Brushing teeth, drinking a cup of coffee, scrolling through social media—habits like these streamline the rhythm of our daily lives. But not all habits are equal, or even beneficial. In this message, Dr. Stanley details the seven habits that undergird a healthy spiritual life, encouraging us to dedicate ourselves to practices like prayer, generosity, and forgiveness. Make pursuing godliness a habit—you won’t regret it!
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intimate relationship with goddess you
have you talked to Emily he listens to
you you listen to him you obey him he
guides you as an awesome sense of
intimacy in a life that trusts you
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four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch the seven habits of a godly life
well the title of this message is the
seven habits of a godly life you should
get every one of them down ask yourself
the question are you a godly person so
first of all I want to define a couple
of things and first of all I will define
what a habit is and a habit is a
recurring often unconscious pattern of
behavior that is acquired through
frequent repetition that’s what I have
it is something we do over and over and
over again the second definition is
simply this what is a godly life
so what’s godly it’s a life no longer
seeking satisfaction through a sinful
lifestyle but is now surrendered to God
and His will for your life
in other words we would call that a
sanctified life not perfect doesn’t mean
you never sin but it means that your
life is fully surrendered to him so I
want to give you seven habits that every
single believer ought to make as a part
of their life and the first one is this
the habit first habit is a life of
prayer and you recall one of my favorite
passages very simple in the mark that
first chapter when the disciples then
they didn’t never quite get a hold of
this but the scripture says in Chapter 1
of Mark verse 35 in the early morning
while it was still dark Jesus got up
left the house
and went away to a secluded place and
was praying there Simon and his
companions searched for him they found
them and said to him everybody’s looking
for you and so that’s sort of typical
about the way people operate sometimes
Jesus is doing the most important thing
in life and they don’t quite get that
and then again for example in the fourth
chapter of Luke and the 42nd verse when
they came Jesus left and went to a
secluded place and the crowds were
searching for him and came to him and
tried to keep him from going away from
them and he said to them I must preach
the gospel and so forth now when we talk
about a life of prayer we’re not talking
about once in a while we’re talking
about that every day you sense the need
the desire and the joy and the awesome
power that comes through pray talking to
the father that is it ought to be a
habit something that is recurring in
your life not just when you get in
trouble when you get need but because
you love God because you’re grateful for
who he is and what he’s doing in your
life and for example I’m the 11th
chapter of Luke the disciples came to
Jesus and said now would you would you
teach us to pray like him John the
Baptist teaches his disciples to pray
and so they saw something absolutely
different about Jesus praying it wasn’t
some ritual that people who usually
would go through in those days but they
could sense that he was talking
personally to the Heavenly Father so
when I look at these verses and think
about it the truth is you can’t live a
godly life unless you have a prayer life
you’re not you can’t you live in a world
we all live in a world of temptation and
trials and heartaches and burdens and
sin and everywhere you turn there it is
you cannot live a godly life
I didn’t say a life with that innocent
but I got little life and we defined
what that meant you can’t live a godly
life unless you have a good prayer
because the prayer life keeps you
connected to Almighty God sensitive to
his will and his purpose and his plan
for your life you don’t pray you will
never got their life and if you’ll think
about it
it’s the most important activity of your
life you’ve got to have a life of prayer
secondly the second habit is trust or
faith whichever word suits you best and
I love that hundred and third song and
the nineteenth or US and the Bible says
the Lord has established his throne in
the heavens and his sovereignty rules
over all so if you’ll think about what
that verse says if God Almighty has
established his throne in the heavens
and watch this his sovereignty that is
his all-knowing supernatural divine
power rules over everything then what
does that do that gives me an awesome
foundation to believe him knowing that
he’s in charge it doesn’t make a
difference what happens how it happens
through whom it happens for whatever
reason I know that God is in control and
I can trust him
but whatever he allows in life and I
think that’s why that verse is so
important is because if you don’t if you
don’t trust him
if you don’t trust him you’re not gonna
pray and you have to ask yourself the
question well where is where is trust in
your own spiritual life trust in the
Lord with all your heart lean not to
your own understanding and all your ways
acknowledge him and he’ll direct your
