Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice

A Book Review: Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson

Putting on the Character of Christ

Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice is a deeply enriching guide to spiritual formation, co-authored by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. As a companion to Willard’s larger work Renovation of the Heart, this book offers a beautifully practical framework for daily transformation, rooted in the love of God and the power of intentional spiritual disciplines. The essence of the authors’ message is that renovation is the bringing back of one to his original state as he was created and intended by God – in His image. This is the process God designed for us in Christ: “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:10

Daily Readings

Each day’s reading is short, yet powerfully thought-provoking. The reader is invited to enter into a daily rhythm of reflection, Scripture meditation, and prayer—not as a rigid duty, but as a joyful response to the presence of God in our lives. Willard and Johnson make it clear that true spiritual transformation is not a self-improvement project; it is the natural outpouring of a life anchored in intimacy with God.

As the authors so wisely state, “Spiritual formation in Christ moves toward a total interchange of our ideas and images for His.” This exchange is not just about information, but about inward renewal. When we spend time with God, our hearts are reshaped—our thoughts, desires, habits, and actions begin to mirror His. This process of reshaping is a description of our heartfelt response to the mercy and compassion of God that overflows in a practical form of daily worship.

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” [Romans 12:1-2]

Drawing Near

As we draw near to God through our daily disciplines, He promises to draw near to us. [James 4:8] And in drawing near, we recognize the areas of our lives that are not good, pleasing, and in line with the perfect will of God. Because we love Him and want to become more like Him, we surrender to Him those things in us that might hurt and disappoint Him – or worse, even might be rebellion against Him. In our submission, God transforms our lives more and more into His image. We “cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts, and stop being double-minded,” as James 4:8 goes on to say. The result is God’s favor.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” [James 4:10]

The Importance of Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual disciplines are gently but firmly emphasized throughout the book. Practices like solitude, silence, Scripture reading, and prayer are not ends in themselves; they are means by which we make space for God to do His transforming work within us. As the authors note, “Spiritual disciplines are not ways to earn favor with God or impress other people. They are wisdom—ways of cooperating with the unique way God is working with us.”

This book repeatedly draws us back to the heart of the matter: love. Love is both the foundation and the goal of spiritual formation. “We were built to count, as water is made to run downhill. We are placed in a specific context to count in ways no one else does. That is our destiny.” Our transformation matters because it reflects God’s love into the world. And that transformation begins not with striving, but with abiding.

Becoming

One of the most powerful reminders in the book is this: “The most important thing in your life is not what you do; it’s who you become. That’s what you will take into eternity.” These words center the reader on the true goal of spiritual disciplines—not productivity or moralism, but Christlikeness.

Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice is a faithful companion for anyone who desires to live deeply rooted in God’s love and to be transformed from the inside out. It doesn’t just inform the mind—it invites the heart to be reshaped by grace. Whether you are new to the spiritual disciplines or seeking a fresh rhythm of life with God, this book will encourage you to pursue transformation as a joyful, relational journey with Jesus.

A Few Quotes from the Book

“Christians commonly speak of their “brokenness,” but they are usually talking about their wounds, the things they have suffered, not about the evil that is within them.”

“Disciplines create space for the retraining of our thoughts, feelings, and will. We see ourselves as we really are, and the games of duplicity are over.”

“Spiritual transformation into Christlikeness is the process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it takes on the character of the inner being of Jesus Himself.”

“For most people, their body governs their life. Even professing Christians often devote to their spiritual growth only a tiny fraction of time they devote to their body.”

“To the person who is not inwardly transformed in each essential dimension, evil and sin still look good. But sin looks stupid, ridiculous, and repulsive to those cleansed by Christ who see the law as a beautiful gift of God, as precious truth about what is really good and right.”

 

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