55 Spiritual Goals Examples for 2023 (plus spiritual goals worksheet)

As you think of spiritual goals examples, ask yourself, what is the goal of spirituality? Your spiritual life is so much more than the religious practices you observe.

If you’re feeling a little lost about what you should be doing with yourself, this is where spiritual goals examples come in.

The spiritual goals you set are intended to be a compass for the you to live a balanced, purposeful life.

If you’re not on that path yet, there is no time like the present. The best place to start is with self-reflection and setting spiritual goals.

What are spiritual goals?

Spiritual goals do far more than help you to grow closer to God. If that were the case, that’s all the Bible would teach on.

But in it are principles for us to live by. Spiritual goals allow you to use what God says to influence every aspect of your life. 

Here is the thing. The ultimate goal of biblical spirituality is to allow the inner transformation that God is undertaking in your life to flow into all aspects of your living.

In other words, spiritual goals help you to bear fruit.

They allow you to live out your faith in practical ways as you contribute to the lives of others.

These goals also help you to stay in alignment with your core spiritual beliefs in all aspects of your life.

The meaning of your life and the purpose of your existence is actualized through Bible-based spiritual goals.

Biblical examples of goal-setting

In case you think that goal-setting is some New Age, post-modern idea, there are so many spiritual goals examples in the Bible. Here are some characters from the Good Book who set goals:

Jesus – Naturally, Jesus demonstrates some of the best ever spiritual goals examples.

When he was about to start his ministry, Jesus was particular about how he was going to do it.

The first thing he did was to call 12 men who would help him. This is a signal of his planning and organizing.

At the end of each day or at the beginning of each day, He always seemed like he knew exactly what he was going to do or where he was going to go.

He had three years to make an impact. There was no time to waste.

Noah and the Ark – God gave specific instructions to build the massive structure that was the Ark.

To create a vessel that could withstand 40 days of rainfall plus accommodate hundreds of stinky animals was no ordinary feat.

It took him 120 years to build it. That takes setting short-term and long-term goals.

Jacob – After his father-in-law ripped him off, he decided to go back home. He couldn’t branch off on his own without resources.

That meant he needed to beef up his livestock. He set a goal and planned strategically so that he would have more than enough to take care of his family.

Joseph – He was elevated from prison to palace because he used his gifts wisely. He came up with a plan that could save Egypt and the rest of the world from famine.

For years he set goals and worked towards them so that there would be more than enough storehouses and grain for food.

Joshua – Leading the children of Israel to the promised land was not easy. There were many battles to fight.

He needed to set goals about which territories he was going to conquer and strategize how they were going to do it.

Solomon – He was both the wisest and the richest man who ever lived. He was an excellent entrepreneur who planned out his goals for expanding his empire.

He also built a massively extraordinary temple that was the envy of nations around. That took setting goals and executing plans.

Non-religious Spiritual Goals Examples

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? (Luke 14:28)

Jesus endorsed goal-setting and planning. Any undertaking in life needs to be properly thought out.

Here are some spiritual goal examples to help you plan for growth in various areas of your life.

Spiritual career goals

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Colossians 3:23)

We spend most of our waking hours engaged in work related to our jobs and careers.

It makes sense to ensure your spiritual growth is getting some attention while at it. Here are a few professional spiritual goals examples to consider.

#1. Change your career – Get into a career that aligns with your calling.

If you know you have been called to help people with their finances, you should probably not just be a bank teller.

Take steps to change that. This spiritual goal example might require more training or start a business, get moving in that direction.

You might need to get a whole new degree to answer God’s call. That’s fine. He’ll provide the means.

God’s will is God’s bill. Tweet that!

The point is that you need to start living your purpose.

#2. Grow your knowledge base through training – You have a spiritual responsibility to grow in your career.

This is what the parable of the talents is really about. If God blesses you with something, He expects you to grow it.

Schedule conferences, write a list of books to read, attend webinars. Consider earning a higher degree as well.

