5 habits you can’t

live without

Discover what they are and learn how to personally apply them to your life

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

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…Walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

—GALATIANS 5:16

6 THE GOD HABIT

12 THE HABIT OF BEING DECISIVE

20 HEALTHy HABITs

28 THE HAPPY HABIT

36 THE HABIT OF FAITH

5 HABITS

can’tLive Without

you

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We all have habits—things we do without really thinking about them. I read once that some experts believe as much as 40 percent of what we do is based on our habits. When you think about that, it’s amazing to consider that so much of our day-to-day activity is done simply because we’re so used to doing it out of routine.There are all kinds of habits: emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, social, financial…good habits and bad ones. One bad habit I used to have was rooted in a negative mindset, which I had developed because of the abuse I experienced growing up. My attitude was “If I don’t expect anything good to happen, then I won’t be disap-pointed when it doesn’t!” Living this way made me miserable most of the time. But as I studied God’s Word and became closer to Him, I learned how to renew my mind to think the way God thinks—and it

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totally transformed my attitude and expectations. I’m still growing in this area, but it’s exciting to know that through God’s love and grace, I can keep developing more good habits that I need.

People usually focus on getting rid of bad habits. But I’ve discovered if we focus on creating good ones, then there won’t be room for the bad ones. That’s what this booklet is all about—developing good habits to help you be everything God created you to be and do what He has planned for you to do.

The five habits I want to share with you in this booklet are some of the most important ones we all need to have, especially the God habit. I believe that as you learn about them and begin to put them into practice, you’ll be encouraged and energized in every area of your life.

God loves you and has amazing plans for your life. Making good hab-its is vitally important to your daily walk with Him and your ability to reach your goals and fulfill your purpose. It’s the key to actually living in God’s best for you!

Love,

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HABITgod

The

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You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].

—PSALM 27:8

The greatest discovery we can make is that we need God and we are no good without Him. It took me awhile to really get this. And my life was very frustrating when I thought it was good enough to just work God into my schedule, rather than making my time with Him my number one priority. Thankfully, He finally got through to me and I’ve learned how to work my schedule around God, because as Psalm 27:8 says, He is my “vital need!”

What is the God Habit?This is the most important habit we all need because it’s all about making a personal relationship with God our number one priority. If you spend regular, quality time with God through prayer and Bible study, it will bring changes in your life that naturally cause you to get rid of a majority of your bad habits.

Why is it so important?Romans 8:5 says, “For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit. “

This verse is basically saying that our thoughts precede our actions, so we need to set our minds on things that will help us do what we need to do. In other words, where the mind goes, the man follows. So we can’t get rid of a bad habit as long as we keep thinking about

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it. We need to focus on the good things we should do and spending time with God is key to renewing our mind (Romans 12:2).

How do I do it?Your mind is a phenomenal gift from God. He’s given you the ability to set your mind and keep it set “on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). With God’s help, you really can do just about anything you make up your mind to do.

For example, thoughts like… • “I just can’t exercise,” • “I’ll never lose this weight,” • “I don’t know how I’ll ever get out of debt,” • and “I want to spend time with God but I don’t have the time” are only going to hold you back from making the changes you need to make.

You have to make your mind up that you will exercise, eat right, manage your finances wisely, spend time with God every day, or whatever it is you need to do. Then you need to be determined to keep it set.

This is what 2 Corinthians 10:5 is talking about when it says we “refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ.”

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“God, my relationship with You is the most important thing in my life. I want my time with You to be my top priority each day because I know You are the Source of everything I need—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I want to be so full of Your Word that the power it contains renews my mind and the truth it teaches guides my thoughts and words. Thank You for loving me and helping me learn the truth in Your Word.”

Think about what you need to do to develop the God habit in your daily life. Do you need to make a change in your schedule or cut something out? What time of day works best for you to meet with Him one-on-one to pray and study the Bible? How much time can you plan for this? Whatever you can do—whether you have 15 minutes or an hour—just get started. And if you don’t make it every single day, that’s ok. Do the best you can, and as you keep at it, you’ll eventually get into the habit.

Write your plan below:

When:

Where:

What I’ll study in the Bible:

For more help with planning and pursuing your Bible study time, visit joycemeyer.org/biblestudy.

Your response…

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More notes…

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Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

—ROMANS 12:2 NLT

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THE HABITDECISIVE

of Being

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If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

—JAMES 1 :5 NIV

Are you decisive?Decisions, decisions! For some people, making them is difficult. How about you? Do you have a hard time making decisions? Some people make them too quickly, some too slowly, and some don’t make them at all. For those who struggle with making decisions, it can be tor-menting. Because if you don’t choose what you will do, someone or something else will usually do it for you.

