A 21 Day Program

Day 2 is exactly like day one except that we pray for 20 minutes over the next 3 verses:

Isaiah 5:11 ESV Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!
1 Peter 5:8 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Matthew 26:41 ESV
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Other than switching these 3 verses we repeat all of the other steps. It is best to print out day one since you will need it for the next 20 days.

For day 3 we pray for 20 minutes over the next 3 verses:

Galatians 5:19-21 ESV Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Isaiah 5:22 ESV Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
1 Corinthians 3:17 ESV If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Many may do a portion of what I recommended on day one every day, but only a few will do everything. Many will skip praying about purpose for 15 minutes daily.

James 2:17 “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Here is a story:

Jonny’s birthday is next week. His naughty uncle Ralph told him: “I am going to give you $100 to bet on any horse at the track next weekend. If you win the big one you can keep it all.”

Jonny said, “I will bet it all on my fav horse Black Lightning.”

Two days later Black Lightning was struck by lightning and he died instantly.

Now I have never bet horses, but I would no longer bet on Black Lightning after his run-in with white lightning. He is dead.

In addiction, the problem with faith without works being dead is… dead people need “something.” Instead, work diligently on having faith “with works.” When we have faith with works or faith with a diligent plan to someday have works we have something. We are alive, we are alive with Christ.

Consider praying: “Father, take away this spirit of drinking/drugs and help me to care about helping others, and souls.”

Last, if you don’t have time to do everything on the daily list (from day one), work on the daily verses first, but then do at least a little bit of everything.
Other than switching these 3 verses we repeat all of the other steps from day one. Consider printing out day one since you will need it for the next 20 days.

Day 4 brings more tough verses. The more we read them, the more we are able to change. For day 4 we pray for 20 minutes over the next 3 verses:
Romans 12:2 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 Corinthians 6:10 ESV Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Proverbs 23:20-21 ESV Be not be among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

These verses pound sin right out of us. The verses for quitting take us right out of satans grasp. These verses start a transformation that will be way better than anything you could even think.

Other than switching these 3 verses we repeat all of the other steps from day one.

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:

Romans 13:13 ESV Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Proverbs 23:31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV I will not be dominated by anything.

To quit for good we study quitting articles at this site for 20-30 minutes each day. But if you want to quit in 21 days you need to read, reread, and almost memorize the key articles that you need for quitting. I don’t know which articles you need to study, but you need to know exactly which articles you need.

Consider starting by scanning the titles of articles over the past 10 months. Write down the titles or copy and paste the link of titles to see which ones are great for your situation so that you can later scan the articles. When you do find articles that are perfect for you, decide how often you should read the article over the next ten days.

For example, when life crushes you, you turn to ______. To solve this problem or any similar to it… find the right articles, and study them until you can develop new habits on how to react when life stinks.

Reading them is merely the start. Step two is taking that information to construct a plan so that you can make a new habit so that you can overcome the opening. Step three may be praying about your new habits, and developing a system to remind yourself of exactly when and how you want to change.

The point is that we need to solve the 1-3 main triggers that lead us back to _____. Once you have figured out which articles help you solve them, it is better to read, reread, and study those articles over and over than it is to find new ones. Study, think, and pray over them until you have a plan in your head on how to fight back 24 hours a day. Continue to study them until you have “new habits.”

When you have a complete plan for all your triggers, the triggers start to lose their power.
Finally, we repeat all of the other steps from day one.

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Luke 21:34 ESV “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
Proverbs 21:17 ESV Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
Judges 13:4 ESV Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,

My parents had their religious traditions. Some were good, some were something. 95% of us are like this. Our parents and church help shape us in a good way. But then bad habits rear their ugly head, and we want answers based on the way we were brought up. But the answers we are given sometimes push us to traditions, not freedom.

I suspect that often people read my articles and think, “That’s not the way my family does it, That’s not the way our church does it.” But in order to find freedom we need to find out the way that the Bible does it. For example: I recommend praising the Lord. If your background did not include doing this you may want to do a Google search: “How many times does the Bible say to praise the Lord.” When I did that it said 259 times for praise and 33 times for the exact phrase “Praise the Lord.”

