Habitual

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

Good habits - bad habits. How many things a day do we do out of habit? The so-called experts will tell you it only takes 21 days to form a habit... "Do this for 21 days and you will (fill in the blank)." I can't say that I've found that to be true.

What IS true, though, is that the things we do out of habit, we do without really thinking about them. We do them by rote, mechanically, and usually while multi-tasking. We're not fully engaged to the exclusion of everything else.

Today, as I was reading, I found myself thinking about other things or other people. I was supposed to be focused on the Lord. And the question rose in my spirit, How much of what I do is habitual and how much is intentional?  Oh, I got up with the intention of spending a full hour undivided before the Lord, but I slipped easily into the morning habitual rituals.

In Mark 12:30 (NKJV), Jesus says, And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment.

SHALL love...with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind, ALL your strength. You can't do that out of habit. It has to be intentional.

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us, O God, for habitual sinning. Cause every word, every deed, every thought to be 100% intentional. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen