Welcome Church,
Today, together, we begin this week of fasting and prayer, which will help us break bad habits and, with faith, acquire new ones. Yesterday, Sunday, we learned about habits and how they can affect our daily lives, both for better or worse. If you didn’t hear the message, you can access it on the church’s sermon by clicking here so you can gain a greater understanding of the topic and get the most out of this week of fasting and prayer.
The fact that you’ve decided to be here reading this introduction today is your first step of faith toward freedom from bad habits. However, we will need to take more steps together, and with God’s help, we will become more than conquerors and be free from these bad habits.
Each day during this week, you should read the devotionals. If you’ve committed to fasting, stick with it—we’re counting on you. And most importantly, pray. Set aside special time to pray and bring any bad habit before the throne of God. Remember, nothing is impossible for Him!
Each devotional will provide you with a prayer and some advice. Don’t limit yourself to these; make your own prayers and ask God for personal strategies that apply to your life.
These devotionals only cover some of the bad habits we can fall into. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any habits that may be present in your life.
We will be spiritually united this week, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will identify bad habits and cry out to God while fasting. We know that spiritual chains that have been binding us will be broken in the name of Jesus!
Don’t take this time lightly. Commit yourself and do your part, and we are confident that God will do His part.
Together, with God, we are stronger!
We love you,
Pastors Nathan and Lindsay
Bad financial habits can be numerous, and perhaps they’re some of the least bothersome to us because, after all, it's my money, and I can do whatever I want with it.
The Bible has a lot to say about finances and money management, but first, let’s look at who the money belongs to.
Psalm 24:1 (NIV)
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (NIV)
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
The first thing we can see is that everything belongs to God, and He is the one who gives us the strength and ability to produce what we have. Therefore, we must be good stewards of what God has given us.
Now, I want to show you a list of some bad financial habits:
Just because you can buy something doesn’t mean you need it, and just because something satisfies you doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
These habits not only harm your health but also hinder your financial progress.
We shouldn’t want to change our ways just because they are shameful, expensive, unhealthy, or make us feel guilty—we should desire God’s greater purpose so we can be truly satisfied.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
God's Word is clear: He is the only one who can provide all that we need. Beyond what you think you need, He is your Creator and knows you better than you know yourself.
Let me give you a few strategies to overcome bad financial habits (and others as well).
First, remember that sin starts in the mind. James 1:14-15 compares a person falling into sin to a fish or animal caught with bait. They see the bait, desire it, and are caught in the process of taking it. Similarly, sins trap us in our minds.
This is why Scripture commands us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2), to think on good things (Philippians 4:8), and to meditate on the Word (Psalm 1:2).
Breaking a habit also requires a lifestyle change. We should not make provisions for our flesh (Romans 13:14). Avoid the company of those who have the same problem (1 Corinthians15:33) and avoid places and circumstances that will tempt you.
God can set you free!
Lord, I thank You for this devotional and for the answers Your Word gives me. You know this isn’t easy for me; I need Your help. I want to break free from bad financial habits and all the consequences they bring. Help me, Lord, to renew my mind, to fill it with You and Your Word. Help me take my focus and thoughts away from the things of this world that satisfy me and instead find fulfillment in You, Your presence, and Your promises. Help me replace my bad habits with good ones. I cry out to You in the name of Jesus. Amen.
We all need a certain degree of approval, but like everything, excess is harmful.
You may realize you have the bad habit of seeking approval when you're constantly waiting for validation for both what you say and what you do.
How many things do we do just for the approval of others!
This bad habit stems from relying on what the world will say. As a result, you no longer do what you feel or what God is calling you to do. Instead, your reactions and decisions are shaped to conform to the world, leading to a pattern of adapting to the world and its demands.
When you act this way, what begins as seeking small acceptance ends up taking control over every decision in your life.
For example, spending money unnecessarily, moving homes, getting a better car because your neighbor bought one and you can’t be left behind, buying trendy clothes, deciding where to vacation, what to study, which school to send your kids to, and even whom to marry.
Perhaps even surrounding yourself with toxic people because they're the group that will help you get others’ approval and make you look better on social media.
When you start setting your standards according to the world’s measures, it’s never just one thing. This decision turns into a destructive habit that leads you to conform your thoughts to the world, and this will make you base your decisions on its opinion. This takes you far from God's will and out of His perfect plan.
The strategy to overcome this is to ask yourself the following: Who am I trying to please, God or the world?
John 12:43 (NLT)
For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive His approval.
We must seek God's approval, not man's!
When you seek God's approval, you please Him, and there is a blessing in that. In contrast, when you seek the world’s approval, there’s no limit to the damage caused by the consequences.
This bad habit of relying on the world’s opinion can lead you to destruction, and it can also affect your children if you have them. Constant dependence on the world’s opinion can lead you to connect with people who not only pull you away from God but also sow discord in your life, affecting those closest to you.
Some reasons for the bad habit of seeking approval are:
Whatever the cause, be sure it doesn’t come from God. He loves you and chose you just as you are and is ready to help you find satisfaction in pleasing Him.
2 Corinthians 1:12 (NIV)
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
True satisfaction comes from God's approval, not from the world’s!
Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
Let’s seek to please Him and present ourselves before Him as we are, because people look at outward appearances, but God sees the heart.
Lord, I want to please You and know that I am approved by You. Help me refocus, change my perspective, and rid myself of this need for human approval. I know You have overcome this world, and You will help me overcome it too. I thank You because I know that in You, I have the victory.
James 1:19-20 (NIV)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
This verse gives us a sufficient reason to get rid of the bad habit of anger. “Anger does not produce the life that God desires!”
