To Whom Do You Pray?

DISCLAIMER:  I recognize only one true God in three persons and one essence, known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  But in some cases praying to one's own idea of God is unbiblical in corporate prayer, even though I realize that God hears and answers all the prayers of the saints.

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father"  (Eph. 2:18, HCSB).

Jesus didn't just give suggestions in the Sermon on the Mount on how to pray, but directives (by the way, I will mention in passing that Jesus was the first person in the Bible to teach us how to pray!).  He called God the following each more than once:  Father, Our Father in heaven, your Father, your heavenly Father and each is appropriate and scriptural.  Note that in the Old Testament it wasn't considered "wrong" to pray to "God" because they had less light, but Jesus showed us the way to the Father.

Don't pray like an Old Testament saint, or like an angel or servant of the Lord, but like a child of God!  When we address God in a nondescript, generic way such as "O God in heaven" it seems we don't really know God too well.  God wants us to call Him Father (the Christian name for God,  N.B. that I am primarily speaking of corporate, not private prayer).  "I thought you would call Me Father" (Jer. 3:19).  When Jesus felt alienated or estranged from His Father He called Him "My God."

 It is the same with your parents; would you think of calling them anything but Mom or Dad?  That's unheard of; well, we are in the family of God and have the privilege to address God as Father and claim our sonship and honor and accept His Fatherhood.  Gal. 4:19 says:  The Spirit cries out, 'Abba, Father.  Christians should just naturally call God this because the Spirit leads them to, and it shows an intimacy with the Almighty.  When Jesus called God His Father, the Pharisees got mad because He was making Himself equal with God, but Jesus said to Mary after His resurrection:  I am going to My Father and your Father.

Jesus made the promise in John 14:14 that if we ask anything in His name He will answer it; Jesus also hears prayer, but His primary focus is on interceding and the Holy Spirit's to put our words into groaning which cannot be uttered.  It is not wrong, per se, to pray to Jesus, but note that He Himself taught us to pray to His Father.

Only after Pentecost can the believer now boldly approach the throne of grace to the Head Honcho      (the Most High) and get access into God's dimension, another world, as it were.  We enter into God's very presence--His dimension!  "Let us boldly approach the throne of grace...."  (Heb. 4:16).  The angels are not in the family of God like we are and are not the children of the Heavenly Father. In summation, go to the top of the Most High, as they say.  No one comes to the Father, except through Jesus the Son.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Self-help Craze And Trap

Are you addicted to the manifold self-help books available (I mean to improve the real you, not educate about computers or something) and it seems like there's no end in sight?  Solomon says in Eccl. 12:12 this:  "...Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body."  You will never read everything and know it all, you have to narrow it down and prioritize and decide what is paramount to you.  Solomon had found out what knowing it all was like and it didn't bring happiness:  Some believers actually study the Bible only because they have an inner desire "to know it all."

It has been said that a Victorian Englishman is a self-made man who worships his Creator.  However, Isa. 26:12 says, "...all that we have accomplished you have done for us...."  Deut. 8:17 says that God gives us the power to get rich;  Proverbs says the way of man is not in himself; the Psalms say, "The course of my life is in Your power."  Jeremiah says the way of man is not his own, he does not direct his steps.

It's a never-ending vicious circle or merry-go-round that you can't get off.  You must see where you are going to have a purpose and be like Jesus:  A man on a mission!  We have a big God and all things are small to Him, and nothing is too small for His love--so trust Him to teach you.  If you don't learn from the Bible, you will learn from the school of hard knocks!  We don't want to go there--been there and done that!  This is all on the premise that we are able to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and are our own island and develop our own karma.

God doesn't need another intellectual, he needs some faith ("When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?").  Jesus often said, "Where is your faith?"  Some were commended for having great faith!  We need faith that will move mountains today.  We can walk on water by faith if it is God's will!


Jonathan Edwards (Christian)  and Horace Mann (Unitarian) had their heyday, but according to the humanist John Dewey,  the test of the truth of an idea is whether it works!   This is sheer pragmatism and not biblical, but many fall for it. Did you know that Buddhism and the Eastern sects are gaining momentum nowadays because they seem to work?  TM works!  Yoga works!  Many will give sober and believable testimonies, to boot.  Then what's the problem?  Things can be wrong and still work--that doesn't make them true!  Jesus is the truth and He works because He's truth, He isn't truth because He works!

