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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