Holy Habits: Psalm 71-Supplication through the Scriptures

Holy Habits

Psalm 71

Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex.

Norman Vincent Peale

What patterns are you developing in order to walk more closely with your Savior? Some patterns happen more naturally while others take intentional effort. Some patterns must be broken and others strengthened. The hardest patterns or habits to change are the ways we think and respond. Those inward thoughts and wrestlings, which are then manifested in our words, facial expressions, and actions, are the habits that have been developed over a lifetime and must be transformed by Christ for the remainder of our life.

The fleshly thoughts and responses happen naturally as we have all been born with a sin nature that is in rebellion against God. And these are the habits that must be broken. Even after we have been saved, there is an intense battle for our affections, desires, and thoughts. Paul knew this struggle personally when he expressed in Romans 7:18-19, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” He had the desire to do what was right, but not the ability to carry it out. The very evil he wanted to stop doing, he kept doing.

Old, sinful habits and thought patterns are not easily changed. Part of that design is so we would rely on God and not ourselves. When we recognize our inability to carry out what would please the Lord or to stop doing what we hate and dishonors the Lord, then we cry to the Lord for His strength. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us”(2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:7‬). He gets the glory for His surpassing power at work in us to change the sinful habits of our former life into holy habits that reflect our new citizenship.

In Psalm 71, the psalmist has reached an old age and he is in danger and asks the Lord to be his rock of refuge to which he may continually come. He then says he has leaned on the Lord, his hope and trust, since birth and his praise is continually of the Lord. Finally, in this time when his strength is spent, he says, “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more” (71:14). Continually, consistently, over and over, he comes to the Lord, praises the Lord, and hopes in the Lord. He had built habits into his life that resulted in his confidence in the Lord as his hope and trust. When in trouble, he knew exactly where to turn.

We must build holy habits into our own lives so we can join the psalmist in saying, even in hard times, “My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day” (71:8). Holy habits include regular Bible reading and prayer, consistent gathering with God’s people, guarding what we watch and think about, being slow to speak, choosing to think God-honoring thoughts, and many more. There are habits we must put to death and others we must diligently pursue.

Habits are not built in a day and neither is their fruit seen in a day. But if we can be consistent, not perfect, but purposeful and intentional in building holy habits, we will bear the fruit of it in our lives. By God’s grace and power, in the next year, the next decade, and at the end of our lives, we will have a deeper intimacy with our Lord, coming to Him continually, praising Him continually, and hoping in Him continually.

Pray through Psalm 71:1-14 for the holy habits we desire empowered by His strength in us.

Daily Dagger: I will hope continually (Psalm 71:14).

Come To Him Continually

71:1-3 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Lord, we pray:

▫️We would take refuge in You and we would not be put to shame. As we struggle with old, sinful habits, You would deliver and rescue us from these old ways of thinking, these sinful ways of responding, and transform us.

▫️You would incline Your ear to us and save us from the sinful ways we have thought, spoke, and acted that show we are still acting in fleshly ways and in fleshly patterns of the old man.

▫️Day by day, as we earnestly desire to develop new holy habits, You would be the rock of refuge to which we may continually come for forgiveness when we fail and the strength for building a life that honors You.

Praise Him Continually

71:4-6 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.

Lord, we pray:

▫️We would hope and trust in You alone. If we are young or older, today we would start some new habits that would draw us closer to You, habits that transform us by renewing our minds.

▫️We would lean on You. When we feel weary with our lack of desire for holiness or our stumbling, we would lean into You and have Your perseverance and steadfastness and not grow weary.

▫️You would give us eyes to see how You are completing the work You began in us and our praise would be continually to You and You alone.

When My Strength is Spent

71:7-11 I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together and say, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him.”

Let’s pray:

▫️We would seek Your wisdom for the sinful habits that must be put to death and the godly habits we must begin to perform that our mouths would be filled with Your praise and Your glory all the day.

▫️When our strength is spent, when we grow tired or complacent, do not forsake us, but rather revive us again and renew a steadfast spirit within us.

▫️Be our strong refuge for the remainder of our lives, teaching us, training us, equipping us to live for Your glory in all we do.

Hope in Him Continually

71:12-14 O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

Let’s pray:

▫️God, You would not be far from us and You would make haste to help us. We do not always see the wickedness that still resides in us. Mercifully show us our sinfulness.

▫️Help us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling knowing that it is You who works in us both to will and to do for Your good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).

▫️As we pursue new, holy habits, it would help us to hope in You continually and praise You yet more and more.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo credit to hudsoncrafted

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