You have to understand the concept of absolute truth (that some things are always wrong, and some things are always right--whether someone believes them or not).   The world today believes in "relative truth" saying that something might be true for you, but not me!  Pilate asked Jesus at one of His trials:  "What is truth?" Romans mocked at the idea that something could be universally true for everyone--they believed each tribe or country had its own religion or truth.  Wouldn't it had been interesting if Pilate had waited around for Jesus answer?  Jesus said He came to bear witness of the truth and those who are of the truth hear Him.

When you have the gift of spiritual discernment you can tell a lie and know something is not of God. You can discern spirits and learn how to "test the spirits."  Remember Satan masquerades as an angel of light and parades in a robe of righteousness to impress people with his charisma and charm.  He masks the lies in with enough truth to be dangerous!  Self-help books are like that:  They get your focus off of Christ and on yourself.  We don't need self-esteem, but God-esteem.

True humility is not focusing on yourself at all and as soon as you think you're humble you're not! Only Moses and Jesus were called humble or meek in the Bible.  What they do is maybe even quote the Bible (they know enough to be dangerous!) to mislead the flock and deceive the elect, if possible. They don't dare downgrade the Bible in so many words, but their goal is to get you in love with their book and lose love for the Word.  It's okay to read godly books that are from teachers you trust, or entertaining books or history that have nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

If they can deceive in one area it means they may not have any qualms about leading you astray (misery loves company) and they may feel they're getting a feather in their cap by gaining a convert.  They proselytize, as it were.  They're no different from the Christian sects who do it and don't get their own converts but go into another church territory where the seed has been planted, and they bedevil and entice with seductive books and interesting reading.

The goal is not to see how much you know, but who you know!  The Bible was not written to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.  No one was the same after meeting Jesus, they had to make a moral decision and couldn't remain neutral.  There is a vast difference between knowing the Word, and knowing the Author!  You can only be wise by knowing God and finding God.  The Bible is meant to lead you to God, not tell you about Him.  It helps in your relationship with Him, not to satisfy your curiosity!  Always remember what Jesus said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). And "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

In Summation, the thing to think about in self-help is this:  Who is getting the glory?  Soli Deo Gloria!  (To God alone be the glory!)  God is jealous when we seek other sources than Him to save us or help us where He has made a way in Christ.  These self-help gurus make a lot of money and have a lot of fame, and they have had their reward in this life.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You In A Movement?

Let me make this clear to start:  I am against movements.  Many have come and gone in the church and some more influential and misleading than others:  Some even rather harmless, but all wrong and not of God, regardless.  There are many so-called movements prevalent today or remnants of old ones remaining:  Keswick Movement, Perfectionist Movement, Neo-Pentecostal Movement, the charismatic movement, conservative-right political movement, WWJD, (or even WWJT) known as the "what would Jesus do?" movement [I am not against the imitation of Christ as Thomas a Kempis wrote his famous, widely read book, My Imitation of Christ--this is another ballgame], the "Church of What's Happening Now" movement, the one that isn't defined or named is when believers think God wants them to hang around sinners, like the Pharisees accused Jesus of doing.

Scripture says to choose your friends carefully in Proverbs 12:26 and Paul say that bad company corrupts good morals in 1 Cor. 15:33.  The thing you have to look at is who was calling them sinners (the evil Pharisees who were blind) and we are all sinners and if Jesus wasn't our friend where would we be now?   But hanging around them is different and Jesus is our friend when we were his enemies, right?  We are not Jesus and need to be careful with whom we spend our time; however, this does not mean that we need to fear man ("The fear of man proves to be a snare," says Prov. 29:25).

As an illustration, when you get saved it means you should witness to your circle of friends, not go to the local tavern and hang around expecting God to open the door for you--they will influence you more than you influence them and the devil has you right where he wants you.  If you must go there go with a fellow believer for support; Jesus sent them out in groups of two.  You are not some one's friend if you don't witness to them and they will accuse you and blame you for all eternity if you don't at least try!  Jesus didn't condone sinners in their sin, nor did He get tainted, because He couldn't; you can be!