#3. Join a faith-based network in your field – Whatever you do for a living, there is usually a community of faith dedicated to supporting you.

If you can’t find one, start one. Facebook groups are great for this.

#4. Include God in your business – Now more than ever we need people who will be bold in offering service that is driven by biblical principles.

There are many who are teaching how to do that. Find a community who will help you.

#5. Teach others how to include God in their business – If you have already figured it out, show someone how to do it.

#6. Start a faith-based business – The truth is that while the Bible teaches us how to live faithful lives, it’s not easy to figure it out.

You can help others by being their support while they grow in faith. Your audience can be people of a particular career or stage of life. 

Spiritual goals examples like this can birth so many other purpose-filled, spirit-filled ideas. A faith-based blog is a great business to consider.

#7. Mentor someone at work – You can spread the sweet influence of Jesus’s gentle spirit by being professional support for an early career professional.

Discipleship is more than just calling others to Jesus directly but it includes the indirect as well.

#8. Pray with and for your coworkers – Offer it. Ask the Holy Spirit to nudge you at the appropriate time to do it though.

Whether or not they are aware, include them in your daily prayers. Being a Christian woman at work can be tough but if you consciously include this as a part of your ministry, this could be powerful.

#9. Have prayer time during your break at work – Work days can be so full and busy we can easily forget to connect with God during the day.

This year, plan for it. Set a reminder if you must.

RELATED: How to make time for God with a jam-packed schedule.

#10. Build relationships with your co-workers – If you have had terrible experiences in the workplace it can be easier to just keep to yourself.

Don’t. That doesn’t honor God.

Seek out some good relationships and show the love of Jesus as you support, encourage, and inspire those you work with.

#11. Volunteer your skillset in your community – Your skills aren’t only useful at work. Some community organization could benefit.

If you are a nurse, give health talks at the local community center. Show young girls basic hygiene tips.

The possibilities are endless. New doors could open for you.

#12. Mentor a young person at a school or at your church – It is very normal for some youth to be lost when it comes to choosing a career.

If you see one with promising skills that could help them to get into your field, mentor them.

#13. Step up to a leadership role – If you have been offered a position to be a member on a team or even lead a team, don’t shy away or back down.

Take it. Use your God-given gift of influence to change systems in your organization.

#14. Improve your communication skills – Soft skills are really short in the workplace nowadays.

Communication is even more powerful than competence.

Sharpening your communication skills can help you to sell yourself well, build fruitful professional relationships, advocate for those who can’t, lead effectively, and a ton more.

#15. Increase your job satisfaction – Not all workplaces are created equal. Sometimes it’s hard to be happy at work and to be satisfied professionally.

If you can’t change careers or jobs right now, create a goal to find joy in your job or at your place of work.

#16. Develop a spirit of excellence – The prophet Daniel was a believer in the land of the heathen.

He occupied a very lofty position in government and he was known for good, ethical, excellent work.

That was his brand. If you have not been standing out for this, work on it.

#17. Become a thought leader – TED talks are powerful because individuals with original ideas build careers around influencing the lives of others in unique and specific ways.

Develop an idea that you can use to move the needle on a career-related issue. And yes, get yourself featured on a TEDTalk.

Spiritual financial goals

Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds. (Proverbs 27:23)

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce. (Proverbs 3:9)

It’s funny how we avoid conversations about money yet it is the source of 70% of stress in many lives. It is also the reason behind many couples getting divorced.

The state of your finances affects both the quality of your life and your relationship with God as well.

Consider the following money-related spiritual goals examples.

#18. Explore your relationship with money

You have convictions about money that you are not conscious of. There is a story that you tell yourself about money, a story that was developed by how you were raised.

This story is controlling the way you think about money and how you handle your finances. Take some time to explore that this year. Start by writing your money autobiography.

Books like Business Secrets from the Bible or Rich Dad, Poor Dad are good for helping you with your money mindset.