Just last night I was in a room alone watching TV, not wanting to watch anything. I could feel a bit of darkness crawling in so I started to praise the Lord. Quickly my mood started to improve and then I felt like watching the Cubs game.

Second, some people think I am such and such denomination when I recommend a book. Not likely. I recommend a book based on how it can help everyone. Tommy Tenny’s church is likely way different than your church or my church, but he has such great information about finding the Glory of God. We would have zero addictions if we had the glory of God all over us.

Honestly, I only got a tiny bit of the glory of God when I last read his book “The God Chasers,” years ago. But when I read it I knew that it was out there for Christians who were more obedient than I was, and who spent more time seeking the Lord.

Since I have gone to war with sin my joy has hugely increased and I am starting to live a lot more in the glory of God just like the book said. Who knew?

God wants us to know about His glory. Don’t stay in a denominational box unless that box has your joy and purpose increasing. That does not mean leaving your church. It means putting the Bible first and being open to quitting tips that are directly from the Bible.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 7
Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
1 Peter 4:7 ESV The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
Romans 6:12 ESV
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.
Matthew 5:8 ESV
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Most of us have 3 distinct situations where our thoughts stray toward drinking/drugs. It could be going to work, school, or any of a dozen places. It could be when we choose our TV programs, or when what we thought was a clean show starts down the party path. It could be when bad things happen, or when people sever your last nerve.

Write down what situations cause an increase in bad thoughts. Next, write down your plan to change that.

What Type of Person really Quits?

The person who quits is someone who will search articles, pray, and come up with a great written plan for changing the way they think.

The person who really quits will be finding their purpose “while” they quit. Many of you have been praying about purpose, and maybe you have no idea of where to start. Well, just try something.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 8
Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
1 Peter 4:7 ESV The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
Isaiah 5:11-12 ESV Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands.
1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Many will read every word of this 21-day program. Some will read it plus do “some” praying over the verses, and some praying about purpose. A few will do everything exactly as written down to the last minute.

Now, what if you are super busy? Maybe on weekdays you are overwhelmed with activities and you want to do everything in the program, but you keep running out of time. Step one. Keep restarting. Let’s say you did a little before work/school, plan to restart at 4,5, or 6 PM. Now you have softball, restart the program at 8 PM, now you have online work. Restart at 10 Pm.

Now this is starting to be a little bit fanatical. What are we supposed to do, “Present our bodies a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable, which is our reasonable service?” Well, since that is a Bible verse… I guess so.

The second key for a busy person is to be ready to put in a little extra time when you have more time. Extra is not quite being a living sacrifice, but it is a start.

Second, what if you are not that busy but you are no good at studying this much or praying this much? Step one. Consider upping your standards. You think there are other important things in life. But, outside of family, there are very few important things other than serving God. Believe what the wisest man ever (Soloman) said: “All is vanity.” Only doing what God wants us to do matters.

We underestimate how important being in God’s will is. Consider praying:

“Father, show me how important Your will for me is.”

Third, it’s not how you start the program, it’s how you finish. Finish strong.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 9
Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Daniel 1:8 ESV But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
Ecclesiastes 10:17 ESV Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
Proverbs 23:31-32 ESV Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

Why do all of these daily steps? When we are quitting with a short-term goal like, “30 days,” we may be able to motivate ourselves with simple goals like avoiding destruction as well as other things. But, if we want to quit for good we need to have goals that really have teeth. Goals like having joy and purpose. I linked these two goals together because they go together. Biblical Paul had fullness of joy (10 out of 10) in large part because he had fullness of purpose.

This is challenging because finding purpose is sometimes tough. But the good news is that step one to finding purpose is making a commitment to finding purpose. Step two to finding purpose is to go to war with sins that are keeping us from finding our purpose. Therefore, when we go to war with drinking/drugs along with a commitment to purpose we will start to see glimpses of this joy as we start to progress.

Then we focus on these glimpses of joy and ask ourselves: Would fullness of joy be even greater?

Years ago I would read about Biblical joy and I rarely experienced any of it. Now that I am going to war against sin and seeking purpose, I have a lot of joy. My life is way better now.

