The Seven Habits of a Godly Life – Dr. Charles Stanley

Well, the title of this message is the

seven

habits

of a

godly

life

, you must learn each one of them, ask yourself if you are a

godly

person, so first of all I want to define a couple of things and, first of all, I want to define what It's a head and a habit is a recurring, often unconscious, pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition, that's what I have, it's something we do over and over again, the second definition is simply this, is it? what is a pious

life

? What is godly is a life that no longer seeks satisfaction through a sinful lifestyle, but is now surrendered to God and His will for your life.

What is a godly life? a life that no longer seeks 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 non-perfect sanctified life does not mean that you never sin, but it means that your life is completely surrendered to Him, so I want to give you

seven

habits

that every believer should have. do as part of his life and the first is this the habit, the first habit is a life of prayer and you remember one of my favorite passages very simple in the first chapter when the disciples never managed to master it. about this but the scripture says in chapter one of Mark verse 35 early in the morning while it was still dark Jesus got up left the house and went to a secluded place and was praying there Simon and his companions were looking for him and found him and he told him that everyone is looking for you and that's kind of typical of the way people operate at some point Jesus is doing the most important thing in life and they don't understand that and again, for example, in Luke chapter four and 42.

Verse When they came Jesus left and went to a secluded place and the crowds were looking for him and they came to him and tried to stop him from leaving them and he said to them: I must preach the gospel and so on now when we talk. about a life of prayer, we are not talking about once in a while, we are talking about that every day you feel the need, the desire, the joy and the amazing power that arises through praying, talking to the father, that is how it should be . a habit something that is recurring in your life not only when you get into trouble when you need it but because you love God because you are grateful for who he is and what he is doing in your life and for example I am 11 In the chapter of Luke, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him now: could you teach us to pray like him?

John the Baptist teaches his disciples to pray and then they saw something absolutely different about Jesus praying. It wasn't a ritual that people would normally do. We went through those days, but they could feel that he was speaking personally to Heavenly Father, so when I look at these verses and think about it, the truth is that you cannot live a godly life unless you have a prayer life. Can't you live in a world? We all live in a world of temptations, trials, heartaches, burdens and sin, and wherever you look there, you cannot live a godly life.

I didn't say a life with that innocence, but a pious life and we define what that means: you cannot live a pious life unless you have a good prayer life because the prayer life keeps you connected to Almighty God, sensitive to his will. , his purpose and his plan for your life. pray, you will not live a pious life and if you think about it, it is the most important activity of your life. I have been a Christian for 73 years and I started praying because my mother taught me how to pray and taught me how to do it.

It was important and it would remind me since my father died when I was nine months old, which I already told you, it was her and I and we didn't have much else but the two of us, she taught me to pray for trust. God should not worry or worry but just trust them and watch him work in their lives so that's what I've been doing all these years and the second thing when she prayed was that she wouldn't let me lie in bed. and pray that he would make me kneel beside him and pray for the greatest lesson my mother has probably ever taught me, and when I think about how powerful that is in every area of ​​life and I remember that later I had already finished college . and I was in seminary the second year and I remember that my place to pray was in the corner of the living room because we only had because I was married, so I only lived in a room in the kitchen and a bedroom, so I had to finance myself a place to pray, well my mother had made me African so that's where I'm going to strive, I'm going to Kona and I'll never forget it, one night I don't have an out of place exactly when I was praying. and this as God told me, whatever you achieve in life you will have to achieve it on your knees, you cannot trust your education, you cannot trust your abilities, talents and skills, whatever you achieve, you will have to achieve it in your own life . knees, that was a great message for me when I was young because what he was saying is that whatever I do in your life will be a result of what you are willing to do in the area of ​​submission to my will, giving me time and hearing how grateful I am for that simple lesson and if you're going to live a godly life you have to have a prayer life second, the second habit is trust or faith, whatever word suits you best and I love that. third song and the 19th US and the Bible says that the Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over all, so if you think about what that verse says if God Almighty has established his throne in the heavens and look at this.

