that will Change Your Life Forever
If you want to truly shake up your spiritual life, I cannot recommend this book enough! It is a very small book, but the 7 spiritual habits mentioned in it are absolutely life-changing!
Radically Obedient, Radically Blessed: Experiencing God in Extraordinary Ways
This book also changed my life. It taught me the value of tithing and how giving back can bless your life. Lysa TerKeurst does an excellent job of explaining radical obedience and what it can do for you!
Don’t forget to work on building your own Bible library with Bible study books. Most of all, you need a great study Bible that will work for you! One of my favorite study Bibles is the Life Application Study Bible. It has so much insight packed in there!!
FREE Spiritual Goal Setting Worksheet
Use this goal-setting worksheet to list the spiritual habits you will adopt for each goal.
What resources will you use to build your 5 spiritual habits??? Are you going to try one of the 5 spiritual habits I’ve recommended?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Spiritual Habits in the Bible?
One spiritual habit mentioned in the Bible is fasting. While I would not recommend forgoing all meals all at once, if you know how to pray and fast for a breakthrough in your life, you’ll see something that will change your life forever! Fasting can be a very effective way to improve your spiritual life!
What is a Good Spiritual Life?
Your spiritual life is what you build with God. It is the relationship that you formulate with our Creator. If you want a good spiritual life, begin working on that relationship. Try listening to God instead of always speaking what you want during prayer. Also, try to build healthy spiritual habits.
What are 5 Spiritual Disciplines?
There are many spiritual disciplines; it usually depends on the individual. 5 spiritual disciplines are prayer, Bible reading, Bible memorization, generosity, and going to church. You can set achievable spiritual goals in order to work on and build up your spiritual disciplines.
How Can I Be More Spiritual Each Day?
Things you can do every day to be more spiritual include talking to people who help you build your faith (mentor, spiritual coach, etc.), reading or studying your Bible, memorizing Bible verses, and praying. You can also go to Celebrate Recovery or church on a regular basis!
What are Bad Spiritual Habits?
Bad spiritual habits would be going to church for the wrong reasons, reciting rote prayers without meaning the words you are saying, “acting” one way around Christian friends and another around others, and skimming the Bible just to say you’ve read it. These are not ideal things to do for your faith.
To Sum It All Up
It is so important to build good, healthy spiritual habits. If you have not established your spiritual goals for the year, why not include one of these 5 spiritual habits? They will certainly rock your spiritual world!
Do you have an article suggestion for Sharing Life and Love? What will your spiritual habits, goals, or mission be for the next year? Which of these 5 spiritual habits will you try first? We’d love to hear all about it! Reach out to us!!
It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life. – John 6:63 (MEV)