#19. Learn about money

Surgeons have to be trained extensively to perform procedures. It’s the difference between life and death. Your money is just as important. Money is a tool. Learn how to use it.

Spend time increasing your knowledge about money management. It’s the difference between peace of mind or misery. Take short courses and read books. You can start with Dave Ramsey or Tiffany Aliche or Clever Girl Finances. All great resources.

#20. Develop money habits

Change happens when behaviors change. All the knowledge in the world comes to nothing if you never implement.

This year, practice what you know and learn. Start habits like tracking spending, sticking to your budget, paying your bills on time, living within your means, paying yourself first.

#21. Get out of debt

Scripture says the borrower is a slave to the lender. Think about how you feel when your debt crosses your mind. You might not be able to get rid of it all in one year, but this is the year for you to set up a direct plan for paying off your debt. 

#22. Increase your income

Wealth and riches have a bad rap in many religious circles. Be clear. It’s the detrimental love of money that Scripture warns against.

If you want to get out of debt, one source of income will not do. Set a goal to increase your income. Explore some other ideas. They can earn you more than your actual day job.

#23. Build an emergency fund

Do you have enough money to pay your bills for at least 3 months if you lost your job tomorrow? If your answer is no, fix that this year.

#24. Save money

Yes, it is possible to save no matter how little you make. This habit can boost your financial confidence and decrease your anxiety about unforeseen expenses.

#25. Invest

God expects you to use every opportunity to grow the money you have been blessed with. That’s just stewardship 101. Check out the parable of the talents. Take on the challenge of learning about investment options and try one.

#26. Build your assets

One way of increasing income without exchanging time for money is through assets. If you’re still paying on your home and you live in it, it’s not an asset. Neither is your car.

An asset is anything that puts money into your pocket, not takes it out. Real estate, stocks and bonds etc can be intimidating. Start small and take your time. Starting a blog or running a website or opening an online store with digital products are all examples of assets because they can provide passive income.

You will need to put the work in to start but maintenance takes a little less over time.

#27. Give

If you aren’t aligned with a religious organization that endorses tithing, that’s fine. Seek out other opportunities to give.

Giving is an act of worship and a deeply spiritual experience. Somehow, giving multiplies your resources and ensures you always have what you need.

#28. Teach someone about money

You may not be an expert but you likely know more than someone else you know. Help them to improve their finances this year.

#29. Plan for the future

Becoming a financial burden to others as you age does not bring God glory. Don’t just leave your life up to “God will provide”.

Capitalize on your years of youth and ensure you set yourself up for financial security in the future. Create a goal this year that is just for that.

Spiritual wellness and health goals

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

If you’re unwell. If your mind is confused. If you’re constantly in pain, there will be limitations on how much you can do to fulfill your purpose. 

You might not be able to hear God clearly. You might be taken up praying more about health concerns than about other aspects of your life.

Your spirit will be burdened.

That’s why God calls us to balanced living. Consider the following spiritual goals examples this year to improve your fitness and well-being.

#30. Get your BMI within reason – I deliberately did say “lose weight”. Not all weight loss goals are reasonable depending on your age and season of life and genes.

Consider all these variables as you think about your weight. Don’t get caught up with the numbers.

Be reasonable. In fact, you might need to just work on building muscle strength or longevity rather than lose weight.

Set the goal in a way that makes sense.

#31. Drink more water – I’m so guilty of not drinking enough. It’s bad for blood flow and kidney function.

Set a goal to increase your intake of crystal punch. It will flush your body and clear your mind so you can hear God’s voice.

Plus, you will glow.

#32. Eat more raw foods – Overprocessed foods are more popular but not necessarily better.

Your fruits and veges are more likely to help improve your overall body functioning.

You will have lots of energy to live out your faith through service and work.

#33. Get your body moving – Our lives are more sedentary than ever.

Just 15 minutes a day of walking on the spot can help to improve your heart rate and blood circulation. Leslie Sansone has some great free videos.