Consider setting (and praying about) a goal of joy and purpose. It is a huge key to quitting.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 10
Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Romans 12:2 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Isaiah 24:9 ESV
No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
Proverbs 23:21 ESV For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

We are more aware of what we want, rather than what is actually going on. It is a very rare person who says: Today I will party. “It will ruin my week, my relationship with God for the week, it will cause a bunch of darkness and destruction, it will kill my purpose, it will kill my chance at joy.”

How can we learn to “know” what is going on? By memorizing the above sentence.

Second, we need to be aggressively pursuing a great life. When you find articles about living a vibrant great life, grab onto them. You need to experience some of the joy of the Lord. You need to experience living “In the Light.” You need to experience at least a tiny bit of the “Glory of God.”

Third, the most important thing that is going on is what God wants us to do. Everything else other than family is just a grand illusion. Keep consistently working on figuring out what God wants. It will put you on the right path.

“The pursuit of purity is not about the suppression of lust, but about the reorientation of one’s life to a larger goal.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 11
Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Isaiah 5:22-23 ESV / 88 helpful votes 
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!
Matthew 24:48-51 ESV But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Habakkuk 2:5 ESV “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”
Psalms 1 says “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

If you are straining to do everything in this program every day, you are doing almost exactly what this chapter in Psalms says to do. Many who started this program don’t love these verses. But those who are pushing hard are starting to prove that their “Delight is in the law of the Lord.” If you are praying over these verses you are meditating on His law. Okay, I am not quite up to meditating on the law day and day, but… at least I am meditating on His law in the areas where I have bad habits.

Verse 3. Life is supposed to be what verse 3 says. But TV preachers never tell us that verse 3 is conditional. We need to be fulfilling “all” of the conditions in verses 1, and 2.

Do we have the right to ask God that our lives become like verse 3 says if we consistently do all of the steps of the 21-day program? But… what if you do that plus doing everything in verses 1 and 2? Then the answer is of course yes.

But, we are all experts at taking shortcuts and then expecting the promises to come true. We are experts at fighting sin for an hour, day, or week and hoping that life will be like in the promised land.

Instead, it is wise to make a “permanent commitment” to fighting sin, and doing God’s will to the end, obeying verse 1 & 2.

When we do that… our lives will be like verse 3 sooner or later.

Key point: It is hard to do. Believe that you can be blessed if you do what the scripture says. But for most of us, it is a massive fight. For most of us, the blessings happen a lot later than we would hope. But for those who have a full commitment, it will happen.

Key point # 2: Keep fighting.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 12
Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:

Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Ephesians 5:18 ESV And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Why do rock stars ruin their lives with massive amounts of drugs and alcohol? Why do movie stars end their lives at the height of their fame? Because they thought they would find joy and purpose when they made it to the top. It’s not there.

They should have read the following:

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV Do all to the glory of God.”

Today, work on the following for 15 minutes instead of praying about purpose:

Memorize the above verse. Doing all to the glory of God is part of fulfilling our purpose.

Consider praying: “Father, take away this spirit of drinking/drugs, and help me to help others, and care about souls.”

Second, we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Matthew 5 “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Consider memorizing and praying over the above verse.

Third, we worry more about what we can’t do than what we can do with the Holy Spirits’ help. If you spend 21 days pounding on that habit with key verses great things will start to happen. Consider praying:

“Father, I am excited to see what Your Holy Spirit will do as I continue to pound out this darkness.”

“Father, help me to do Your will.”

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by timcia.

Day 13

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:

Romans 13:12-14 ESV The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
1 Peter 5:8 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

James 4:6-11 ESV But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

I know someone who allowed sin to linger in their life. When it lingers it often gets worse. In this case, the poor guy is now up on most serious charges.

The wages of sin are emptiness, confusion, slavery, and destruction of emotions. The definition of death means separation. The more I sin, the more I feel separated from God. The more I sin, the farther I am from joy. The more I sin, the more messed up my life is.

2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”

If we are entangled again the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. Double ouch.

Today, consider spending a large amount of time praying about the consequences of lingering sin. Pray about what partially dies for you, what begins to die, what emptiness feels like, and whether you lose control of some of your emotions, lose some of your light, and lose some of your joy.

1 John 3:6 ESV No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”

Consider memorizing this verse. None of us understands the seriousness of sin. Verses like this one help us to understand it better. Verses like this one inspire us to learn habits we need to learn to quit.