We worship Jesus because of what He could do as the God-man.  Evil company should make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy like it did Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah--don't get callous and insensitive!  "Come out from among them and be ye separate, and I will accept you," says the Lord. (I blogged about this Sept. 7, 2014).  This was meant to be derogatory but remember:  Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  He told the woman who sinned:  "Go and sin no more."  He didn't condone nor participate in sin--he didn't party like one of the guys!

What's wrong with WWJD? Most Christians know their Savior in a very shallow manner--they know the Scriptures a bit, but knowing Christ comes with maturity and the searching for Him is the main business of the Christian life and begins at salvation, not ends (it's better to concentrate on obeying Him than trying to be Him).   Firstly, they don't really know what Jesus would do, they just imagine it.  They might know what their mother would do if she is a Christian, that is, but they can only guess what Jesus would do.  Would he be a teetotaler?  Would he ever speed?  There are difficult questions and God gives us the liberty to have our own conscience and like it says in 1 Cor. 6:12:  "All things are permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything."  "Mama told me not to come" is a popular rock lyric. Another:  "Mama said, 'You better shop around.'"   I've heard it said, that you should always question authority, but never mother!

What's on earth is so bad about the Neo-Pentecostal movement?  They teach unsound doctrine for number one, though I admit most of them have their heart in the right place and that is important, but false teachers like to be mostly right and add a little error to deceive and the element of truth makes it palatable.  We are commanded to teach a sound doctrine as teachers (Tit. 2:1).  This movement is in competition with and even infiltrates other churches and steals sheep or proselytize by impressing them that there is "something more or missing in their experience" just like Paul was admonishing the Colossians to be aware of (mysticism, asceticism, and legalism).

The Perfectionists started with John Wesley who thought you could reach a stage of willful or unintentional sin as a mature believer or that you "have arrived."  Even Paul didn't claim such:  "I do not claim to have laid hold of it yet..." (Phil. 3:12).  The psalmist says he has seen the limit of all perfection in Psalm 119:96.  Proverbs 20:9 says:  "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"

The Keswick movement is still alive via Andrew Murray's writings and devotional classic by Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest."  Reading that book, I came across many doctrinal errors and whether you believe this or not, he believed in a second blessing and this is very controversial and not traditional (I blogged about this in "Where is Oswald Chambers Coming From?").  Chambers believes in perfectionism and what's called the "entire sanctification"  He believes that tongues are the initial "initial evidence validation" of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The point is that most people are ignorant of his erroneous teaching and fall for his balderdash and pious talk.  He makes a dangerous dichotomy between discipleship and salvation and doesn't seem to understand just how to become a Christian in the first place!   (I blogged on this March 3, 2014).

What's wrong with the "church of what's happening now?"  They have been led astray by Satan's masquerading as an angel of light like the rest and are on side issues away from the Bible.  They may be into the latest prophecy rage on the Internet or something else like blood moons that tickles their fancy. J. Vernon McGee was orthodox in that he entitled his study: "Back to the Bible."  The devil wants the church to get away from the Bible and doesn't deny that it's important, just not paramount!

It is better to be a "cloistered" church that sticks to the Bible (after all the Bible is all we need for spiritual growth and is not only necessary but sufficient).  They may have coffee shops in their church and a bookstore and many extra-biblical activities that get away from the Bible, like overeaters anonymous and whatnot.  So what is the latest fad, they wonder.

What's wrong with the Evangelical right?  The Pope tries to dictate politics and make members vote according to his understanding!  Most black churches are in the so-called Christian left!  First of all, not all sincere and knowledgeable believers are in agreement politically:  This does a grave disservice to Christ by labeling him politically, when He is beyond description and defies analysis.  People are going to judge Christianity by a party and Jesus is not a member of any party!  You cannot put God in a box, nor limit God!

The charismatic movement is more subtle in that it infiltrates even the Roman Catholic Church and many denominations while not having one of its own.  Basically, if you believe that the gift of tongues is a bona fide gift, you are charismatic!  Most churches today are either considered mainline denomination (which is in the state of near heresy and apostasy, losing members rapidly), the evangelical wing (like most Baptists or those who are actively "saving" people and spreading the gospel and not the so-called social gospel (which is a misnomer).  The charismatic tend to make a dichotomy among believers and make them think they are missing out; this makes them have spiritual wanderlust and they eventually leave their home church and become spiritually vulnerable.

