A Prayer to Build Meaningful Habits in Your Life - Your Daily Prayer - January 3
A Prayer to Build Meaningful Habits in Your Life
By Amanda Idleman
Bible Reading:
“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.” - 1 Corinthians 6:12
Listen or Read Below:
Our habits form our character. Whatever we practice doing over time shapes who we become. If we are continually unmotivated, lazy, and unengaged, that will lead to those traits defining who we are seen as. If you want to be a person of diligence, then you have to thoughtfully order the patterns of your life. We must invite God’s spirit into our days so we can have the wisdom and strength we need to follow God’s way more faithfully. Paul explains that with Christ, we are free to make choices about how we want to live our lives, but there are some choices that lead to better outcomes than others. When we make choices that are guided by the fruits of the spirit, we see good things grow out of our actions.
Galatians 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” These are the traits we should aspire to develop through meaningful habits in our lives.
As we evaluate what needs to be changed in our daily lives, let's consider if that practice can be used to glorify God. All we do should be for his glory! There are some things that go against who God is and what he considers righteous and holy. Those are the habits we need to break and activities that we must guard against in our lives. As we evaluate the rhythms we cultivate in our days, let’s think about how we can make incremental changes that will develop better character in us.
Do we want to be better stewards of our bodies? What steps can we take to sow into our health? Can we change how we eat? How we move our bodies? Can we reduce the stress we are feeling? Do we want to improve our attitude? Can we find more things to be thankful for in the day? Are there things that trigger our frustration we can try to avoid? What prayers can help us find more peace and joy as we walk through our day?
Are there temptations we want to avoid? Can we put people in our lives who will keep us accountable for our actions? What actions do I need to take to avoid sin that is destructive to my life and future? Would a counselor or mentor help me work through this issue? Who do I need to be honest with as it pertains to this issue?
Whatever we want to build in our lives happens only through an intentional decision to follow Christ. To die to ourselves and surrender our way for his way. We have to ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to work within us to show us his ways and teach us his path. Change begins with a humble and repentant heart. Bring that to Jesus, and he will help guide you towards change so you can live with more freedom here in the land of the living.
Let’s Pray:
Father, show me your ways and teach me your paths. Guide me towards your truth and wisdom. Empower me to identify the things in my life that I need to change so I am growing in godly character and righteousness. Give me the tools I need to change, the people I need to remain faithful, and the courage I need to try something new. Help me to die to myself and surrender all I have to your way. I trust you with my whole heart and am asking you to guide my path. Help me build habits that honor you and enrich my life. Amen.
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Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer, where you can sign up to receive it every evening in your inbox. We are also offering it in podcast form at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on God.
Listen to the Your Nightly Prayer Podcast
