5 Ways to Start a Habit

Don't copy the behavior and custos of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2 - Verse Image

How to Start (and Keep) Good Habits

Imagine it’s late and you’ve had a long day. You were planning to exercise, fix yourself a healthy meal, then spend some time in God’s Word. Instead, you grab some pizza and binge TV shows.

Without realizing it, you just reinforced a habit.

Research suggests we all have “keystone habits,” acquired patterns of behavior that form the basis of our daily routines. Change those, and you can change your life.

Here are 5 Ways to Develop Healthy Habits:

  1. Remember whose you are. You are called by God and made in His image. Because of His great love for you, you have the ability to become more like the person God created you to be.

    7 Habits To Develop Spiritual Growth
  2. Identify the “why” behind your behavior. Do you eat junk food because you like the taste? Or because you’re tired or bored? Once you know why you behave the way you do, it’s easier to replace unhealthy habits with better ones.

    Habits
  3. Draw close to God. When you prioritize time with God, you’re allowing Him to renew your mind (Rom. 12:2). Eventually, this will help you change the way you live.

    Lifehacks: Practical Tips For Godly Habits
  4. Focus on one key habit. Consistently doing one thing well will yield results over time and make it easier to master other habits later.

    10 Habits Of Intimacy With God
  5. Give yourself grace. You won’t always get it right… And that’s okay. When you stumble, “fall forward”: learn from your mistakes and keep going. God will still be right beside you, cheering you on.

It only takes a moment to start a healthy habit. Pick a Plan, and let God use that choice to begin transforming your daily routines.

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The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Plans from Life.Church Worship, UNITED, Bethel Music, & more!

God So Good

God So Good
Life.Church Worship, 5 Days

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Hallelujah Here Below

Hallelujah Here Below
Elevation Worship, 5 Days

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Dawn Is Coming

Dawn Is Coming
Fresh Life Worship, 3 days

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People

People
Hillsong UNITED, 5 Days

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VICTORY

VICTORY
Bethel Music, 3 Days

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The Essential Collection Devotional

The Essential Collection Devotional
Passion, 8 Days

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Greater Things: 5 Days to Knowing You Are Not Alone

Greater Things: 5 Days to Knowing You Are Not Alone
Mack And Meredith Brock, 5 Days

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Known

Known
Tauren Wells, 5 Days

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Living With A Fire

Living With A Fire
Jesus Culture, 14 Days

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Nothing Else: Only Jesus

Nothing Else: Only Jesus
Cody Carnes, 5 Days

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Get your 🏈 Game Plan:

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Kick off football season with these Bible App Hall of Favorites: Plans exploring a biblical perspective from some of your favorite athletes, coaches, and influencers.

Football not really your game? Discover Plans created by professional athletes and industry leaders for every sporting occasion: from hockey to cricket!

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Featured: North Point, YouVersion Originals, Mike Donehey, & more:

A 7-Day Guide To Prayer

A 7-Day Guide To Prayer
YouVersion Originals, 7 days

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Guardrails: Avoiding Regrets In Your Life

Guardrails: Avoiding Regrets In Your Life
North Point, 5 days

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Finding God's Life For My Will

Finding God’s Life For My Will
Mike Donehey, 5 days

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Always We Begin Again

Always We Begin Again
Leeana Tankersley, 7 days

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Core 52

Core 52
Mark Moore, 5 days

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God Of All Comfort

God Of All Comfort
El-Shaddai Assembly of God Church, 3 days

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Pray Big Things

Pray Big Things
Julia Jeffress Sadler, 7 days

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Step Into Purpose

Step Into Purpose
C3 College, 5 days

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Adored By The God Who Sees Me

Adored By The God Who Sees Me
Kerry Clarensau & Kay Burnett, 7 days

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Didn’t find what you were looking for?

Whether you call them Bible Plans, Reading Plans, or Devotionals, we offer Plans that cover a broad range of interests, including many in categories you may not have tried yet. Struggling with stress? Looking for wisdom for your relationships? Need a dose of hope or inspiration? Our Discover feature makes it easy and fun to find just the right Plans for the season of life you’re in!

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3 Ways to Rest in a World that Won’t Stop Working

Person paddling a boat at sunset

So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

GENESIS 2:3

Rest — to relax, pause, breathe, and be at ease.

When was the last time you slowed down, unplugged, and relaxed? Rest is a gift we too easily push aside.

Busyness makes us feel like we’re accomplishing something, but it can be counterfeit. Without healthy boundaries, activity can be like a narcotic, numbing us to our need for intimacy with God: the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

PROVERBS 19:23

Life without rest isn’t sustainable. Rest refreshes us, giving us the energy we need to honor God and to love others. Practicing rest is a spiritual discipline that helps us enjoy God’s presence and realign our priorities.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

PSALM 23:2-3a

Here are 3 ways you can incorporate rest into your daily life:

Practice Mindfulness

In Romans 12, Paul urges us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Practicing mindfulness can help us realign our hearts and minds to what God is doing. Where do you focus best? Nestled in your kitchen with a cup of coffee? Out for a run, listening to worship music? Find something that makes you feel close to God, and focus your mind on Him there before you start your day.

Challenge: Take 5-10 minutes each day and visualize every worry and responsibility, giving each one to Jesus in prayer. (If it helps you, write them down.)

Meditate on Scripture

All Scripture is inspired by God. When you read or listen to God’s Word, and you reflect on what it says, you learn to recognize God’s voice. Purposeful time in the Bible requires making it a priority to focus on just being with Jesus.

Challenge: Set aside 30 minutes a day to read or listen to God’s Word. During that time, snooze your calendar and notifications. Try a Plan, take notes, and journal your thoughts. Let God speak to you.

Be with Community

Intimacy with God doesn’t mean shutting yourself off from other people. In fact, sometimes it means making space for them. Rest is the perfect time to celebrate life with people you love. We’re not made to do life alone. We need each other.

Challenge: Invest at least a couple of hours each week with people you love. Don’t set an agenda. Just show up and enjoy one another’s company. Afterwards, write down anything God showed you during your time together.

These are just a few suggestions to help you start turning intimacy with God into a daily rhythm. Explore more ways to experience rest in one of the Plans below.

Read Plans on Rest

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