Your sleep will be better. You will be surprised at how all these tiny changes can boost your spiritual growth.

#34. Get therapy – Mental wellness is as important as physical wellness. They walk hand in hand.

You might need more help if you’re struggling with the effects of early life trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, perfectionism, building healthy relationships, mood swings or anything that’s preventing you from living in freedom.

It’s very hard to achieve spiritual goals if your mind is bogged down by unresolved issues.

#35. Get some sleep – There is a sleep epidemic. Resolve this year not to be in that statistic. Take steps towards improving your sleep hygiene.

#36. Live a balanced life – Balanced living has to do with giving the right amount of time to the various aspects of your life so that no part suffers.

Take some time to reflect on your life. Start with a goal that will help to improve the way you spread yourself.

Spiritual relationship goals

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

We are all but lost without at least one other person in the world to relate to. We all want to belong.

Spiritual goals examples that touch issues like this can get down to some areas of life that we largely prefer to avoid.

Feeling safe is a basic human need. Thriving relationships are that place of belong and safety. 

When it comes to professional growth, networking is extremely important.

Bottom line: you need to work on your relationships because they increase your social capital. Here are some spiritual goals examples to consider.

#37. Work on issues from your family of origins – The state of the relationship between you and the people you grew up with has everything to do with how you see God and other people.

We all have some kind of issue with family. You might have a bundle that will take a lifetime to unpack. Pick one tiny goal for this year.

It could be to have visit for a few minutes, call to say hello, send a text once per month.

Get some help and support with this. You will need it.

#38. Heal from broken relationships – This does not only mean family. It also relates to relationships of a romantic, professional, church, platonic, business nature.

For you to move forward and grow in each related area, you need to make peace with those who hurt you. Get therapy.

Do forgiveness exercises. Write open, honest letters to them. Choose one to let go of this year.

#39. Set goals as a couple – If you are dating seriously or married, create a couple’s or family vision board.

Spiritual goals examples like this increase friendship and bonding in your relationship.

When you dream together, you work together and achieve together. You will fail and win together.

You will grow together. As a couple your intimacy will deepen.

#40. Attend relationship seminars – In professional circles, learning is an important aspect of maintaining growth.

The same applies to romantic relationships.

Make a goal of undertaking one learning experience this year that is related to growing your relationship.

#41. Become more open about faith experiences – Sharing what’s happening in your faith life can be a truly intimate way of bonding.

Create opportunities in your relationship to talk about how you’re struggling or growing in your relationship with God.

Read your Bible together. Watch Bible-based movies together.

Use a couple’s devotional. All these can create the atmosphere for conversation about personal faith.

What are faith goals?

Faith goals and spiritual goals are not the same thing though. Faith goals focus on the three aspects of faith:

• Knowing who God is and believing Him to be God
• Learning to trust Him with your heart and life
• Taking action or living in a certain way that lines up with your knowledge of and trust in God

Therefore, a faith goal is any intentional plan to increase your knowledge of God, your trust in God, and your willingness to take action based on your knowledge and trust in Him.

These goals are created despite the fact that what you hope to happen seems impossible or unlikely or both.

What are some faith goals?

As I said before, faith is multidimensional. So when you set faith goals, think about which area you want to grow in.

Here is a list of faith goals examples to consider for 2022. They are grouped according to the three aspects of faith I mentioned earlier.

Faith goals examples for increasing your knowledge of God

#42. Read your Bible– I know it might seem obvious to you that this is the place to start if you want to know God. But for some women, it’s not.

So this goal is for the woman who doesn’t know where to start with upleveling her faith.

Ditch the devotionals for actually reading your Bible. I recommend starting with the Gospels.

#43. Implement Bible study time – Life is busy. I know. I also know that life can crowd out time in the Word.

Everything else has a place in your planner. So should Bible study. Make a goal to plan Bible study time into your schedule.

And yes, there is a difference between Bible reading and Bible study. If you want to get really deep, then Bible study is the thing to do.

