Since we're heading into a brand new year, I thought I'd share some ideas for setting spiritual goals. Here are 35 ideas to get your wheels turning for setting your own goals for the year. I recommend only choosing 2-3 for the year and not overwhelming yourself (like I tend to do). You can always add more as you complete them!
35 Spiritual Goals for the new year
- Read a book of the Bible 50 times.
- Memorize scripture (I LOVE this blog post and she has printable cards!)
- Read good quality Christian books (there are so many resources available, but here's one to start with).
- Attend church regularly.
- Listen to an online sermon weekly.
- Serve regularly in your church.
- Pray daily (I have been more consistent than ever since setting up my prayer binder).
- Read through the entire Bible or New Testament. Again, there are so many options available in a quick online search. I really like these.)
- Do an in-depth topical study over a Biblical subject you've been wanting to learn more about.
- Write out every "I WILL" in the book of Psalms (I LOVED doing this!)
- Transcribe a book (or many!) of the Bible
- "Ruin" your Bible by reading through and writing a heading on each page.
- Participate in a weekly Bible study group.
- Start or continue a gratitude journal.
- Pick and memorize a life verse.
- Disciple or mentor a younger believer.
- Find someone to mentor or disciple you.
- Form a personal or family mission statement and verse to memorize.
- Read through and understand your church's faith or doctrinal statement.
- Learn how to explain the gospel to an unbeliever. (I love this simple diagram and the verses it uses. Also, Bill Fay has an excellent book called Share Jesus Without Fear.
- Memorize some (or all!) of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
- Read through or memorize historic Christian creeds such as the Apostle's Creed, Council of Chalcedon, and/or the Athanasian Creed.
- Read biographies of early church leaders.
- Study Church History or a period like the Great Awakening or Reformation
- Read through church martyrs.
- Support a child through a world outreach such as Compassion or Operation Christmas Child (collect your items through the year for multiple boxes!)
- Give to a local charity or a charity you care deeply about.
- Figure out your personal doctrine (a great book for this is The Deeper Life).
- Re-read a book that really encouraged and grew you in your earlier walk of faith. (My top one I try to re-read every year is A Woman After God's Own Heart.)
- Start a Bible Journal (I've filled my first and am almost done with my second one! I have a DIY page on making one here.)
- Review previously memorized scripture regularly (This 3x5 method is easy and excellent or this online one).
- Learn a new way of Bible study (Hermeneutics, Inductive study, meditation, etc)
- Join an online Bible study group (http://www.womensbiblecafe.com/ or http://womenlivingwell.org/category/good-morning-girls/
- Write out all the verses that refer to a specific sin or spiritual weakness you struggle with.
- Write out and study character qualities you'd like to possess or improve.
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Great ideas! I'm especially drawn to writing out every "I Will" in Psalms and transcribing a book of the Bible. I've been getting back into the 10-chapters a Day reading plan and it makes such a difference for me. It's really the only one I've ever stuck to for any length of time. For me that means like a month, but I have high hopes for 2015!
ReplyDeleteYou should write out the I Will's. I LOVED it! So much wisdom and encouragement there!
DeleteI love this list! I might steal an idea or two from this for my goals this year.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I hope you do!
DeleteI love this list!!!! Now to decide which 3 I'll do in 2015. I believe 3 is doable. Writing out the "I Will's" of the Psalms is in that top 3! Thank you Kari for being here and sharing your wisdom. God's blessings to you and your family in 2015!
ReplyDeleteI think three is an excellent number! I hope whatever you choose encourages you this year!
DeleteThis is such a wonderful list! It's so easy to get caught up in personal goal-setting, but spiritual goals are so much more important! Thanks for greasing my spiritual and creative wheels.
ReplyDeleteI've just stumbled upon your insightful list here from the Makeover Your Mornings course. Thank you for so many wonderfully straightforward and doable ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis is especially inspirational for me as I've been longing to restart a personal devotional/spiritual growth time for myself, but haven't quite figured out where to start. Somehow I've let it go in the chaos of my family of five boys ages 2-8 but I'm missing it deep in my soul.
Thank you so much for these concrete ideas! I admire your devotion, and I am trying to develop more devotion and connection to God in my own life. I am a life-long, active, worshipping Christian, and yet I know that I have much to learn and I crave more connection with Him. These ideas are a great place to start. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI also found you from Makeover Your Mornings!
ReplyDeleteThis is the second year in a row, I've used your list with my young adult small group to help them set spiritual goals. I've also linked to it for two years in a row on my blog. Thank you for compiling it.
ReplyDeleteI have heard about having a gratitude chair where you dear on everyday as a sign of thanking God .But I never knew it is good to have a gratitude journal. I think I want to have one now after reading through your article. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI love this page. I chose the following:
ReplyDelete1. Write out every "I WILL" in the book of Psalms
2. Read through or memorize historic Christian creeds such as the Apostle's Creed, Council of
Chalcedon, and/or the Athanasian Creed. (I love reading things like this and if they are good and
speak to me, I tend to save them in notepad and also write them out in a journal.)
3. Write out all the verses that refer to a specific sin or spiritual weakness you struggle with.
4. Write out and study character qualities you'd like to possess or improve. (Be like Jesus!!) Although
this one will be lifetime, since Jesus walked on water and we cannot, ha ha. Everything else is YES!
Such an amazing spiritually goals setting! Please allow me to use your wonderful lists to fulfill my goals through 2018 ahead. Abundantly blessing from God be with you evermore
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS A FANTASTIC LIST!! THANK YOU! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a helpful list with some ideas I've never read before. I am going to start with #1. I will read Philippians 50 times since that is the book my Pastor is going through. Thanks for sharing your ideas and experiences.
ReplyDeleteThis is excellent! I'm setting some spiritual goals today, January 1, and your wonderful article has got me thinking!
ReplyDelete