7 Habits of Highly Effective Christians

In my book, Build Fire, I talk about how we can maintain our passion for God. If I could summarize it in one word, it would be this: habits. If you want to see a shift in your life, it narrows down to the habits that surround your life.

Here are seven habits that I’ve seen work in my life and in the lives of others who are passionate about Jesus.

7 Habits to Develop In Order to Stay on Fire

1. Develop a daily intake of God’s word (Ps 119:105).

Think of reading God’s Word daily in the same manner as a long-distance walk. Build a habit of a consistent intake of smaller portions rather than huge sporadic readings. Incorporate listening and memorizing God’s word.

2. Guard your heart against offense (Proverbs 4:23).

The biggest problem that hinders our intimacy with God is when we allow our hearts to be filled with bitterness and offense. When we do not keep our hearts free from offense, our heart becomes a trashcan of toxic emotions. Regularly examine your heart, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal offenses and choose to forgive quickly.

3. Keep your heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit by obeying His promptings (Hebrews 3:7-8).

Our sensitivity to His voice only grows through obedience. It grows through daily surrender, humility, and being open to His convictions and guidance. If you only spend time with the Lord but that doesn’t lead to a life of obedience, it is not pleasing to the Lord.

4. Do what’s wise even if it’s not “wrong” (1 Cor 10:23).

You must prioritize wisdom over permissibility. Don’t weigh decisions just on legality or morality but on whether those actions are spiritually fruitful. Rather than asking yourself if a matter is sinful, ask yourself, “Is this wise?”

5. Praying in Tongues (1 Cor 14:4).

To build the spirit man, develop a habit of speaking, singing, worshiping, and praying in tongues. Submit yourself to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to pray through you.

6. Fast Regularly.

Fasting is not done to lose weight. It’s voluntarily abstaining from food for spiritual reasons. Practice this often.

7. Release God’s power through serving.

When you have an intake into your spirit but lack to release it, you’ll become a “dead sea.” An outflow is important for spiritual growth. Develop a biblical rhythm of rest and release, and you’ll begin to see that God will give you more as you give. If you want to build your spiritual man, minister with the measure you’ve received from God and God will increase your flow.

Remember, habits have a domino effect. When you start one, it’ll lead to another. Therefore, learning to stay on fire for God often has more to do with the good habits we implement to add fuel to that fire rather than the hype of a single moment.

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