His sovereignty, which is His all-knowing supernatural divine power, rules over all, so what does that do? That gives me an incredible basis to believe him knowing that he is in charge. It doesn't matter what happens, how it happens, through whom it happens. whatever the reason, I know God is in control and I can trust him, but everything 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. you are not going to pray and you have to ask yourself carefully where is where is the confidence in your own spiritual life trust in the Lord with all your heart do not rely on your own understanding and in all your ways recognize him and he will direct your path and guide you I quote that verse very often because it's a basic verse that someone says well, what happens when we don't get it right?

I think exactly what happens and if you turn to Psalm 37, because people who do not pray trusting in the Lord as they should this is what they do in this passage of Scripture warns us about it in Psalm 37 in verse 1 three times in these first nine verses he says don't worry about evildoers and he says do not worry about him who prospers in his way for the man who carries out evil plans and he says don't worry because it only leads to evil doing so they have a option and they can trust it. I'm worried about things now.

Be honest, how many of you worry about things? Why should they? We have all worried about things, so remember this, a godly life has gone beyond worry and into trust. In other words, you have a choice when you start worrying about something, if it's something, wait a minute. now who is in charge the Bible says that God by His sovereignty rules over everything therefore if he rules over everything why am I worrying I am worrying because at the moment I am not believing I am not trusting I am not believing that he I can handle this situation, so three times in that song he says don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, and when you don't trust what happens, it builds intimacy with him and intimacy means I have a relationship with him, I don't have to introduce myself.

For him an intimate relationship with a person means that you are close not only to their heart but to their way of thinking, the way they think, the way they feel An intimate relationship is what every husband and wife thought that I have every day of your life. intimate relationship with God is you and he spoke together, he listens to you, you listen to him, you obey him, he guides you, that is an incredible feeling of intimacy in a life that trusts God and if you want to know if you are a person who trusts or no, ask. ask yourself this question: what am I worried about if you can't look around? say I'm not worried about anything because you're trusting in it, anything you're worried about is God's long and wonderful thing of saying you're not trusting me in this area of ​​your life a godly life is a life of trust third third habit in this wonderful life is the habit of meditation on the Word of God now I don't know how you describe how important this is, but the Scriptures are there and I want to look at it just for a moment and the psalmist said in this chapter 63 in the sixth verse listen when I remember you in my bed I meditate on you in the watches of the night because you have been my help in the shadow of your wings I sing of joy my soul clings to you your right hand holds me so what does it mean to meditate does it mean that I read it means I think about it I search my heart in light of what God is saying I ask him whatever Questions are on my mind.

I surrender everything he brings to my mind and meditate on it. This is what meditation does. Meditation is like looking in 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 it your focus is on him and when you start focusing on God this is what happens the worries go away the worries go away your mind is no longer contaminated with all kinds of things that do you no good and and for example in the song 119 and the third verse 130 listen to what he says establish my steps in your word do not let any iniquity have dominion over me meditation keeps us fresh and alert and sensitive to what God wants to do in our life so ask yourself the question well Let's put it this way: do you have a moment in your life when it's just you and the Lord together and you've opened his word and you're reading the word and you're asking God to speak to your heart and let me ask you this question?

What do you think most people do for the last time before going to bed? What do they do and we're not talking about how you dress? What would most people do correctly when going to bed? They go crazy. Most people turn off the television. right before going to bed amen it's really they turn off the television so what do they do they take to bed with them all the bad news all the bad movies or all the things that went instead of with God that they fill their minds with what the world has to say listen if you meditate on the Word of God you don't know it getting restless and worrying you wake up in the middle of the night and ruminate over this and that and the other for the simple reason your minds are full of the things of the world Meditation is an absolutely essential part of living a pious life and where there is no meditation you are not going to live a pious life.

Can't you think when you wake up in the morning how much of the world is crowding your thoughts? getting dressed of course, eating breakfast and getting in your car and driving down the highway or somewhere and finally getting to work as soon as you do, it's chatta chatta chatta chatta chatta all day or keyboards flying all day in your mind is everything, then you have to get back in your car, get back on the highway and dodge traffic again all the way home and when you get there, you get naked inside, relax and then there's dinner.