People who are easily angered never take into account James' advice: "Everyone should be quick to listen." When I listen, I can then meditate on what God wants, and afterward, talk and resolve.
The tendency to make a big issue out of even the smallest things is what leads you to live with the bad habit of being a person prone to strife, anger, and recklessness.
The bad habit of anger is usually accompanied by shouting, distrust, insults, and rage. This comes from the tendency to focus on your pain, your feelings, your sense of justice, and thus take on the role of the victim.
This bad habit of anger generally has a victim mentality where the person can only focus on the fault and never on the solution.
It is scientifically proven that anger can have negative effects on physical and mental health, and can increase the risk of illness.
If you are a person who has become accustomed to anger, take the steps that the Word teaches so you can be free.
And here, the book of Ephesians gives us other advice.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Replace anger and everything that comes with it with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, just as God, out of love, did for us.
Lord, I understand the negative implications of anger; I don’t want to live like this anymore. Fill me with Your love so that I can experience Your peace and joy.
Help me be slow to speak, to take time to reflect, and to make decisions that please You. Help me replace anger and rage with Your love and compassion.
I want to focus on You and not on what satisfies me. Thank You because I know this prayer is the beginning of my freedom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ask yourself these questions as a form of self-evaluation:
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, it’s very likely that negative thinking has
become a habit in your life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it...
Many people have a tendency to think negatively or, as it’s often said, to be "suspicious." When this becomes a habit, it affects us in a harmful way.
There can be hundreds of reasons to think positively or negatively, but in the end, our thoughts are a choice. This means that we can always choose to see the glass as half full or half empty.
We can decide whether to think positively or negatively!
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
If God has given us self-discipline, then we have the ability to control our thoughts. God's Word gives us the tools to overcome this bad habit.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God has good thoughts about us!
Do you know why God thinks well of us, even though we are sinners? Because He sees us through the sacrifice of Jesus, through His love for us.
We can do the same! We can choose to think positively out of love—because of Jesus' love in us and because He has given us self-discipline. Glory to God!
Look at the advice the Word gives us to break this bad habit of negative thinking:
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Replace negative thoughts with positive ones, based on God's promises.
God will give you the victory!
Lord, I want to stop thinking negatively; without realizing it, it has become a habit. I don’t want to be a negative person. Today, I choose to replace negative thoughts with Your love and Your promises. Help me see through Your lens—the lens of love, the one You use to have good thoughts about us even when we are sinners. I know You give me the victory, and that’s why I thank You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Have you ever heard the saying, "One thing leads to another"? This is connected to today’s topic. If I see or hear something bad, it's likely that I will end up speaking something bad. And when I constantly speak negatively, I start to see and think negatively about everything.
Do you see how these areas are connected? I think we can define it like this: Be careful what you allow in, because that’s what will come
out! When we don't guard what we allow into our lives, it often leads to gossip, slander, rumors, uncontrolled speech, and even curses.
Let’s see what the Word of God has to say about this.
James 3:1-10 (NIV)
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an
example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
Matthew 5:29 (NIV)
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to
lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Consider what just one look caused for King David and how it affected others (2 Samuel 11).
Deuteronomy 12:28 (NKJV)
Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
Proverbs 22:17-18 (NIV)
Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.
Be careful what you let into your life!
You must guard your mind and heart (Proverbs 4:23).
Mark 7:21-23 (NIV)
For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.
None of these things please God. They may have started with a simple look at something wrong or something we said or heard, but then they turned into a habit. Consciously or unconsciously, we are trapped by this habit.
Now is the time to break free from this habit, and God wants to help you!
James 4:8 (NIV)
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The key is to draw near to God, and He will purify your heart.
Lord, I come close to You right now, draw close to me. I no longer want to be double-minded. With Your help, I want to guard what comes into my life, whether it's what I hear or see, knowing it will affect what I say. I choose to change, I am ready to do my part, but I know I will need Your help. I cry out for Your Holy Spirit to guide and direct me in this specific area. Thank You, Lord, because I know the change has begun, and I will become more like You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Commitments can be tedious, especially when we take on more than we can handle. However, commitments give us structure, order, and help us achieve our goals.
1 Corinthians 14:33 (NIV)
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
The first thing we need to understand is that God is a God of order, and commitments help us maintain that order.
There are several scriptures in the Bible that talk about the Christian's commitment in different areas of life:
Ephesians 6:5 (NIV)
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Romans 13:1 (NIV)
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
We are also taught about commitments to our family, our bodies, our neighbors, and even ineverything we do and say.
But the Bible also teaches that the primary commitment in our lives is to God Himself.
Jesus said:
Matthew 22:37-38
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
It’s difficult to commit to God, whom you can’t see, if you can't commit to the daily things you can see.
People who have the bad habit of avoiding commitments never find stability in their lives. They are always dissatisfied and rarely grow in other areas to reach a healthy life structure that would lead them to fulfill God’s plan for their lives.
Commitment is important because it is tied to discipline and loyalty to God, others, and oneself. This will lead to blessings from our Lord.
Some symptoms of the bad habit of lacking commitment may be:
If you identify with some of these descriptions, then it’s time to change!
Let’s commit to the small things that God has placed within our reach in daily life. If we are faithful in the little, God will put us in charge of much.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NIV)
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Lord, I want to break this bad habit of avoiding commitments, of putting things off, of procrastinating. Help me to commit to small things so that, little by little, I can become more responsible and take on more commitments. I don’t want to be known for this bad habit; I want to be known as a trustworthy person who can follow through. First, I decide today to commit to You, to do my part, to listen to Your voice, and to take on the things I know I should be doing but have been avoiding. I ask for Your forgiveness and strength, as I want to change. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