The truth is, many times it’s better to make a decision even if it’s not the right one, rather than doing nothing. Because if you refuse to decide, you’ll never know what’s right or wrong. Sometimes the best way to find out what is right is by trial and error.

This doesn’t mean we should make foolish decisions or react too quickly without giving thought to the matter. But after you’ve prayed, thought it through and considered your options, you need to choose. We need to refuse to live in fear of doing the wrong thing or we’ll end up doing nothing!

Reasons for IndecisionThere are multiple reasons why people are indecisive. A few com-mon ones include:

• Overprotective parents who didn’t allow their children to make their own decisions.• Insecurity that causes people to be fearful about their ability to succeed or do the right thing.

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• Being a people-pleaser who needs the approval and acceptance of others too much.• The fear of simply being wrong.• Resistance to take responsibility for their choices and follow through with effort, determination and persistence they will require.

Whatever the reason may be, a bad habit that causes indecision can be eliminated by forming a good one to counteract it. With God’s help, you can be more decisive, and the more practice you get, the better you will be at doing it.

Decide to Follow ThroughAfter you make a decision, it’s important to follow through with it or you won’t accomplish anything. Sometimes people would rather put off making the sacrifice, effort, pain, discomfort or whatever is required to do what they need to do.

Think of how much better life would be if you simply decided to do what you need to do when you need to do it. There is more stabili-ty, peace, joy and contentment in life when we set our minds, keep them set and actively do the right thing throughout the day.

James 1:8 says “a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irreso-lute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].” Procrastination and passivity will keep you from using your will to make decisions, and consequently, oth-ers will make them for you.

Don’t settle for an indecisive, unstable life. Seek God for the wisdom and strength to make your own decisions according to His will for you. The Holy Spirit will lead you when your heart is focused on pleasing God, not people.

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Your response…

“Help me, Lord, to be sensitive to Your still, small voice speaking to my heart as I pray and spend time in Your Word. I want to have Your wisdom to make decisions, whether they are big or small. I want to please You more than anyone else. Thank You for the grace to know what to do and to follow through when I need to do it.”

Are there specific areas of your life that you have difficulty manag-ing because you aren’t decisive? List the issues or situations that you’re currently struggling with.

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Your response…

Think about your typical approach to making decisions. Do any of the reasons for indecision previously listed apply to your situation? If so, ask God to show you how to focus on a behavior that will counteract it and write down your plan to begin developing that good habit.

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More notes…

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

—PROVERBS 3:5-6 NIV

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HABITSHEALTHY

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You were bought with a price [purchased with a precious-ness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

—1 CORINTHIANS 6:20 emphasis added

How healthy are you?Are you taking good care of yourself? It’s easy to be so busy that you don’t feel you have the time to develop or maintain healthy habits. Or maybe you lack the will and desire to use more discipline and self-control to do what you need to do.

It’s so important for each of us to be proactive with our physical health. Because the truth is if you’re not taking care of your body, you’re probably doing things that aren’t helping it.

Yes, you’re worth it!Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV) says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

God created you and He loves you! You are valuable to Him, and He has a purpose and a plan for your life. As you age, you need to be strong, energetic and able to do everything God has planned for you. The best thing you can do is use godly wisdom to take good care of yourself now so you will feel good later on and be able to fulfill your God-given destiny.

HABITS

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Simple, practical changes will make all the difference.I know this is true from personal experience. For many years I worked too much, didn’t rest enough, didn’t exercise regularly, and as a result I didn’t feel good most of the time. But I eventually be-came sick and tired of being sick and tired and asked God to help me do something about it.

At the end of 2006, I began working with a personal trainer and changed my eating habits significantly. It wasn’t easy and the changes I wanted to see didn’t happen overnight. But by consistently being committed to the healthy habits I learned, I’ve made exciting progress and can honestly say I feel better and have more energy now in my 70s than I did years ago!

Ideas to help you get started.Dr. Don Colbert has a list of 7 Pillars of Health* that can help you get started with setting simple, practical goals for the healthy habits you want to establish. They are…

1. DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Experts recommend that each person drink half of their body weight in water daily. Water is the only thing that properly cleanses our bodies of toxins, and drinking plenty of it can improve your metabolism and help people who are overweight to lose weight.

2. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP AND REST. Strive to get 7-8 hours of restful sleep every night. When you’re sleeping, your body goes into a state of renewal and repair, refreshing you mentally, emotionally and physically for the next day.