But if you just want to get a general understanding, then do Bible reading.

#44. Learn to study the Bible – Contrary to popular belief, reading the Bible and studying the Bible are not the same thing. Bible reading is easy.

Bible study is hard. Take free courses on how to study the Bible. Follow a Bible study blog.

Invest in a book about how to study the Bible and set up a schedule to read and apply it.

#45. Start Bible verse mapping – Picking the Bible apart verse by verse is so powerful. You could be studying a single verse for an entire week.

I find that the Psalms are perfect for this. They are packed with imagery and bright creative language that makes the Scriptures come alive.

It can be intimidating at first. But once you learn the steps and have a process, you’ll be on a roll.

You will get more out of your Bible reading time with verse mapping.

#46. Join a Bible study community – Good habits are best supported in community.

When you are isolated, there is little accountability. You only have you. But when you have some people who desire the same things you do, there is power in that.

A Bible study community could be a church, Facebook group, YouTube channel that publishes content regularly.

Find one that works for. Track your level of engagement too.

Are you turning up regularly? Are you taking notes? Are you extending the study beyond the session?

Faith goals examples for learning to trust God

It’s not easy to trust God. Whether you are new or old to a life of faith, it’s just not a simple thing to accomplish. But you have to choose faith.

#47. Replace negative thoughts – Quite often, your ability to truly trust God is hampered by your thoughts.

You may not even be aware of them but they have great impact. The human mind is amazing.

Persistent negative thinking kills faith. Faith requires you to imagine positive things.

It requires believing that the impossible can be possible. You need a healthy, positive mind to be able to do that.

Create a goal to do daily exercises of switching out those negative thought patterns with positive ones.

You can do this exercise once per week, focusing on one thought. Write down one negative thought and right beside it, reframe it into something positive.

Repeat that every day for that week and change it in the following week.

#48. Use Bible promises daily – We are forgetful. Our brains don’t always hold on to what we need to help use trust God.

So you have to pursue this aggressively. Make a goal of reminding yourself daily of God’s promises.

Like the Scripture affirmations, repeat these often. You can even personalize them by replacing the pronouns with your name.

#49. Start a faith journal – I do this. Faith journaling is writing down something that God has done for you. Maybe he answered a prayer.

Maybe he used you in a powerful way. Maybe he came through for someone else and you just want to write down the story.

Everything in this journal is recorded to inspire faith.

You can feel confident that when you go back to it at a time of discouragement, you will be reminded of who God is and trust him all over again. 

#50. Get therapy – Here is the thing, if you don’t trust people you can see, you probably will not be able to trust someone you can’t see.

There is a problem if you have a problem trusting the people around you. God will always seem so far away to you.

This is particularly true if you have issues with your parents. Learning to trust God requires dealing with all of those unresolved issues.

Therapy is also a place to look into things like anxiety, fear, insecurity and a host of other things that stand in your way.

Make a goal of getting to the root of your trust issues so that you can start walking in the freedom of trusting God.

#51. Engage the stories of others – When you hear how God shows up in the lives of others, it can be a powerful way of keeping your faith.

Especially if you are in a place of difficulty in your faith walk.

Write a goal around making time to read faith-based biographies or books about answered prayers.

Podcasts are popular right now. Find one that focuses on stories of faith and tune in each week.

#52. Create a “deal with doubt” toolbox – Every believer has moments of doubt. Depending on where you are in your faith journey, the frequency of these moments may look different.

Whatever your situation, plan for it. Don’t wait for it to creep on you without a definitive steps to take.

A doubt toolbox can be a literal box or it could be a list of things you will do and say when doubt feels like it’s taking over.

In your toolbox you can have: Bible promises to read, Bible affirmations to repeat, your faith journal to read over, the cell phone number of someone you can call for encouragement, a playlist of your favorite worship songs.

A power sermon or inspiring motivational video. This list could go on. Your toolkit will be unique to you.

Just make sure it has what you will need.

