#MeditationMonday – Out of the abundance of a man’s heart, his mouth speaks.

Beloved, I give thanks to God for the breath of life in you this wonderful day! May the mercies of the Lord accompany you through every trial you encounter this week. Today’s #MeditationMonday verse is Luke 5:16.

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

— Luke 5:16 (NASB)

When something is a habit, no law can prevent you from doing that thing. Let’s illustrate with the passage below:

The Book Of Daniel; Chapter 6, Verses 7-10

All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. “Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.

We all know what happened to Daniel afterwards, he was thrown into the Lion’s den but the Lord shut the mouths of the Lions so they did not harm him. Note that the passage said “as he had been doing previously”. Daniel prayed three times a day, everyday. It was his habit and no law could stop him from doing this. Surely he knew how dangerous the consequences would be and he definitely didn’t want to be caught but he just could not let go of this habit.

And neither could Jesus Christ. Jesus was always sneaking off to pray, to communicate with His father! Prayer is an important habit that many of us need to cultivate. We are approaching a time where the world is rejecting our faith and we will need courage to be able to remain steadfast in prayer. It is so important that we make prayer our habit. We can start doing this by making sure we pray for 7 minutes everyday. For example, at 12noon, just decide to pray for 7 minutes from 12:00 – 12:07 everyday and you will see how it will change your life!

Many of those who are addicted to drugs or other things have no concern for the fact that their habits are illegal. Habits are greater than the law put in place to deter people from doing these things. Isn’t it amazing how many people keep doing drugs or gambling knowing fully well the implications? When something is a habit, you have no choice but to obey once the urge comes upon you, this is particularly the case with things like watching porn or masturbation or any sexual habit. This is why it is deadly to have habits that feed the flesh but not the spirit.

Many people who are unable to fast and pray often have a habit that is keeping/preventing them from doing so. Time that ought to be used to feed the spirit is being used to feed the flesh. Suddenly, those activities become ingrained into their systems and they can no longer control themselves from it.

Praise God that bad habits can be broken, not through the law because laws have no power over habits but through Christ Jesus who is exalted and given a name higher than any other name.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

— Philippians 2:9-10 (NASB)

Bad habits will bow at the name of Jesus. Meditate on this today, what habits do you have that keep you from prayer? or that keep you from serving and obeying the will of God in general. Come against those habits today in the name of Jesus.

Remember “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. — I Corinthians 6:12 (ESV). Some things are not a sin, (like gaming or watching TV) but we must not be so enslaved by them that we ignore the Kingdom of God, we must not be enslaved by the flesh at all.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

— Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)

Scripture says there is no law against the fruits of the Spirit. Let’s cultivate habits that reflect the fruits of the Spirit, so that nothing can stop us from conforming to the wonderful image of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Grace & Peace!