path and I quote that verse to you very
often because it is a basic verse and
when you’re not trusting what happens it
builds intimacy with him and intimacy
means that I have a relationship with
him I don’t have to introduce myself to
him an intimate relationship with a
person means that that you are close not
only to their heart but their thinking
the way they think the way they feel an
intimate relationship
for every husband and wife thought I
have all the days of their life intimate
relationship with God is you and he
talked together he listens to you you
listen to him you obey him he guides you
that’s an awesome sense of intimacy in a
life that trusts God and if you want to
know whether you’re a trusting person or
not ask yourself this question what am I
worried about if you can’t look around
see I’m not worried about anything that
because you’re trusting it whatever
you’re worried about is God’s long
awesome finger saying you’re not
trusting me at this area of your life a
godly life is a life of trust third
third habit in this awesome life is the
habit of meditation in the world of God
now I don’t know how you describe how
important this is but the scriptures are
there and I want us to look at it for
just a moment
and the psalmist said in this sixth
third chapter in the sixth verse listen
when I remember you on my bed I meditate
on you in the night watches for you’ve
been my help in the shadow of your wings
I sing for joy my soul clings to you
your right hand upholds me then what
does it mean to meditate it means that I
read it it means that I think about it I
search my heart in the light of what God
is saying I ask him whatever questions I
have on my mind
I surrender whatever he brings to my
mind and meditating upon him here’s what
meditation does meditation is like
looking into a mirror but it is also
looking beyond the mirror that is I see
what God sees and then I see beyond that
and I see him your focus is on him and
when you begin to focus on God here’s
what happens worries drift away
concerns drift away your mind is no
longer contaminated with all kinds of
things that do not do you any good at
all meditation is an absolutely
essential part of living a godly life
and where there’s no meditation you’re
not gonna live a godly life you can’t
you think about when you get up in the
morning how much of the world crowds
itself into your thinking you have to
get dressed of course need breakfast and
you got to get in your car and drive
down the expressway or somewhere and
finally get to work in as soon as you do
it’s chatta chatta chatta chatta chatta
all the day or the keyboards flying all
the day in your mind it’s full then
you’ve got to get back in your car you
get back on the highway and and dodge
the traffic again all the way home and
when you get there you undress inside
are relaxing then there’s dinner I can
fill up your day and not even know you
because that’s what we do and so where
is God where’s where’s God’s private
time with you what leads to a godly life
is the time of being alone with him
longing for him meditating upon him
thinking about him and then there’s a
fourth habit a very important one and
the one you hear me say all the time
obey God and I want to go back to
Deuteronomy 27 all the way back in the
Old Testament because he makes it so
crystal clear in this 27th chapter and
the 10th verse God speaking through
Moses to his people here’s what he said
he said you shall therefore obey the
Lord your God and do His commandments
and his statutes which I command you
today and then down that’s when chapter
28 verse 1 now it shall be listen this
if you diligently you know what that
means consistently diligently obey the
Lord your God being careful to do all
his commandments which I command you
today the Lord your God will set you
this is sent you high above all the
nations
there he was talking about Israel but
put yourself in that position when you
and I obey God we listen well think
about this we’re walking on a higher
level think of and how the world lives
they live with all kinds of evil
thoughts and busy busy busy no time for
God you have chosen to follow Jesus and
the follow him means you live on a
higher level it doesn’t mean that you’re
looking down on other people it just
means that you have chosen to live by a
standard that’s higher than the world
standard it doesn’t mean that we’re
better than somebody else
but Italy means our lifestyle is better
than the lifestyle of the world so ask
yourself the question now do I have a
habit of really praying and trusting and
meditating upon the Word of God and
would I be considered an obedient child
of God and how many times have you said
it and you said as well as I can the
wiser way to live is to obey God then
leave all the consequences and
circumstances to God now I will do that
only if I’m have a life of prayer only
if I’m trusting only if I’m meditating
upon him that’s the only way I’m gonna
do it so these are simple habits that
make your life what God wants it to be
and listen think about this there’s
nothing that can keep you from obeying
and walking in these seven habits
nothing except the choice you make you
say you have to you have to cheat you
have to choose some things you have to
choose to go with them oh my god have