A true church will get you into the Word and make it paramount; teaching sound doctrine devotedly.
The church is the body of Christ, not the parachurch or the electronic church.  Watching TV is no substitute for one-on-one, accountability, and fellowship.  I'm not suggesting that we don't need these organizations, because they do serve a purpose; Chuck Swindoll says that if you drink of only one fountain, you lose your perspective: however, there is some pastor out there that is just right for you right where you are spiritual. We need to stay connected and in touch spiritually and not become lone ranger type believers who are doing their own thing.

We are all entitled to opine (to have our own opinions), but not to have our own facts, and fabricate at will.  Many preachers have a personal agenda many a church has an extra-biblical program that they want to promote.   Causes are not taboo, individuals can do whatever they get called to do:  Look at William Wilberforce devoting himself to the end of slavery!   We can even have a political agenda that is self-serving, but we do not have the right to label it as "Christian."

The church needs a wake-up call:  It's okay to hand out bread, but put the gospel in its rightful place--don't get caught turning stones into the bread like Jesus was tempted to do!  "Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).  Don't get converted to a cause or movement, but to Christ!   In conclusion, the only movement I want to be in is (Christ) the fulfilling of the Great Commission, which ought to be the main business of the church and its raison d'etre--don't forget our Marching Orders!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Checking Out The Spirit,,,

We should always be suspicious of hyper-spirituality and so-called hyper-charismatic phenomena. Piety has its place but not to be paraded before man and to be "holier-than-thou" (Isaiah 65:5). There is the real thing out there, so there is also the counterfeit of the devil.  You can be a spiritual person without being very "religious" (expressing religiosity) at all.  The simpler your faith the better off you are--make things simple, but not more than necessary, Einstein said.

The big issue today in charismatic circles is whether one has the "baptism."  1 Cor. 12:13 says "By one Spirit we were all baptized into the body."  Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation--that settles it!  Nowhere are we exhorted to "seek the baptism." This is a false dogma of the Neo-Pentecostal movement. There is no second work of grace to expect--they are going by experience, not Scripture.

The filling of the Spirit is another story:  It is always accompanying some ministry that the Holy Spirit has appointed to be accomplished by His power. The fillings are not permanent, but for a purpose and empower the believer for service that he couldn't accomplish alone.  When Paul was saved they told him to "be filled with the Holy Spirit."  To be filled by the Spirit for a task is to be controlled and led by God's will.  Like when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and "spoke the Word of God with boldness."  I believe that when the Word says that the Spirit "fell on them" that it is basically the same thing.

Fillings are the result of obedience and in the service of God and doing His will, often in the context of one's spiritual gift.  No gift or fruit of the Spirit is solely for one's own benefit, but for the body's sake--they are predominately manifested in the realm of Christian service.  It is crucial to realize that it is not how much of the Spirit you have, but how much of you the Spirit has.  In other words, the degree or amount of filling depends upon our yielding to God.  It is not like Elisha getting twice the spirit of Elijah.  We all have the measure of the indwelling Spirit.

Paul exhorts the Ephesians to "be filled with the Holy Spirit."  This does not refer to a perpetual "high" on Jesus or walking in the glow of some experience.  Paul goes on to describe basic speaking manifestations--presumably to take place at the meeting of the church.  I believe that one is filled initially at salvation, but that he "leaks."  We can lose the filling and may need confession or restoration (Gal. 6:1; 1 John 1:9),  We need each other to edify and encourage each other.

"Walking in the Spirit" is another matter:  We demonstrate or exhibit the fruit of the Spirit when we are "walking in the Spirit" according to Gal. 5:16,25.  In the context of the fruit of the Spirit, he refers to "walking in the Spirit," and not filling of the Spirit.  There is overlap--they are not mutually exclusive.  It is hard to imagine a preacher, for instance, is filled with the Spirit, and not walking in the Spirit to show the fruit.  But it is easier to see one still walking in the Spirit, but not necessarily filled or anointed for his ministry or gift.

