17 Encouraging Bible Verses for New Year’s Resolutions

Bible Verses for New Year's Resolutions - (7) coffee cup with tag that says New Year Fresh Start

Nothing makes people want to change more than January 1st! Whether it’s a singular goal or an extensive list of changes, the best way to approach New Year’s resolutions is with an attitude that honors God. 

These Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions can help you in setting goals that complement your Christian walk. 

Bible Verses for New Year’s Resolutions

God’s Word is full of practical wisdom that helps us everyday, and these Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions are helpful in setting and sticking to your personal goals. 

Make Wise plans

Are you wondering if your New Year’s resolution is helpful or hurtful to your walk with God? These verses remind us how to seek out wisdom for our Christian life. 

Bible Verses for New Years Resolutions - (8) text of Proverbs 16 1

“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:1 KJV

While we might make our goals and plans at the beginning of a new year, the Lord is the one who has the final word. He may choose to thwart our plans because He knows it isn’t good for us. He may also let us make mistakes so that we can learn from them. 

This is one reason prayer is so important! Our first preparation towards making New Year’s resolutions should be to pray and ask God to guide us in setting good goals. 

“Where there is no counsel, plans fail; but in a multitude of counselors they are established.” Proverbs 15:22

Bible Verses for New Years Resolutions - (9) Proverbs 16 22

If we aren’t sure if achieving a certain goal would be good for us, it is good to seek out other Christians who can give us different perspectives. Seek out those who have walked with God longer or closer than you, that they might speak from experience that you haven’t had. 

While our goal shouldn’t be to please people, we can benefit from the input of more mature Christians. Our heart can deceive us, and talking to someone else who knows us about our goals can be a reality check.

“The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.” James 5:16b

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This Bible verse for New Year’s resolutions reminds us that our prayers are heard by the Lord, and He will answer them! He might not answer them in our timing, or the way we want, but our prayers will not go to waste.

God can use prayer to change our hearts, and this is very important as we set goals. Achieving goals can take a lot of focus, time, and energy, and we should always involve the Lord in setting them.

“Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This Bible verse is quoted a lot at the start of the new year as many set weight loss or fitness goals, both common new year’s resolutions . This isn’t the context of this verse. 

1 Corinthians 6:17-20 addresses being intimate with someone outside of marriage. Because we have the Holy Spirit within us, that makes an adulterous affair even more wrong!

It is true that the Lord bought us with a price, and we should honor His redemption by glorifying Him with what He has given us. Treating our body well is a worthwhile endeavor as it can equip us to serve Him better, with more energy and clarity to do His good work. 

But reducing anything from the Word of God into a weight loss motto, or using it to guilt someone into eating how you think they should eat, is misguided. 

God Renews Your Mind

Bible Verses for New Years Resolutions - (1) Happy New Year with sparklers and a clock outline

Making changes in your life can be incredibly difficult. Thankfully, if we are choosing worthwhile goals that honor the Lord, He will help us change. 

Some New Year’s resolutions can address us walking away from sinful bad habits or a former way of life that doesn’t help us follow Christ. We need God’s help to make these changes. 

These Bible Verses for New Year’s resolutions focus on the renewing of our mind for the coming new year. 

“And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.” Ephesians 4:23-24

If you did not become a Christian at a very young age, or did not start walking closely with God until later in life, it is easier to remember who your “old self” was. You remember how you coped with problems, how you would react to conflict, and how you set your goals.

But as we begin and grow in our personal relationship with Christ, we can turn to God to deal with all of that! He renews our mind and helps us put off the habits and the patterns of our “old self.” We might even be setting the same goals, but they likely will be for different reasons.

“Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

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If you are setting goals after praying and consulting with wiser Christians, then it doesn’t matter how your goals match what you are hearing about in the world. God transforms our minds as we walk closer with Him, seeking Him in all we do. 

“But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:4-6

Our minds are renewed by the Lord. It’s not because we’ve earned our way into being changed, but because He is a kind and merciful God. 

This New Testament Bible verse reminds us that we have the Holy Spirit within us and He is changing us! What a wonderful gift the Lord gives to His children.

“Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator.” Colossians 3:9-10

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This is another one of the Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions that addresses how God renews us. He renews us in knowledge “according to the image of the One who created him” (Colossians 3:10b NASB1995).