this or have God walk this way I have
God’s Way and so I the reason I said 7
habits because they remember we said of
happiness are occurring off an
unconscious pattern of behavior that’s
acquired through frequent repetition
something that you not do continuously
now each thing I’ve mentioned so far you
can do the reason you do not do it is
because you don’t think it’s important
now watch
that the reason we don’t do things of
absolutely sacred godly awesome
life-changing lifting habits is because
we’ve decided to choose the world’s way
and no matter who you are how gifted you
are or how much money you have how wise
you think you are how much education you
have you cannot live a godly life the
best life without practicing these seven
habits now what is the fifth one this
earth habit is dependence upon the Holy
Spirit and somebody says well what does
that mean it means that I surrender my
life listen to the indwelling presence
of the Holy Spirit and I remember what
Jesus said to his disciples he said sit
down wait in Jerusalem until you be
endued that is until the Holy Spirit
comes into your life and when he does
then you’ll be ready to do of what I
have called you to do so I’ve given you
some some scriptures here some of them
are familiar to you maybe some or not
but in Ephesians chapter 5 you men what
the scripture says in this particular
passage and let’s look at verse 18 the
scripture says do not get drunk with
wine for that is dissipation of waste
but be filled with the spirit now if I
took a quart sauce jar and set it up
here and I had it half full of water you
would say oh it’s only half full it
would only be full when it’s up to the
top brimming complete when he says be
that that a greek verb says be ye being
filled which means it’s a continuous
thing in the morning when you two get up
amidst your prayer before you if when
you’re meditating before you even get
out of the bed you should say Lord I
just want you to fill me with your
spirit today
now here’s what that means jesus said to
his disciples then Luke before you do
what I called you to do
wait in the city of Jerusalem until you
be endued until the Holy Spirit has come
upon you to enter well you for the
simple reason you are not equipped to do
what I’ve called you to do apart from
the indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit who will empower you
he will empower you teach you how give
you guidance and direction to do what
I’ve called you to do now most people
don’t have any idea who the Holy Spirit
is you are as a follower of Jesus as a
believer of Christ you’ve trusted the
MPO salvation you are now already in 12
by the third person of the Trinity who
is the Holy Spirit when you and I choose
to disobey God we choose the sin against
the Holy Spirit who is within us and
whom God sent into our life to enable us
to become to be to do to accomplish
whatever he has in life so you you’re
never long your indwelt by God the Holy
Spirit who was there to enable you help
you encourage you strengthen you heal
you you name it he’s there because we
need a God in our life and he knew we
would then of course there is the sixth
month and that’s giving to God in to us
and in the sixth chapter of Luke which
is a very very familiar chapter you
remember what he says give and it should
be given to you good measure he says
listen they will pour into your lap a
good measure pressed down shaken
together running over for by your
standard of measure it will be measured
to you in return I’m not thinking about
giving to God my favorite example of
that is I was thinking about this last
night my first Sunday school teacher was
this naturally I was probably three or
four years old somewhere that balanced
because I started school at five which
was too early never caught up
and then but I wasn’t Sunday school
every Sunday and I remember all the
chairs with different colors green red
yellow blue and so forth and then the
Sunday school teacher was this I don’t
know have told she was but she looks
like she’s about ten they tell to me got
sitting down she had black hair sweet
wonderful lady and they came around to
take the offering and I remember my
mother will always give me a few pennies
to drop in oh yeah she would never let
me go without having something to give
so before I could count my mother taught
me to give to God so when I got my first
job which was a paper route I made four
dollars a week
well I was grateful to God I thought I
can’t get God change I gave him a dollar
or just one if I person I never thought
about that I just don’t know what did
God yet then after that I had to pay
friend I made sixteen dollars a week and
so I gave God more than tithe don’t let
and then all of my life I’ve never just
served never for the simple reason I
learned very early in life you cannot
outgive God and watch this secondly you
can’t even predict what you’re going to
need and if you can’t predict what
you’re gonna need how you gonna manage
all of it so we give to God and trust
him to do exactly what he promised to do
and so I give you this simple example
that many of you heard before because
it’s one that’s so impressed my life so
you have to ask you something question
is that you know be one of the habits in
your life and the vowel says that God
loves a cheerful Giver so if he loves a