There is also the question of the anointing--also called unction.  In the Old Testament before the Spirit-filled every believer there were selective fillings and anointings, as well as seers and prophets (cf. Psalm 105:15).    1 John 2:20 says that all believers have the anointing.  There are no special believers out there who are infallible prophets or priests or preachers/teachers because they have received an anointing.  There is no Supreme Pontiff that has authority over all of us, so to speak.  The Pope is not the vicar of Christ on earth, but the Holy Spirit is.  The body works together in Christ and all parts are necessary.  We are not infallible and prone to error.  Even if our doctrine were impeccably correct, if we have not love we are nothing, God is more concerned about the condition of the heart than whether we are theologians--is it in the right place?

Being led (or guided) by the Spirit is a sign that we are sons of God (cf. Romans 8:14).  This refers to a direction in the Spirit of what to do or say, as if God were speaking through us or of something we can only attribute to God, such as writing a timely letter or knowing God's will and doing it so that God is glorified.  If we are not led by the Spirit, we are not sons of God.  Galatians 5:18 says that if we are led by the Spirit we are not under the Law. You may say, "I was inspired to do this," or "I did it at what seems a fortuitous deed."  Providence is at work because there are no impersonal forces such as luck, chance, fortune, or fate--God micromanages the universe.

We demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit as a result of obedience and in the service of God, doing His will, often in the context of our spiritual gift.  No gift or fruit of the Spirit is solely for our own benefit, but for the body's sake--they are predominately manifested in the realm of Christian service.

We could debate about what you call this or that and quibble about the meaning of words (cf. 1 Tim. 6:4), but this is unhealthy and unproductive.  God wants us to be of one accord in the Spirit (Eph. 4:3).  What is vital is not the names of things for our spiritual health but the state of our spirit and attitude.  It is God's will for us to be holy, for instance, not to debate whether we call it a filling or a walk.  God is much more practical (application is more stressed than theoretical knowledge) and less technical than that--it is like splitting hairs.  It is paramount to learn how to walk in the Spirit and how to be filled!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Developing Holy Habits

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" (Hebrews 12:1).
"Direct my steps according to your word; let no sin rule over me" (Psalm 119:133).
 "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
"Sin will have no power over you, because you aren't under Law but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
 "They are slaves to whatever has mastered them"  (2 Pet. 2:19).
 "'I have the right to do anything,' you say--but not everything is beneficial.  'I have the right to do anything'--but I will not be mastered by anything"  (1 Cor. 6:12).

NON-BIBLICAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

"To fall into a habit is to begin to cease to be," as P. D. Ouspensky has said.
"Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life," says Grenville Kleiser.
"Habit with him was all the test of truth, 'It must be right: I've done it from my youth,'" quips George Crabbe.

Why are habits crucial?
"Sow a thought  ["As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," says Prov. 23:7; cf. Prov. 4:23], reap an act ["The soul of every act is thought," according to Robert Browning]; sow an act, reap a habit [there's a loss of self-control]; sow a habit, reap a character [We are the sum total of our thoughts]; sow a character, reap a destiny [salvation or damnation]."  It is that simple according to Charlie Riggs.  Peter said, "Whatever overpowers you, enslaves you" (2 Pet. 2:19; cf. Rom.6:16).  Sin is just like that:  it enslaves and alienates you [from God or from others].  We must "consider [our] ways" as Haggai says!  This suggests that the first step is to analyze our life.--"The unexamined life is not worth living," said Socrates.

Habits can develop into addictions if persisted in (even impulsive behaviors) and some things like drugs or coffee seem to be addictive by nature.  In those cases, one may need deliverance and the aid of other believers to intervene and intercede on your behalf.  This is why we need to nip the habit in the bud before it controls us:  it is alright if we control it!  (Cigarettes are a prime example (not a sin in themselves) and are also a medical problem that is aggravated by chemicals such as tar and nicotine.)

Having habits is like being programmed--we should be careful who is doing the programming and be aware of input error!  We are sometimes guilty of habitual behavior that is done without thinking too.  Habits may ultimately decide our eternal destiny, so we should judge them.  Some habits are just ingrained behavior due to repetition like sitting in the same seat where we feel comfortable, or taking the same way home, or going the same place and sometimes we find ourselves repeating the folly unconsciously--like when I go to the lounge instead of the laundry room, because I always go there.