Third, spend time on the quitting articles that are key for you. That is the first step in stopping sin from lingering in your life.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 14

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:

Titus 2:11-12 ESV For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
Galatians 5:21 ESV Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 6:11-12 ESV But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

To quit it is vital to go to war with your #1 trigger. Step one is to pray in advance about that trigger. Step two is to have notes on every article that you can turn to when the trigger starts.

For example, my #1 trigger was life running me over. That was my “go-to” excuse to fall. Life was not being fair to me, God was not being fair to me, and all hope is lost.

As an American living in the suburbs, it was obviously just an excuse.

Then I decided to write down James 1:2-4 for daily meditation. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” I also wrote out 1 Thessalonians which says to “Rejoice always.”

Then I wrote this prayer and began praying it often:

“Father, help me to endure injury with patience and without resentment.”

Second, today I still have some struggles when life runs me over, but now I know exactly how to pray about it. I have several verses to turn to when bad things happen. I now have a full toolbox with tools that are perfect for fighting that trigger.

Today, find or write new prayers to combat your #1 trigger. Then find some verses and articles about it. Then go to war with it.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 15

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Proverbs 1:7 ESV The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Isaiah 5:22 ESV Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,

Consider working often to have control over your phone and devices. Sin is like an old horror movie. Some small vapor comes out of something and it gets bigger, and bigger, and more powerful as every moment goes by. Next thing you know it is killing everyone. That is exactly what the Bible says about sin. It leads to death.
What does “death” mean in regards to our phones/TV’s, and devices?”
Wrong looking leads to wrong thoughts which warps and starts to kill our ability to love. #1 To love God. #2 To love others. We must kill our love for sin, or sin will kill our love for God.
Second, bad thoughts kill our peace. When I was trapped in sin I hated going to bed. In bed, I fully remembered what a mess I had made of my life. In bed, I realized that I had put up a wall a mile high between me and God. In bed, I was frustrated and unhappy with my life… I knew I was going done a dark, bad path.
Third, bad actions kill our gentleness. I just thought, “I am a tough guy.” I was harsh, forceful, and uncaring. In the midst of bad habits, I did not care about anyone or anything. God wants pretty much the opposite of that.
Fourth, wrong looking and thoughts stop goodness. How is it that such a low percentage of churchgoers try to find their purpose so that they will help others? Because, they are staring at satans temptations on their phones constantly. That action stops goodness, and promotes bad habits. Consider praying:
“Father, help me to turn instantly from lust.”
“Father, help me to turn instantly from thoughts of _____.”
I have declared World War III on thoughts of ______(Place your main habit in the blank).
When a bad thought/image hits I might say:
#1 “No, then I say, Praise the Lord.”
#2 “Father, help me to turn from ___.” I often pray this in advance if I am watching TV.
#3 Should I be doing this activity, should I be doing a healthier activity.
#4 This will lead to destruction. It is time to run from it.
Fifth, bad thoughts/looking kills our ability to have temperance. Every time you do one of the above 4 things when a wrong image or thought hits, you build temperance. Every time you sit and stare at the image, or sit and think about the bad thought, temperance weakens.
Sixth, sin leads to sin. Fight all sin and declare WW III on your main habit.
Finally, consider putting a list of what sin kills, into your phone. Then look at that list every time you look at the wrong thing, or think about the wrong thing.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by timcia.

Day 16

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Proverbs 23:29-30 ESV Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.
John 14:15 ESV / “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Galatians 5:16 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Sin leads to darkness, and darkness leads back to severe temptation with drinking/drugs. Many have become convinced that the sin of ____ is really bad. But that other sins are… not quite so bad.

We still don’t understand the Bible verse that says, “The wages of sin is death.” My commentary on that verse is that “something” always dies, or begins to die when we sin.

Second, sin always brings emotional death. When we are at war with all sin our joy starts increasing, our bad fears start to fade, and our love and peace increase. When we give in to sin our anger, fear, hopelessness, and a host of other bad emotions take over. When we give in to sin we start to be dead inside.

We are either a slave to Christ and obedience or a slave to sin. Consider praying:

“Father, show me how great my life can become when I do things Your way.”

Third, commit to a war against all sin. It is a great step toward quitting drinking/drugs and a giant leap toward starting to find joy.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by timcia.