It does mean that we need to put off or lay aside our old self, but the Lord gives us the amazing gift of renewing us in the knowledge of the image of Him!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

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This is my favorite of the Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions. It is a simple prayer we can pray at any time, whether it is trying to follow a godly New Year’s resolution, or just asking for strength to follow Him. 

Trust God and Ask Him for Strength

We are not on our own as we pursue goals that honor the Lord. These Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions focus on the strength the Lord gives us, and the mercy He shows us, as we follow Him.

Bible Verses for New Years Resolutions - (2) Happy New Year against a gold bokeh background

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:2-5 KJV

The Lord is merciful to us and gives us so many things. As we grow older, hearing that our youth can be “renewed like the eagle’s” is indeed a refreshing encouragement. 

As we follow Him, we see this truth more and more! He is a gracious God to us. 

We can rely on the Lord for strength to follow through on the goals He has given us. 

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 KJV

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Psalm 3:3 says that the Lord is “the one who lifts up my head.” This is an apt metaphor. Without the God’s grace, we would be consumed. And thankfully, we don’t use up His compassions; He gives us new ones every morning!

If we have “fallen behind” on a godly goal, this is a good verse to remember. He gives us a fresh start every day. Keep at the goals that He has given you. 

God Makes Things New

If you are struggling with feeling “new” in the Lord, and it is holding you back from pursuing godly goals, these Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions can help you see God’s power to change anything and anyone He wants.

“He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.’” Revelation 21:5

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While the context of this applies to when God will make a new heaven and a new earth, it teaches us the important principle that our God is powerful. 

He created our universe, He performs miracles everyday, He answers our prayers; He can renew you and change your heart.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Bible Verses for New Years Resolutions - (17) 2 Corinthians 5 17

When you didn’t follow Christ, there were a lot of voices to listen to. The world has a lot of fearful and insecure things to say to you. Friends told you things that may or may not have been true. And Satan knew what lies to tell to you to keep you away from the Lord.

The wonderful thing is, as Christians, we don’t have to listen to these voices! And we can let the lies, manipulations, and former things fall away. We can have confidence in Christ as a new creation.

Don’t let the lies of this world prevent you from making the changes that God has called you to make.

“Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

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This Bible verse is often linked to the prophecy of the first coming of Jesus Christ. But again, it is an example of God’s great power to make things new. 

We can trust our God, who made things new for us in His plan for salvation for us. He can certainly make things new for us today if it is within His will for us.

Wisdom for the Journey

The Holy Bible is not short on wisdom, and these Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions provide us helpful advice as we pursue the goals the Lord has given us.

“That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9

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Most of the time, we are trying to achieve goals that have been pursued before. Be humble about what you are doing, and ask for advice from people who have walked your path before. 

Some information might be outdated, but many principles can be applicable to your current situation.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

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As we pursue godly goals, there is no excuse not to show the fruit of the Spirit. While we may have to make some changes that affect other people, we must remember to love others, show patience, and be kind. 

The fruit of the Spirit also helps us in achieving goals that honor God. We can ask Him for patience and self-control as we persevere.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

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This Bible verse can remind us to let the Lord rule our hearts, not our own goals or resolutions. We were called to the body of Christ, not our own empires. 

Do not separate yourself from God or other Christians to achieve your goals, but embrace them and be thankful!

Printable Bible Verses for New Year’s Resolutions

Diving deep into the Word of the Lord can help you figure out what Christian New Year’s resolutions God wants you to set next year. Here is a handy printable list of New Year inspirational Bible Verses you can tuck into a prayer journal or tack to a bulletin board.

Bible Verses for New Year’s Resolutions printable list from Hope Filled Faith

Download it here.

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Prayer for New Year’s Resolutions

Heavenly Father,

We are thankful for the fresh start of a new year. You are so gracious to us, giving us a new beginning and new mercies every morning. 

We pray that You will guide us in our New Year’s resolutions. Help us to honor You with each New Year resolution we set!

Give us strength to achieve that which You have called us to. Renew our minds and our hearts in You.

Thank You for what You have given us! May the peace of God rule in our hearts.

In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.

Whether you are looking to set a New Years resolution for the first time, or the hundredth time, seek the Lord along each step of the way. These Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions are a good place to start.

If you liked Bible verses for New Year’s resolutions, you may also like 10 Favorite Psalms and Biblical Christian Affirmations.

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