"Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:24), and so did Noah (Genesis 6:9). God promises, "I will walk among you, and will be your God" (Leviticus 26:12), and He calls us to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1), walking "even as he walked" (1 John 2:6).
The Bible often describes the life of faith as a walk: steady, daily, step by step, and in company. Walking with God is not a single decision but a direction you keep choosing, on ordinary weekdays as much as on Sundays. As a new year begins, it is a fitting picture for the habits you want to build. These twelve King James verses look at people who walked with God, at God who walks with us, and at what a worthy walk looks like. For a fresh start, see new beginnings; for priorities, see putting God first.
They walked with God
1. Genesis 5:24
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."
Enoch gets only a few verses, but they say the most important thing: he walked with God. Hebrews 11:5 says he pleased God. A life can be short on headlines and still be remembered for this.
2. Genesis 6:9
"These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."
Noah walked with God in a violent, corrupt generation. It did not make his world easy; it meant he listened and obeyed when others did not.
3. Genesis 17:1
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect."
When Abram was ninety-nine, God said, walk before me, and be thou perfect, meaning whole-hearted. It is never too late to begin walking closely with God.
4. Deuteronomy 10:12
"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,"
Moses sums up what God asks: fear Him, walk in all his ways, love and serve Him. Micah 6:8 says it in one line: walk humbly with thy God.
God walks with his people
5. Leviticus 26:12
"And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people."
God promised not only that Israel would walk with Him, but that He would walk among them. Paul applies it to the church (2 Corinthians 6:16). God chooses to be near His people.
6. Luke 24:15
"And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them."
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus himself drew near to two sad disciples and went with them. He still walks with discouraged people, opening the Scriptures until their hearts burn (Luke 24:32).
7. Psalms 89:15
"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance."
Walking with God is not grim duty; it is life in the light of His countenance, rejoicing in His name all the day (Psalm 89:16).
8. Psalms 86:11
"Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name."
Teach me thy way, O LORD; unite my heart. This short prayer asks God to gather a divided heart in one direction, which makes it a strong prayer for January.
Walk worthy every day
9. Ephesians 4:1
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,"
Paul urged believers to walk worthy of their calling, and the next verses explain how: with lowliness, meekness and love (Ephesians 4:2-3). A worthy walk shows mostly in how we treat people.
10. 1 John 2:6
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
Whoever says they abide in Christ ought to walk as He walked. The Gospels are the map: Jesus prayed, served the overlooked, told the truth and obeyed the Father.
11. Colossians 1:10
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
Paul prayed that believers would be fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Walking with God includes growth: knowing Him better this year than last.
12. Isaiah 2:5
"O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD."
After a vision of the nations streaming to the mountain of the LORD, Isaiah says, come ye, and let us walk. Walking with God is best done together, inviting others along.
A short prayer
Lord, I want to walk with You this year, not just visit You on Sundays. Teach me Your way and unite my heart. Draw near to me on ordinary roads, as You did on the way to Emmaus. Help me walk worthy of Your calling, step by step, and walk in Your light with others beside me. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Get our free 7-Day New Year Scripture Focus Plan · Start the free One-Year Bible Reading Plan · Get the SOAP Bible Study Journal
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to walk with God?
In Scripture, walking describes a whole way of life. To walk with God is to live in daily fellowship with Him, trusting, listening and obeying over time. Amos asks, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). It means going His direction, at His pace, in His company.
How can I start walking with God every day?
Begin small: a few minutes each morning to read and pray, a verse to carry through the day, and a short review at night. Join a church where you can walk with others, and try our free One-Year Bible Reading Plan. Paul says, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Colossians 2:6).
Who walked with God in the Bible?
Genesis says it of Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Noah (Genesis 6:9), and God told Abraham to walk before Him (Genesis 17:1). Hezekiah prayed that he had walked before God with a perfect heart (2 Kings 20:3). In the Gospels, the disciples literally walked with Jesus for about three years.
Is walking in the Spirit the same as walking with God?
They describe the same life from different angles: walking with God stresses relationship, and walking in the Spirit stresses power. Paul writes, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). See our page on the fruit of the Spirit.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about putting God first · Bible verses about new beginnings · Bible verses about the new year · Bible verses about growth · Bible verses about being a disciple · Bible verses about integrity · Bible verses about God's promises
Explore more: All Bible verses by topic · KJV Bible verses · Verse of the day · Prayers · Bible study · Bible reading plans