Man is a creature of habit, it is said, and no one can claim to be without them. The issue is whether they are healthy or deleterious, and whether they interfere with our testimony or not. ("All things are permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything," says 1 Cor. 6:12b).   C. H. Spurgeon smoked and was asked when he would quit:  "When it became a problem."  When is that?  "When I smoke two at a time!"  There is some validity to his tongue-in-cheek remark:  The only time we need to worry about a habit is if it compromises or jeopardizes our witness to the world, or otherwise diminishes our character because most habits are fairly harmless.  Those who are married are often annoyed by the mannerisms, quirks, idiosyncrasies, and eccentricities of their mate:  Things like nail biting, procrastinating [never-ending to-do list], teeth grinding, negative thinking, potty mouth, or what-have-you.  Did the mate think he or she actually could change their mate?  Love in marriage is accepting the mate despite their faults--not demanding change.

God doesn't require us to clean up our act to become Christians.  We come as we are, but we don't stay that way.  We are changed from the inside out of all sinful habits.  It goes with coming clean and owning up to our failures, flaws, and shortcomings ( sins).  The fact is though, that God changes us and gives us the power to overcome our sin.  "He shall save His people from their sin."  God accepts us as we are and works on us "to do and to will according to His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).  I believe that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome our habits ("Cease striving and know that I am God," says Psalm 46:10) and develop good ones to replace them (it is a law of nature to abhor a vacuum!). Just taking them away would open the door for a worse fault or demon.  Don't replace one habit with a worse one!  Don't just clean house or turn over a new leaf, get the Lord's power to live in the Spirit.

Jesus had some "holy" habits (I'm not saying we need a longer to-do list, which would revert us to legalism like the Pharisees or known as the yoke of the Pharisees]:  he got up before dawn to pray, he gave thanks before eating, and he went to the synagogue every Sabbath to worship.  But he did not have the habit of washing his hands before eating, which drove the legalistic Pharisees nuts because he saw that as only an addendum or legalistic extension of the Mosaic Law.  He was probably known as Mr. Unclean.

It is good to have "holy" habits that develop into godliness and give God the opportunity to nurture our faith.  For me, reading the Bible is only natural and I wouldn't dream of not doing it on a daily basis.  Praying is also without ceasing as I keep the communication line open between me and my Maker.  I keep short accounts with Him and immediately confess all known sin according to 1 John 1:9 ("If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness").

One should study Brother Lawrence's book The Practice of the Presence of God to see how one can always be in fellowship with God, no matter what one is doing.  A word to the wise is sufficient:  Do not practice your piety before men, to be seen by them (per Matt. 6:1)--then you've had your reward.  To initiate godly habits one must simply take a leap of faith and just do it--try it, you will be rewarded!  And by all means don't ever get into the trap of thinking you have to do something (that is legalism)--the motive should be the unsatisfied one of love, not fear, i.e., that you want to!

To start the challenge of cultivating a "holy" habit, one should start with some goal or task that he or she believes he or she can faithfully execute.  It only takes a few days to develop a habit, so be careful what habits you are beginning.  It is a lot harder to break a habit than begin one.  We are known by our habits and we get set in a pattern or rut, you could say.  For me, the goal is to bow down to the Father first thing I wake up in the morning and thank Him and then offer my petitions for the day, of which are composed of my outstanding prayer requests and needs.  (I confess that I was brought up saying grace before eating, and hardly ever even remember to do it now as an adult, unless in company with other believers.  I just got out of the habit and don't remember anymore.)

I believe that God empowers us to break bad habits through the Holy Spirit.  We don't speak of quitting cigarette smoking, but being set free--viva la difference!  We want to give God the glory and learn to depend on His strength ("Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts," says Zech. 4:6).  Our attitude should always be to give God the credit to remember what Jesus said:  "Apart from Me you can do nothing"  (John 15:5).  If God wants us to quit, He will tell us when and all we have to be is obedient. It must be in His timing and we will be convicted by the Holy Spirit not accused or made to feel guilty by our friends or enemies.  He will give us the strength if it is His will.  It has to be in His timing, though.  It is not a matter of trying, but of trust.  It must be by faith that God gets the glory (Soli Deo Gloria! meaning to God alone be the glory).  Soli Deo Gloria!