3. EAT QUALITY FOOD. “Quality” here means “living food”—things that grow naturally on the earth, like fruits and vegetables. These types of food provide the vital nutrients we all need for strong, healthy bodies.

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4. EXERCISE. The best thing you can do is select an activity that suits you and that you enjoy. The choices are endless and include options such as walking, riding a bicycle, swimming, playing an active sport, working out with weights, or using exercise videos.

5. SUPPLEMENTS. Not everyone is interested in supplements, but if you are, the key is to determine what you need. For example, some people need extra iron while others don’t.

6. DETOX. We all have toxic buildup in our bodies, and this can be the root cause of many illnesses. Toxins are expelled through breath-ing, through the kidneys and bowels, and exercise, to name a few processes.

7. COPING WITH STRESS. It’s vitally important to eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. Our bodies are built to handle stress unless it becomes excessive and repetitive. Life proba-bly won’t change, so that means you’ll have to change how you approach and respond to situations that are stressful. Focus on trusting God more and casting your cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7).

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Your response…

“Thank You, Lord, for creating me and giving me the body I live in. Help me to see the ways I can make changes that honor You by taking good care of my physical health. Thank You for loving me and for the good plans you have for my life. I need Your wisdom and grace, Lord, to exercise discipline and self-control every day in my choices to eat right and exercise. I know I can do this through Christ who gives me strength!”

List the goals you have to improve your health.

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What are some simple, practical steps you can take to work toward them?

Remember: God isn’t expecting you to do this on your own. He wants to help you, and you can have His wisdom and strength to succeed as you look to Him and lean on Him. Study scriptures like Philippians 4:13, Matthew 11:28-29 and James 1:5 for encouragement and direction.

*Don Colbert, MD, The Seven Pillars of Health, Siloam, Lake Mary, FL, 2006

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More notes…

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For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and won-derfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

—PSALM 139:13-14 NIV

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HABITHAPPY

The

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This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.—PSALM 118:24 NKJV

Happiness is a choice!The root desire of every human being is to be happy. I believe this desire is what motivates us in much of what we do. But if we don’t understand that we have to choose to be happy, then there will always be something that steals our joy and poisons our outlook on life.

In Psalm 118:24, the scripture reads “we will rejoice and be glad.” We need to make the decision every day to enjoy our lives. We all have problems at times, and we can’t wait until everything in our circum-stances is perfect to be happy. We decide first and then our feelings will follow.

Does God really want me to be happy?If we’re going to choose happiness, we need to be confident that it’s God’s will for us. There was a time in my life when I wasn’t fully convinced that joy and happiness were part of God’s plan for my life. But John 10:10 says that Jesus “came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

One of the greatest revelations I’ve experienced is that Jesus wants me to enjoy my life. He died so we can have abundant life, and we’re not doing Him justice as Christians in this world if we let the enemy and our circumstances suck all of the joy out of us.

This doesn’t mean that having new life in Christ will make every-thing easy or fun, but when we do have “tribulation and trials and distress and frustration,” we can “be of good cheer [take courage;

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be confident, certain, undaunted]!” (John 16:33). Because through Christ, we have perfect peace and confidence that we will overcome the struggles we face in this world.

Make happiness a habit!Expectations play a big part in your decision to be happy. There was a time when my attitude was: “If you don’t expect anything good to happen, then you’re not disappointed when it doesn’t.” I grew up in a very negative, angry, unstable environment, and as a result, I was a very negative person who wasn’t happy.

I had to learn how to receive God’s love for me and believe His Word more than my thoughts and feelings. The more I focused on the truth of the Bible and trusted God to change me and handle my problems, the more peace and joy I experienced.John 16:24 (NKJV) says, “…Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full,” and 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV) tells us to cast “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” God loves you and wants to help you. You can confidently ask Him for help, knowing that He hears and answers when you come to Him with a heart that trusts Him and is willing to do what He shows you to do.

When you know God is for you and you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:31, 37), then you can live with His peace, joy and happiness—whatever your circumstances may be!

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Your response…

“Jesus, thank You for all You’ve done for me so I can have life in You and experience real peace, joy and happiness. Thank You for loving me and for the good plan You have for my life. Help me to trust You when life is hard so I can maintain peace and joy at all times, and so others will see that it’s possible to choose to be happy and enjoy every single day that they live.”

Think about your general mood, attitude and expectations. Would you describe yourself as a happy person?

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Your response…

If you have negative tendencies, worry and complain frequently or you’re easily offended and have difficulty forgiving others, it is pos-sible for you to change. You simply have to ask God to help you, and then trust and obey what He puts in your heart to do.