I can fill your day and I don't even know you because that's what we do and then where is God? Where is God's private time with you? what leads to a godly life is the time spent alone with him longing for him meditating on him thinking about him and as I repeat the The last thing you should do before going to bed is not watching television, listening to this, listening, you can listen what these commentators say about the world, they don't agree, you can hear the voice of God and you did it right, that is the option you have, you don't have to carry the world with you to sleep every night, you carry your own of anyway and then there's a very important fourth habit and the one that 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 it makes it very clear in this chapter 27 in the verse tenth God speaking through Moses to his people this is what he said, he said, therefore you will obey the Lord. your God and do his commandments and his statutes that I command you today and then put down the torch after 28 verse 1 now you will hear this if you diligently know what that means to consistently and diligently obey the Lord your God taking care to do all his commandments that I I command you today the Lord your God will put this to you he has sent you far above all the nations of the earth he was talking about Israel but put yourself in that position when you and I obey God we listen well think about this we are walking in a higher level, think about how the world lives, they live with all kinds of bad thoughts and they are busy, busy, busy, there is no time for God, you have chosen to follow Jesus and the following means that you live in a higher level, it does not mean that Putting other people down simply means that you have chosen to live by a higher standard than the world's standard.

It doesn't mean we are better than others, but Italy meansthat our lifestyle is better than the lifestyle. in the world, so ask yourself now: am I in the habit of really praying and trusting and that is turning to the Word of God? And when I am considered an obedient child of God, I would ask you this question: what is in your life? the greatest threat to your obedience to God now stop there what is the greatest threat in your life?your obedience - God, what is that temptation, that test or whatever is happening that just threatens your desire?

Are you willing to do everything you think? Your ability to obey God and how many times you have said it and you have said it as well as I can in the wisest way. to live is to obey God so leave all the consequences and circumstances to God now I will do it only if I have a prayer life only if I trust only if I am meditating on him that is the only way I am going to do it so these are simple habits that make your life what God wants it to be and listen, think about this, there is nothing that can stop you from obeying and walking in these seven habits, nothing except the choice you make, you say you have to do it. you have to cheat you have to choose some things you have to choose to go with them oh my god you have this or make God walk this path I have the path of God and that's why I said seven habits because remember we said the habit is are occurring from an unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition something you don't do continually now every thing I've mentioned so far you can do the reason you don't do it is because you don't think it's important now look The reason we don't do absolutely sacred, godly, incredible, life-changing things is because we have decided to choose the way of the world and it doesn't matter who you are, how talented you are or how much money you have, how wise you think you are. are you.

How much education do you have? You cannot live a godly life, the best life without practicing these seven habits. Now what is the fifth. This earthly habit is dependence on the Holy Spirit. And someone says, well, what does that mean? It means I give up my life. Listen to the inner presence of the Holy Spirit and remember what Jesus said to his disciples: "Sit down, wait in Jerusalem until you are invested, that is, until the Holy Spirit comes into your life and when he does, you will be ready to do what that I have called you to do, so I have given you some scriptures here, some of them are familiar to you, maybe simple or not, but in Ephesians chapter 5 you remember what the scripture says in this particular passage and let's look at the verse. 18 the scriptures say don't get drunk on wine because that's dissipation of waste, but be filled with the spirit now if I took a quart jug and put it here and had it half full of water, you'd say it's only half full. . full would only be full when it is to the brim overflowing full when it says to be that, a Greek verb says to be full, which means it is something continuous in the morning when you two get up in the middle of your prayer before you if when you are meditating before you even get out of bed you should say Lord, I just want you to fill me with your spirit today, this is what that means, Jesus said to his disciples in Luke before you do what I told you to do, wait in the city ​​of Jerusalem until you are invested until the Holy Spirit has come upon you to enter well into you for the simple reason that you are not equipped to do what I have called you to do without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to empower you .