Day 17

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Proverbs 23:31 ESV Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
Romans 13:4 ESV For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
Proverbs 8:13 ESV The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Quitting probably takes longer than you think. Forming new habits probably takes longer than you think. It takes 66 days on average to form a new habit. Some people are so obsessed with quitting and with new habits, so they think about forming new habits “All the time.” That leads to more rapid success. Others who are completely determined to quit still struggle after 126 days. Let’s look at 3 people who are trying to quit. To start, they are each using 3 techniques. #1 Daily Bible reading. #2 Learning the habit of turning from tempting thoughts. #3 Learning new activities to replace the high-risk activities that caused them to fall so easily.
Mike
Mike has signed up for a “Through the Bible in a year app. To inspire himself to do it every day he has memorized the verse: “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I should not sin against thee.”Mike has printed out many turn from temptation articles.” He spends 5-15 minutes per day studying them, and he puts them on his lap when he watches TV, or is in any tempting situation at home. He says 5 times per day: “I will work on this habit every day. I will form this habit even if it takes “All year.” Mike has a list of 7 activities that he will go to instead of doing high-risk activities that he used to do. He says 3 times per day: I will do my best to enjoy this new activity, but it is not for fun. I am doing this activity so that I will quit. I will praise the Lord while doing these new activities. I commit to doing things God’s way.
Lisa
Lisa has decided to read a chapter in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament daily. She has a time and a place where she will read. Lisa has memorized 3 prayers from turn from tempting thoughts articles. She has set an alarm on her phone for every 30 minutes. With each alarm, she prays one of the prayers. Lisa has a list of 5 activities to do to replace high-risk activities. She has them listed in her phone so that she can access them immediately.
Ralph
Ralph is totally determined to quit. He says quitting prayers constantly all day long. But he loses a lot of momentum when he slips up the next day. Next Ralph tries reading a chapter of the New Testament the next day. But, he is a bit discouraged when temptation overwhelms him again. Finally, Ralph tries sports as activities to replace high-risk activities. But it is the same old story.
What I failed to mention earlier is… Mike, and Lisa also fell after one day. They are both completely addicted, and they have multiple other problems in life. But both of them went back to their new habits after falling. Mike says: I am going to do these new habits all year. I don’t care if it kills me.
Lisa says: I am going to plan even more, and set even more alarms in my phone. I will keep trying no matter what. Finally, both Mike and Lisa are doing some smart things. I like their odds. Ralph is bouncing from one miracle quitting technique to another. He is very confused and frustrated because nothing he tries ever seems to help.
6 months later Mike is 62 days free and Lisa is 19 days clean. Even more importantly, both are starting to understand that God’s ways are best. They are more motivated than ever to do things His way. They have finally established some new habits, and the new habits are starting to help.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 18

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Job 28:28 ESV And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Ephesians 5:18 ESV And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
Matthew 10:28 ESV And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Sin always causes temptation to be strong.
1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
Based on these passages, we must work daily, and hourly on the habit of turning from thoughts of ______. Based on these passages we need to spend more time in prayer to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us more so that we can fight sin. Consider praying:
“Father, help me to turn from thoughts of ______ and fill me with your love.
Second, the bigger sin is:
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Many reading this are too caught up in habits to do a lot of good. In that case, set a time and place to pray about doing good, finding your purpose, and doing God’s will.
Third, it is hard to do good when sin, darkness, and maybe even depression rule you. That is why the Bible constantly talks about fighting sin.
Fourth, it takes time to overcome habits and sin. God wants to see us planning and trying. For hardheaded people like me, God just chips away at my wrong (When I allow Him to).
Fifth, miracles do happen. I rarely talk about them because they usually happen long after we have established new habits. But they do happen if you keep trying.
Sixth, one of the most important miracles is realizing… Light and joy are slowly starting to enter our lives again. At some point, we want to keep seeing that increasing. At that point, we are close to being done for good.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Proverbs 20:1 ESV / 1,156 helpful votes 
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Psalm 111:10 ESV / 1,117 helpful votes 
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
I attended Pilgrim camp as a kid. Their motto was Holiness unto the Lord. Some would say, what a pushy, strict motto. But none of the kids minded. We were treated with love, and it was obvious that their beliefs were the real thing. They were living with joy and purpose, and they were teaching us how to live with joy and purpose.

