How the Average Man can Master Key Habits

I have a friend who served as a Marine. One of his requirements was to disassemble, clean, and reassemble his weapon in the dark. I have another friend who served as a Captain in the 101st Airborne. In his training, he was flipped upside down in a submerged tank and told to find his way out blindfolded. Our military routinely trains for life and death scenarios, until the training becomes a life-saving habit.

The Bible warns us that

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood…but against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

Yet, most of the men I know haven’t really trained spiritually like my military friends. Although our spiritual struggle is also a matter of life and death, we tend to be pretty nonchalant in our spiritual preparations.

Here are three habits that will help you stand against the temptations you regularly face and prepare for a crisis in your future.
1-Daily Bible Reading: Your time in the Word is the means through which God speaks to you. In an information saturated society, filled with instant news, advertising appeals, and non-stop opportunities with social media, daily Bible reading refocuses our priorities. Just this morning I was reminded of a task I should do, while reading, of all things, the book of Leviticus.

2-Daily Prayer: Jesus prayed early (Mark 1:35), prayed late (Luke 6:12), and prayed even when didn’t get the answer he desired (Mark 14:36). He challenged us to pray for our daily bread (Mat. 11:4), as if to assume we would never go more than 24 hours without praying.

3-Scripture Retrieval: The ability to pull out a memorized portion of Scripture is essential to hold off temptation. Don Whitney writes,

Imagine yourself struggling with a difficult temptation and needing victory. The Holy Spirit rushes to your mental arsenal, flings open the door, but all he finds is John 3:16 or Genesis 1:1. Those are great swords, but they’re not made for every battle.

These three elements are essential for our spiritual growth, and the average man can do them. However, they must be done consistently to become a life-saving and life-giving habit. Do you have a plan in place to master these essential habits? Do you have the kind of relationships that will provide the accountability necessary to develop them?

To master these key habits for your spiritual life visit 4MTraining.com.