He will empower you, he will teach you how he will give you guidance and direction to do what I have called you to do. Now most people have no idea who the Holy Spirit is. You are as a follower of Jesus, as a believer of Christ. you have trusted in him for your salvation now you are rich because of the third person of the Trinity which is the holy spirit that is dwelling within you or why is it there listen to what Jesus said to his disciples he said sit in Jerusalem until' are you ready you are not ready you are not ready until the Holy Spirit comes upon you the truth is that you and I are not ready every day of our lives to live a life apart from the inner presence of the Holy Spirit who is the third person of the Trinity that listens who lives in each of us and if you do look at these verses Ephesians look at Ephesians chapter one in it you too after hearing the message of truth the gospel of your salvation having believed you were also sealed in Christ in him with the Spirit Saint of the promise that is one of his works that of the works of the Holy Spirit is this seal that is when you were saved you were sealed the Holy Spirit seals you as a child of God and the scriptures also say that you had that you are sealed that 4 chapter 30 verse you are sealed until the day of redemption which is your seal until the day God calls you home forever so that when you and I choose to disobey God we choose sin against the Holy Spirit who is within us and whom God sent to our life to allow us to become to do everything that He has in life so that you are never alone, you are a year and dwell by God the Holy Spirit who was there. to enable you, help you, encourage you, strengthen you, heal you, whatever, he is there because we need a God in our life and he knew we would, so what you have to ask is: do you depend on the Holy Spirit to help you do what God wants you to do or you, for example, they use the sense that you live in your life and it is the world against you or against you again and many people feel that, they feel that way much more Christian, but and they name all these .

In the things that are difficult in life, you have God living within you, ready to release in and through you what you need right now, have what God has in mind and listen, otherwise how can you live in peace? Peace is not something we evoke. Peace is the wonderful gift of God, so when you don't wake up in the morning, our first thoughts should be about him and that is why those habits are something that happens continuously and in the midst of what we would think early in the morning, We thank God. having the Holy Spirit to guide us and guide us and point us in the right direction and put it this way you're in the middle of doing whatever you're doing you get a phone call or some interruption and something you think about and you have a decision To do the first thing What you should think about is God, you have me, show me what to do, help me know, in this situation you will have the one who answers, the Holy Spirit living inside you, they give you a clear direction in your life, at any moment you need them . direction and also to empower you or give you the courage and faith to do what you need to do.

God does not leave us alone to live it, he gives us everything we need to do whatever he calls us to do at any moment. in our life at any time if we trust it if you see this is what I'm saying these are seven habits this becomes such an important part of your life that you don't even have to think about it they know it's just the way we you live is who you are, these are the habits of your life, your life changing habits, they are godly habits that allow you to live the kind of life you really want to live and then of course there is the sixth child and that is giving to God others and in the sixth chapter of Luke, which is a very, very familiar chapter, you remember what he says, give and you should be given a good measure, he says, listen, they will pour into your lap a good measure squeezed, shaken and overflowing. your standard of measurement will be measured to you in return.

I'm not thinking about giving God my favorite example of that. I was thinking about this last night. My first Sunday school teacher was this, naturally. He was probably three or four years old. somewhere so balanced because I started school at five, which was too early, no one caught up with me and then, but I went to Sunday school every Sunday and I remember all the chairs with different colors, green, red, yellow, blue , etc., and then Sunday school. The teacher was this, I don't know how they told her, but to me she looks like she was about ten feet tall, she sat down, she had black hair, a sweet, wonderful lady, and they came to take the offering and I remember my mother always gave. a few cents to donate, 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 , earned four dollars a day. week well I was grateful to God I thought I couldn't get God to change me I gave him a dollar but just when a person I never thought about it I just don't know what God did so after that I had to pay him , friend.

I made sixteen dollars a week and that's why I gave God more than the tithe, don't let it be, and all my life I have never served for the simple reason that I learned very early in life, you can't beat God and look This secondly, you can do it. You don't even predict what you're going to need and if you can't predict what you're going to need, how you're going to handle it all, then we give to God and we trust that He will do exactly what we promise and that's why I give. I present to you this simple example that many of you have heard before because it is one that really impressed me.

My life under the helmet of the Lord of reach. I finished high school. I want to go to the university. I have no money. I had 75 dollars to my name and I told my friend. night standing on a street corner I felt like God was calling me to preach now I needed to go to school I had no money and then we were standing there talking and by the sovereign power of Almighty God the pastor of the church came walking this is why At night we were standing on a corner so those days we didn't have television so you would stand on a corner and talk and then he said we would miss a Maquis.

He was thinking I will do it. Wait a minute, Charles said, he thinks God is calling the priest, he wants to go to school, but he doesn't have any money, you think you can help him, so he told me, he said, well, Joe, come see me and let's go. I speak when but I see it in a couple of weeks I sat down I told my heart what God was doing and in a few short weeks I received a letter giving me a four year scholarship with all my expenses paid to go to university now that it has started that didn't start with my four dollars on the paper route that started when my mother taught me to give to God so I never questioned the matter given to God when you obey God that becomes a habit of your life you will never be in need beyond what God is using that need to do something in your life, then you have to do something to yourself.