Pray and spend time studying scriptures that will help you, like Romans 8 and the other verses mentioned in this section. Write a prayer or insights you get from the verses you study that support your decision to be habitually happy because of what God has done for you.

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More notes…

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You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

—PSALM 16:11 NKJV

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THE HABITFAITH

of

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For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.

—ROMANS 1 :17

Why do you need faith?Making the decision to simply believe God—believe His Word, that He loves you, and that He’s going to take care of you—does amazing things in your soul. Faith in God is a vital necessity to eliminating stress, approaching life with peace and wisdom, and enjoying where you are on the way to where you’re going.

Our natural instinct oftentimes is to be afraid and try to protect and take care of ourselves, but God’s will is that we live by faith. Having the “faith habit” is the key to overcoming fear, anxiety, stress, worry and many other negative mindsets, attitudes and behaviors.

What is faith?Colossians 1:4 says, “For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]….” This verse shows us that faith is putting your complete trust and confi-dence in God.

When you have the habit of faith, then fear cannot get in, anxiety cannot get in and you can handle stress. Because when you’re trust-ing God to do what you can’t do, in His perfect timing and in His way, then you can be at rest and have peace in your soul.

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We have this kind of faith when we really believe God loves us and we are in right standing with Him. In Romans 1:17, we see that there’s a righteousness—a right standing with God—that is revealed when we receive Christ as our Savior by faith. And the beginning of our life in Christ is the beginning of our life of faith, because there’s nothing we can do in and of ourselves to earn salvation.

Learn to live by faith.As believers in Christ, we all have a measure of faith that God gives us (Romans 12:3), and our ability to live by faith is dependent on where we place it. If we put our faith in ourselves, other people or things, we will be disappointed. But if we put it in God, then we’ll be amazed by what He can do in us and through us.

You can decide to live by faith when you make a determined deci-sion to trust God completely with your life. The more you are con-vinced that God loves you unconditionally, all the time, the more you will trust Him. Knowing and believing in His love is a key ingredient to being able to live a life of faith.

In every situation, we can get relief from worry, anxiety, tension, fear, stress or anything else that comes against us by believing God more than we believe what we see, think or feel. We can be confi-dent that everything is going to be okay, because God has our best interest at heart and He will work everything out for our good in the end (Romans 8:28).

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Your response…

“Lord, I believe You love me and that I have right standing with You because of what Jesus has done for me. Today I am making a determined decision to trust You completely with every part of my life, and I want to follow Your direction for my life. Thank You for giving me grace to do whatever I need to do through Christ. I trust You to do what I cannot do, and believe You will cause all things in my life to work together for my good and Your glory. I love You, Lord!”

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

—HEBREWS 11 : 1 NKJV

As you think about the habit of faith, note the life-changing things that happen when you live by faith in God. What are some specific ways growing in your faith would make your life better?

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Your response…

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Based on the “What is faith?” section and Hebrews 11:1, write your definition of faith and what it means to put your faith in God.

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Your response…

Take a closer look at Romans 1:17 and 12:3. How do we develop the ability to live by faith every day? What or who are you putting your faith in? What is the key ingredient to having a life of faith that sets you free from stress, worry, anxiety, fear and any other negative mindsets and emotions?

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I want to encourage you to have an attitude of faith that says, “I be-lieve God is perfect in all of His ways, and I know I am in His hands.” As God’s child, you can always trust that He loves you and He will take care of you—no matter what!

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More notes…

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May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

—ROMANS 15:13

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We’re so glad you requested this booklet and hope the teaching and exercises it includes have helped you begin to make more good habits. My prayer is that, as you move forward, you will continue to dig deeper in the Bible for the help and answers you need. The Word of God is powerful and can transform our lives when we study it and apply the practical life principles it gives us.

If you would like more information about having a personal relation-ship with Jesus, or you just need some encouragement, visit our website at joycemeyer.org/everydayanswers.

God loves you more than you can imagine! He wants you to have a healthy life so you can live out the plans and purposes He has for you. As you keep your focus on God, you’ll find you’re making more progress each day in becoming the person He’s created you to be. Enjoy the journey!

Love,

Copyright © 2015 by Joyce Meyer Ministries

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Unless otherwise noted, scriptures are taken from The Amplified Bible (AMP). Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.Printed in the United States of America.

First Printing, 2015 ISBN 978-1-942854-04-3 Joyce Meyer Ministries, P.O. Box 655, Fenton, Missouri 63026 joycemeyer.org

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ISBN: 978-1-942854-04-3

© 2015 Joyce Meyer Ministries