Faith goals example for taking action

Faith is incomplete without action. You have to put your money where your mouth (and heart is).

So says the Bible:

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? James 2:20 – 22

#53. Create a vision  board – God expects us to have dreams, desires, and purpose.

Taking those from the corners of your thoughts and putting them on paper makes them more concrete. More real.

Granted, you do need to make sure that what you are putting on there is spirit-led. And that’s why you need to spend time with God.

A vision board will help you take action because you will see before your very eyes what you are working towards.

The whole process of creating it is a faith-building activity in and of itself. Scripture says God will grant you the desires of your heart.

If you have no desires, what exactly are you expecting God to work with?

In the words of Patrice Washington, “you have to give God something to bless. God knows what you’re waiting on when he sees what you’re working on”.

#54. Write down your plans – They say a goal without a plan is just a wish. If you intend to act on your faith, write down the things you will do to get to your goal.

Once you have made a decision about those steps, you no longer need to be thinking about whether or not you should be stepping out in faith.

There is something about writing that causes your brain to create a pathway for whatever you have written down.

And don’t forget to present them to God. Without Him, your plans will go no further than that paper you wrote on.

#55. Execute your plans – It’s all well and good to have a plan all detailed on paper, but those plans never leave the paper you still have not taken a faith step.

You still have not taken action. Some people get stuck at this point. They become anxious. Fear paralyzes them.

Overwhelm cripples them. If you are one of those people, create a goal that will help you to combat this.

It could be getting an accountability partner who you talk with everyday.

You could start using a weekly planner of three small goals you want to accomplish each week.

Maybe listening to or watching a motivational video everyday could give you the extra push to jump in.

#56. Step out in faith – Yes, the best way to take action is to do something that requires crazy faith.

In my experience, God rewards faith steps by showing up to provide what you need when you need it on the journey.

I know that because I’ve tried it over and over. I’ve seen others do it too. God will move in your life powerfully if you just trust Him.

Take him at his word. Silence the “what ifs” in your head and move forward, whether you have all the details or not.

SMART Goals for spiritual growth

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish”. (Luke 14:28-30)

Whether your spiritual goals ideas are long-term or short-term, set yourself up for success. For spiritual life goals to stand a chance, it’s a good idea to set goals that are SMART.

Specific- Describe in detail exactly what you want. Write the what, why, who, where of your goal. Leave no detail out. Don’t forget to list the resources you will need.

Measurable- You need to be able to track your progress. What will indicate to you that you have reached your goals. It’s important so you can stay motivated. Habit trackers are very useful for this. 

Attainable – Your goals should be realistic and reasonable. Not so far out of your reach to discourage but just enough to stretch you. Without the stretch, there is no growth. Think about whether you have the time, money, resources, level of knowledge, emotional capital etc that you will need.

Relevant – Your goal should be important to you and should align with your overall purpose of spiritual growth. Whatever you choose to work on should be worth your time. Don’t waste your time on a goal that’s not good for this season of your life. 

Time-bound – It is said that the amount of time you give yourself to do something is the amount of time it will take. So, when will you accomplish your goal? Your goals need to have a deadline. This helps to keep you on track. You can set up short-term goals. Assign tasks to be completed daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, half-year.

Other tips:

• Create goals from reflections on your past. You could do assessments to help you with deciding which area to tackle first.

• It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the number of things to improve in your life. Work on one area at a time. As soon as you have gained some ground on one goal, start working on another.

• Pray and ask God for guidance with your goals. You will need the help of others as well as resources. Ask Him to guide you to the right people and things.

• Review your goals throughout the year and revise them if necessary.

Spiritual goals worksheet

Putting pen to paper is the best way to get started with goal-setting. Use this worksheet to help you. It has focus questions to ensure that your personal spiritual goals are SMART. 

Download the black and white spiritual goal-setting worksheet

Download the pink and black spiritual goal-setting worksheet

Download the floral spiritual goal-setting worksheet

Download the watercolor spiritual goal-setting worksheet

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