Spiritual Goals

As you are considering your new year's resolutions, perhaps this year, you’ll also consider making spiritual goals. Allow your relationship with God to become a focal point and then challenge yourself to draw closer.

The goal is to pick something specific, so that throughout the year, you can see that you are making progress. Then at the end of the year, you can hopefully look back with accomplishment. Even better, ask God to give you a little testimony at the end of 2014!

Put more in: 

1. Pick one of the following subjects to learn about and start incorporating it into your life; fasting, praying, worship, bible knowledge, etc. (Click the links for some recommendations on: Hearing God Speak, Prayer, Breaking apart bible verses.)

2. Create a plan to memorize scripture.

3. Instead of picking a plan to read the bible in specified time, find a character to learn more about. Then read all of the chapters and stories about that person. Study the commentary, biographies and then research other interpretations to see how God worked in that person’s life. Practice gleaning.

     Or just commit to finally answering some of those questions that you've had about the bible.

4. Increase your day so that you can get 15+ minutes more time in with God.

5. If you don’t have a bible that you like, get a better one. Get the extra features that you want. The more that you customize it to your liking, the more you will like it.

6. Make your commute time “God time” (Smartphones can help with sermons or audiobook apps.) Checkout “Oneplace.com”

7. Commit to being a part of church regularly or increase the time that you participate. (The trick is committing to one and then letting yourself get comfortable there. Not the other way around. If you don't want to go alone, I go here. Let me know when you want to attend and I will meet you.) 

8. Start a Bible Study in your own home or attend one.

9. Use time deliberately. Instead of surfing your phone every minute that you get spare time, try to absorb the quiet from around you, or replace that surf time with prayer time or learning time.

10. Practice stilling your mind.


11. Fast from your "go to" preachers and either try new ones or go directly to the bible.

12. Move "your pew" from the one in the back to one within the first five up front.

13. Make it a goal to know everyone in your church. Most churches have different services, groups, classes, etc.  Get comfortable in one and then try another. Don't aim to do it in one year. Get to know people, but then when you start to feel settled, get to know someone else. 

14. Choose a life verse.

Put more out: 

1. Make one of the next 6 a regular challenge (daily, weekly, monthly, or every ‘as it occurs’) with God.

2. Accept every offer to pray out loud.

3. Keep extra bibles on hand so that you can share/give them when needed.  

4. Invite someone to church.

5. Figure out how or what your testimony is.

6. Then Share it!

7. Find someone new to encourage and/or commit to mentoring one person.

8. Sign up to help in an area at church.

9. Find a way to donate or contribute your work/hobby to the Lord.

10. Start a prayer or blessing journal or simply start making notes about what you’re reading and thinking about as you grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord.

Make it a group effort:

1. As a family, how can you “Pay it forward” in a way that gives God the glory? Plan a regular mission.

2. Begin to pray with your spouse or as a family, even if it starts as the blessing before dinner.

3. Include a daily/weekly family/marital devotion as part of your routine.

4. Discuss personal spiritual goals and continue to check in with each other to see how God is working with each of you.

5. Make regular goals for your family. When life offers changes, pray for the vision to see how those changes line up your goals. 

6. Find a family to mentor or open your home up to ________________.

7. Spend more time together as a family. Take turns doing together the things that each of you like, instead of doing them all separately. God first, family second. It's your most important ministry!

You can research more ideas (and even worksheets) on line.

Verse: 

2 Peter 1:5-8  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.