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Topic: The God Habit
And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the
Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed Him.
Luke 22:39
Jesus did not have a habit of going to the Mount of Olives
because He liked mountain climbing. He went there to pray.
Notice that it was His habit to go there. You will find throughout Scripture that all of the great men and women of God had similar habits. They all knew the vital importance of spending time with God. The Bible says that Enoch habitually walked with God “and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). Here is a man who developed such an intimate relationship with God that the world could no longer hold him. Enoch had developed what I will reverently call the God habit.
Jesus was about to enter one of the most difficult times of His life on earth. The time for His suffering and death was near.
He knew that He needed strength and He knew where to get it. It was His habit, His automatic response not only in times of tribulation but at all times to spend time with His heavenly Father. If you are like I once was and only go to God when you have an emergency, then I can tell you that while He’s not mad at you, God is not pleased. How would you like it if your friends or children only came to see you or spoke to you when they needed your help? You wouldn’t like it at all, and God doesn’t like it either.
The God habit is the first one that I want to address, because without the habit of spending time with God in prayer and studying His Word, we will be unable to develop any other good habits, and bad habits will overtake us and rule our lives. Seeking and spending time with Him is our most vital need.
You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require my presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word] Psalm 27:8
God’s help and presence in our lives is vital. He is the Author of all true success and everything that is good, and without Him we can do nothing of true value. Are you taking time to ask for God’s help before you begin your day, make decisions, or undertake any endeavor? Develop the habit of acknowledging God in all your ways and then He will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:6).
We are usually accustomed to making our own decisions and trying in our own strength to make the things happen that we want to take place, but that is truly a bad habit that needs to be broken. The habit of acknowledging God in all your ways may be the first and most important habit that you should develop.
I have known a few people with extremely strong
willpower who have developed some good habits through discipline, but that does not mean they are truly successful.
I have a strong will and it has been a benefit to me, but I have learned that our willpower takes us only so far, and we all discover sooner or later that we need God.
