The new year is a good time to start a habit. Most people start a habit to get fit, eat better, relate to others better, or some personal growth. It’s easy to forget about forming habits for our spiritual growth.
Reading the Believers Instruction Book: Living Edition every day is a good habit to have. My post, “Reading Daily,” helps to get into this habit. I started a new Bible App plan to read the Bible in a year. This helps me get back to my habit when I get too busy or distracted and I miss a day.
The Believers Instruction Book: Living Edition mentions the habit of meeting together. So going to church every week is a good habit. Some people go to church more than once a week because of Bible studies, prayer meetings, volunteer duties, or small group meetings. I have a Zoom Bible study that started during Covid and now includes people from four different states. Sometimes there are people from different countries. When we meet together, we should also have a habit of encouraging and praying for each other.
Jesus had a habit of going someplace away from people to pray. This is a great habit to have, too. During Jesus’ ministry, there were people wanting to hear Him preach or to be healed so they wanted to be near Him. That could be why He withdrew to the wilderness: to get away from people to focus His attention on God. Maybe we don’t need to go into the wilderness but just to a quiet room. The bathroom can be a way to get away from distractions. I used to feel guilty or embarrassed to pray in the bathroom, but God is everywhere and we are instructed to pray always. So, why not pray everywhere, too!
These are just three habits we can have to grow spiritually. Don’t be hard on yourself if a habit doesn’t stick right away. It took me a while to get back to using the Bible App everyday if I miss several days. But after repeating an action over a long time, it gets easier to get back to the routine if a day is missed. Keep track of your habit and set a reasonable point to celebrate along the way. Let me know of other habits you have that help you be more like Jesus.
Prayer
Almighty God in heaven,
Thank You for loving us so much that You would send Your only Son to die on the cross for us. We don’t deserve Your mercy and grace that You shower us with every day. Help us to remember and act in a way that pleases You every time, not just this time of the year.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Verses
Hebrew 10:25 Don’t give up meeting together as some have a habit of doing, but encourage each other
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Encourage one another and build up each other
Luke 5:16 Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Mark 1:35 Before daybreak, Jesus got up and went to an isolated place to pray
Matthew 6:6 Whenever you pray, go into your private room and close the door and pray
Song
“Good Habits” by James Thaddeus is a song that just came up on my search. I like that it has a great beat and nice lyrics.
Call To Action
If you have already prayed, looked up the verses in your Bible, and listened to the suggested song, then start on a spiritual habit today. Let us know what that habit is.