cheerful Giver what about those who what
about those who are stingy who don’t
give God yeah I’ll tell you you know
I’ll tell you why God’s not pleased
forgives just what it says I can’t do
without him I’ll handle it
I can manage I don’t need God to manage
my money
think about how foolish that is your
money could burn up overnight the
situation can be that you’d lose it all
over
I have nothing but listen to skip it you
will never be in the situation where you
don’t have anything because you have God
living within you and everything you
need God has promised to provide an
awesome habit in their life then I would
give you the seventh a habit and that is
very important one and that is the habit
of forgiving other people and the
scripture one of them very clear
scriptures in Ephesians chapter 4 and
that we’ve all read it many times before
but it’s the truth and we read it again
and again and again and the scripture
says listen be angry yet do not sin do
not let the Sun go down on your anger do
not give the devil an opportunity very
very important passage and then he says
don’t greet in verse 30 don’t grieve the
Holy Spirit of God by whom you were
sealed that the day of redemption then
he says in verse 31 let all bitterness
and wrath and anger and clamor and
slander be put away from you along with
all malice be kind one to another
tender-hearted forgiving each other just
as God in Christ has also forgiven you
it’s not always easy no it’s difficult
sometimes to be forgiving to people who
have done certain things to you and I
think one of the worst situations is
when you’ve been betrayed when you have
trusted really trusted somebody then
your best to help them in lots of ways
and then they betray you they they do
what you would be the last thing you’d
think that they were doing your life and
yet we have to be forgiving now here are
seven habits listen carefully I could
have done this in a lot of different
ways but I wanted you to see every verse
and they get all seven habits down so
that every single person in here fully
understands
the seven habits about which you live a
gun in life a life that will be blessed
over and over and over again in many
many different ways but it’s a if it’s
the choice you make and I would suggest
that you make a choice right now we
gotta pray in a second
and in this pray I’m gonna pray that
you’ll be wise enough and say to God
Lord I want these seven habits in my
life and I will begin today working them
into my life it’s a working process into
your life will you would you live up to
all of them every day no but here’s what
you do you ask God to forgive you show
me why tripped up on that one Lord and I
just reaffirmed my desire to be
forgiving to others or whatever it might
be
Oh Lord I was too busy this morning I
got up and ran off forgive me for not
stuff in to meditate upon your word to
surrender my life to you yields myself
to you made a mistake god I don’t wanna
do that again
you don’t think God would correct you
yes he will he will correct you he’ll
give you enough trouble one morning
after you get up and ignore him that she
won’t forget it
listen you know what it’s because He
loves us thinking about there’s a whole
Bible full of truth but I believe those
seven habits absolutely will transform
your life and lead you to be able to
accomplish in life more than your heart
can ever desire now if you here this
morning and you’re not a Christian
you’re not saved you never trust the
Jesus as your Savior I understand this
is probably beyond you but let me say
this you’ll never understand
I’ll be able to enjoy a life at its best
until you surrender your life to Christ
because you can’t ever lose surrendering
to Jesus never you say what I have to do
you ask the Lord to forgive you of your
sin not because you deserve it but
because Jesus went to the cross
died on the cross shed his blood for you
paid your sin debt in full the Bible
says and therefore when you ask God to
forgive you because of what he has done
for you he paid your debt God forgives
you and makes you a child of God then
you begin the practice of these seven
habits what an awesome life you have
therefore you and I trust that you’ll do
it following love iane praise you and
thank you for the word of God from
Genesis 1:1 to the last verse of the
revelation and this morning we’re
praying that you’ll give us wisdom to
recognize there were these seven habits
everything else will fall in place then
we will open the door to the best of
your blessings and I pray for somebody
here today who is unsaved you’ve never
trusted you as their Savior that they
would be willing to ask you to forgive
them of their sins believe that Jesus
went to the cross and paid our sin debt
in full and by trusting his death at
Calvary the shedding of his blood that
confession and repentance brings forth
salvation and following salvation we
would develop these seven awesome life
transforming habits in our life and lord
I pray that for all of us today and that
somebody seated here who is not saved
would be willing to ask you to forgive
them and they cleanse their heart and
surrender their life to you right now
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and we thank you for it in Jesus name
Amen
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