God makes us holy mostly through ordinary habits rather than dramatic moments. Christians call these habits the ordinary means of grace: prayer, Bible reading, involvement in a local church, and the practices of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They can seem unexciting, but God uses them to shape us to be more like Jesus. Small, consistent steps in these areas add up to real spiritual growth.
What Does It Mean to Become Holy?
Holiness can sound like a lofty, out-of-reach idea, but at its heart it means being set apart for God and becoming more like Jesus. The Bible calls this process sanctification. It’s an extraordinary calling lived out by ordinary people, and it doesn’t begin with our effort. It begins with what Jesus has already done for us. Scripture explains that believers are made holy through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Hebrews 10:10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
When you trust Jesus, God declares you holy because of his finished work. From that point on, the Holy Spirit begins the lifelong work of making you holy in practice, changing your desires, habits, and character. Growth doesn’t earn God’s love; it flows from it. And the tools he uses for that growth are surprisingly simple, the same core spiritual disciplines believers have practiced for centuries.
Why God Uses the Ordinary Means of Grace
It’s easy to assume real spiritual growth must come from something big: a powerful conference, an emotional worship night, or a dramatic experience. Those moments can be meaningful, but they rarely sustain growth on their own. If you look at the life of any mature Christian, you’ll almost always find someone who practiced the basics faithfully for years. The very first church grew strong through a handful of ordinary practices they kept returning to together.
Acts 2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
Notice the word “devoted.” These believers didn’t treat teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer as optional extras. They kept showing up. The problem for most of us isn’t that these practices don’t work. It’s that we don’t try them consistently or long enough to see the fruit, so the real secret is making them easy to repeat.
Small Hacks for Prayer and Scripture
One of the easiest ways to build a lasting habit is to attach it to something you already do. Pray while the coffee brews. Read a chapter before you open social media. Listen to an audio Bible while folding laundry, or turn your commute into prayer time. If motivation is low, these tips for when you don’t want to read the Bible can help you get unstuck. These little habits matter because God uses steady exposure to his presence and his Word to transform us gradually.
2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
“More and more” describes slow, steady change, not overnight transformation. You might not notice growth from one day to the next. A simple spiritual journal can help you see it over months, as old struggles loosen their grip and new desires take root.
Small Hacks for Church and the Lord’s Supper
God never designed sanctification as a solo project. He places us in a church family where we’re encouraged, challenged, and loved. Treat Sunday worship like a standing appointment rather than a maybe. Join a small group, sit near the same people each week so relationships can grow, and look for one person you can encourage before you leave. The Lord’s Supper is another ordinary practice God uses to keep the gospel at the center of our lives.
1 Corinthians 11:26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Each time you take Communion, you remember Jesus’ death and look forward to his return. Try preparing the night before with a few minutes of quiet confession and thanks so the moment doesn’t feel rushed. And if you’ve trusted Jesus but haven’t yet been baptized, learn what the Bible says about baptism and consider taking that step of obedience.
The Takeaway
God makes us holy through the ordinary means of grace: prayer, Scripture, church community, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. These practices may feel simple, but God uses them to change us over time. Attach them to your daily routines, keep showing up, and trust him to do extraordinary work through ordinary habits.