The problem in life is, when we forget about holiness, we lose faith in believing that God’s ways lead to happiness.

The problem with quitting is people want to quit drinking but still do porn, or quit porn and still drink in excess. Holiness is no part of that quitting program. People want to quit ______, but still do _______(Put in the sin you don’t want to quit).

Pilgrim camp’s motto was Holiness unto the Lord. The leaders lived great lives. They constantly exhibited the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, temperance. They taught people to seek the Lord to study scripture and to pray to be filled-with-the-spirit.

Some read my articles and do the practical tips and reject the Spiritual tips. That system will work as long as you can resist your temptations without having a lot of joy in your life.

God’s #1 reason for writing the Bible might not be so we can be good (But it is high up on the list). His #1 reason might be that we can study it so that we can be shining Lights, allowing Him to shine through us.

Trust me, there are already millions of joyless Christians saying how great their religion is. Quitting without holiness will allow you to join their group. But there are also a lot of Christians quitting habits and embracing holiness. These Christians are joining a group of Christians who are headed for purpose, freedom, and joy.

Hebrews 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

The Joy Habit

#1 Consider saying 5 times daily: I will live in a way that increases my joy.

#2 Consider saying 5 times daily: Holiness starts to lead to joy.

#3 Working toward holiness makes quitting easier.

#4 Always have 1 or 2 quitting habits as goals. Working on them steers you toward holiness, and fighting lawlessness increases gladness.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 20

Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:

Isaiah 5:11 ESV Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!
Psalm 33:8 ESV Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
1 Peter 5:8 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
To quit for good we need to have positive addictions. When we are first quitting we force ourselves to do alternative activities. We remind ourselves that they may not be great fun until we dry out mentally from our habit. We do these activities out of self-discipline in order to quit. But in order to quit for good we need positive addictions.

Example: We get a cheap keyboard and force ourselves to play it as a distraction idea. We also try softball, jogging, art, biking, or any of 1000 things as new activities to help us do other new things. But out of the many new activities we try, we find that we just start to love playing the keyboard, while that volleyball league that we joined… we hate that.

Now we have a great positive addiction. Severe temptation arises and we run to the verses for quitting. We settle down, and we play the keyboard some more. Maybe we learn some Christian music or hymns. Now our positive addiction has a great spiritual component as well.

Second, if you develop a positive addiction to something like helping out at church or becoming a big brother or big sister it will help you even more. Doing that combines positive addictions with purpose. When we combine those two we add a lot of “power” because the Holy Spirit is involved.

Think about positive addictions every day. Work on them often. They are a key to quitting.

Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.

Day 21
Here are the next 3 verses to pray over for 20 minutes:
Luke 21:34 ESV “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
Romans 13:13 ESV Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

How do we live in truth daily?

#1 Read the Bible. But, also pray constantly about God’s ways. God’s commands are good. We usually believe that statement except when we are fighting one of the commands. Instead, take the command you are fighting and say, #1 This command _________ (fill in the blank with the command you struggle with) is also good. My life will 100% be better when I learn to follow it. #2 Say, God, you are my miracle, my provider, and my joy. #3 Say, “God’s ways are best and they start to lead me toward joy.”

What statements/prayers can you focus on that will lead you toward truth?

Second, put on Christian music. Sinful music can easily lead you away from truth. Christian music can often lead you toward truth.

Third, practice rapid repentance. I wish I was like Paul or Joseph from the Bible (Righteous people), but maybe their trick was rapid repentance.

The habit of rapid repentance helps us understand why we should live life God’s way. Until we practice rapid repentance, joy will be a mystery.

Fourth, when you have fully repented, ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide. He has a purpose for you.

Finally, we live in truth when we spend time with other believers. Other believers are usually strong in a different aspect of Christianity than we are. Learn how to love, be humble, have faith, or do good works by watching other believers. If they are a powerhouse, loving Christian, get to know them and find out why. Do they have more joy than you? Find out why. Biblical Paul was filled with joy. Why? Because he was way better at living in truth than I am.
Finally, complete all the daily steps listed on day one.