The question is that youth will be one of the habits in your life and the vowel says that God loves the cheerful Giver, so if he loves the cheerful Giver what about those who are stingy who do not give? God God tells you you know I'll tell you why God is not pleased just forget what he says I can't deal without him I'll take care of that I can handle I don't need God to manage my money think about how stupid that is your money could burn up overnight the situation may be that you would lose everything overnight you have nothing else to listen to to skip it you will never be In the situation where you have nothing because you have God living within you and everything what you need, God has promised to provide it for you and have it in your life, then I would give you the seventh habit, and that is very important.

It's the habit of forgiving other people and the scripture is one of the very clear scriptures in Ephesians chapter 4 and we've all read it many times before, but it's the truth and we read it over and over again and the scripture says listen. angry yet do not sin do not let the sun go down on your anger do not give the devil a chance very very important passage and then it says do not greet in verse 30 do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed that on the day of redemption then he says in verse 31 let all bitterness and wrath and wrath and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice be kind to one another, merciful, forgiving one another just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.

It's not always easy no, sometimes it's difficult to forgive people who have done certain things to you and I think one of the worst situations is when they have betrayed you when you have really trusted someone who did everything possible to help them. in many ways and then they betray you, they do what would be the last thing you would think they were doing in your life and yet we have to forgive and think of Judas of all the people who ever lived and who had a great opportunity who wasted was a traitor to the Son of God betrayed him lived as if he were one of them lived as if he were a true genuine disciple and betrayed the son of God the betrayals are still out there and yet we I have to be willing to forgive and trust You must take care of that no matter what happens, so if I love the Lord I will forgive no matter what happens.

Now here are 7 habits, listen carefully. I could have done this many different ways, but I want you to look at each verse and mention the seven habits so that each person here fully understands the seven habits that you live as a weapon in life, a life that will be blessed over and over.again and again in many, many different ones. ways, but it's a choice you make and I suggest you make a choice right now. We're going to pray in a second and in this prayer I'm going to pray that you would be wise enough to say to God, Lord, I.

I want these seven habits in my life and I will start incorporating them into my life today. It is a work process in your life. Will you allow yourself to live them every day? No, but this is what you should do. You ask God to forgive you. Samples. Why did I stumble upon that Lord and I just reaffirm my desire to forgive others or whatever Lord, I was too busy this morning I got up and ran, forgive me for not stopping to meditate on your word to give my life to you I give myself to you I made a mistake God I don't want to do that again Don't you think God would correct you Yes he will He will correct you He will give you enough trouble one morning after you get up and ignore him She won't forget Listen you know what It is because He loves us thinking that there is aThe entire Bible is full of truth, but I believe that those seven habits will absolutely transform your life and lead you to be able to achieve more in life than your heart could desire now.

If you are here this morning, you are not a Christian, you are not saved. you never trust Jesus as your Savior. I understand this is probably beyond you, but let me tell you this, you will never understand. I will be able to enjoy life to its fullest until you give your life to Christ because you can never lose. surrender to Jesus you never say what I have to do you ask the Lord to forgive you your sin not because you deserve it but because Jesus went to the cross died on the cross he shed his blood for you you paid your sin debt in full the Bible says and therefore when you ask God to forgive you for what he has done for you, paid your debt, God forgives you and makes you a child of God, then you begin the practice of these seven habits, what a wonderful life you have before you. you and I trust that you will do so following love, I praise you and thank you for the word of God from Genesis 1:1 to the last verse of Malaysia and this morning we are praying that you would give us wisdom to recognize there.

If these seven habits and everything else fit, then we will open the door to the best of your blessings and I pray for someone here today who is unsaved and who has never trusted you as their Savior and who would be willing to ask you to do so. forgiving them their sins believing that Jesus went to the cross and paid our sin debt in full and by trusting in his death on Calvary, the shedding of his blood, that confession and repentance bring salvation and, after salvation, we would develop these seven wonderful life-transforming habits. in our life and Lord I pray that for all of us today and that someone sitting here who is not saved is willing to ask you to forgive him and cleanse his heart and give his life to you right now and we thank you for that.

In the name of Jesus, amen