Building Spiritual Habits

Hopeful strategies for developing spiritual practice.

The subject of habit formation can be frustrating.

It feels so easy to maintain bad habits and so challenging to form good ones. Think about the ease of some of your least healthy habits.

For instance, eating junk food and lying on the couch requires next to no effort. You don’t need a coach or consultant for that. Thanks to DoorDash, you don’t even have to plan to have junk food in the house. Someone will literally deliver a buffet of bad food right to your door within minutes. So even if they make us feel awful, our least healthy habits tend to be easy. But trying to build and maintain healthy habits can feel impossible.

As a result, the subject of habit formation is often frustrating. Maybe this is why so few of set any resolutions. We’re so used to not being able to form the habits we hope, that we’ve just kind of given up. We’ve decided that where we are is where we’ll stay.

I want to gently push against this today and give you some hope. It is entirely possible to build healthy habits and break bad ones. We simply need a better understanding of how habits are formed. I want to look at a combination of wisdom from both Scripture and modern research on the subject of habit formation. So we want to talk a bit about how habits are built.

So let’s explore three principles for building spiritual habits that help us grow in restful relationship with God.

1. Spiritual Habits Require Identity Clarity

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:22–23:

“…take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.”

When we choose to follow Jesus, we are gifted a new identity as children of God. This new identity comes with new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. But the truth is, we often revert to old patterns that don’t reflect who we’ve become in Christ.

This is where identity becomes essential to habit formation. Our habits are not just actions—they’re reflections of who we believe ourselves to be.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, explains that there are three layers of behavior change:

• Outcomes: What you want to achieve.

• Processes: What you do to achieve it.

• Identity: Who you believe yourself to be.

Clear writes, “Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.”

The deepest and most lasting habit changes come from clarifying and aligning with your identity. This is what I would call inside-out habits. For example, instead of focusing solely on what you want to do—like reading the Bible daily—start by focusing on who you want to become: “I am someone who loves and seeks God daily.”

Reflection Question

Who do you want to become spiritually? Write down one or two identity-based statements, and then ask yourself, “Do my current habits help me become this person?”

2. Spiritual Habits Require Constant Repetition

Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7–8:

“…train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

The word Paul uses for “train” comes from the Greek word gymnazo, meaning to develop behavior through instruction and practice. Paul is emphasizing that godliness isn’t achieved in a moment. And information alone certainly won’t get us there. Godliness is formed through consistent, repeated habits.

How do we build these habits?

Modern research provides valuable insights. James Clear outlines The Four Laws of Behavior Change in Atomic Habits, which are immensely helpful for building spiritual habits:

Law 1: Make It Obvious

Habits need clear triggers to take action. For example:

• Place your Bible or journal in a spot you’ll see it every morning.

• Set a daily alarm labeled “Prayer Time” to remind you to pause and pray.

Law 2: Make It Attractive

Connect the habit with something you enjoy. For example:

• Pair prayer with a morning cup of coffee.

• Use a favorite devotional app or journal to guide your time with God.

Law 3: Make It Easy

Start small. Instead of committing to 30 minutes of prayer, begin with two minutes of focused prayer each day. Over time, you can build from there.

Law 4: Make It Satisfying

Create a sense of immediate reward. For example:

• Use a habit tracker to mark each day you show up to pray or read Scripture.

• Write a short affirmation like, “I showed up and spent time with God today.”

Reflection Question

Think about the spiritual habit you’d like to form. How can you make it obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying?

3. Spiritual Habits Require Occasional Adaptation

In 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, Paul describes how he had to adapt the way in which he went about the spiritual practice of evangelism depending on the context he was in and the people he was serving. While his beliefs and purpose never changed, his methods often did.

The same principle applies to our spiritual habits. Sometimes, we need to adapt our practices to fit our season of life or current spiritual maturity.

When our kids were little, my wife, Tami, and I really struggled with sleep. The five of us lived in a two bedroom, one bathroom house, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that we didn’t sleep through the night for years. My preference is to spend time with God in the early morning, but back then, it simply wasn’t realistic. I had to adapt my spiritual practices to fit that season of life. Now that our kids are older, my practices have shifted again.

Here’s my point:

Sometimes our practices are a source of frustration because we’re trying to force a habit that doesn’t fit.

We need to adapt. Maybe when and where you’ve been with God in the past doesn’t work anymore. Maybe the way you once prayed doesn’t fit where you currently are. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pray anymore. It simply means that God is inviting you to adapt the way you pray. So if you find that a current habit feels burdensome, consider if it needs to be adapted.

Reflection Question

Are there habits that need to adapt to your current season of life?

Closing Encouragement

I want to finish by encouraging you to be kind to yourself throughout this journey. While Jesus is gentle with us, we often tend to be quite harsh on ourselves. However, please know that Jesus isn’t frustrated or disappointed by your struggles in building healthy spiritual habits. He understands. All He desires is for you to know Him better. He wants to assist you.

So, let’s approach this week with intention, trusting that as we cultivate habits rooted in our relationship with God, He will meet us there and transform us along the way.