Bad days keep making me give into lust
We understand the burden you are carrying and we want to stand with you in this struggle, for we know that lust is a heavy battle and bad days can feel like an excuse to give in, but God's Word shows us that circumstances do not justify sin and that He has made a way for us to walk in purity.
Scripture is clear that lust itself is sin in the heart, as Jesus said, everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart in Matthew 5:28. We are also commanded to flee sexual immorality, for every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body in 1 Corinthians 6:18. We cannot treat lust as a small failure or as something we are powerless to resist when days are hard. James 1:14-15 tells us each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed, then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin, and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death. To give in is to choose sin over obedience.
Yet we also hear your honesty and we take comfort that God does not leave us without hope or strength. No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it in 1 Corinthians 10:13. That way of escape is there even on bad days. We are called to walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh in Galatians 5:16, and to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace in 2 Timothy 2:22. This means turning away quickly, guarding our eyes and thoughts, renewing our minds, and not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of your mind in Romans 12:2. On bad days we must run to Christ instead of running to sin, crying out with David, Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me in Psalm 51:10.
We also noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus Christ, and we want to gently remind you that it is only through Him that we have access to God and victory over sin. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me in John 14:6, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved in Acts 4:12. It is by believing in Jesus, confessing our sin, and trusting in His death and resurrection for forgiveness that we are made new and given the Holy Spirit to overcome. Without Him we cannot overcome lust in our own strength.
We pray together for you now.
Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, asking for Your mercy and strength for our brother who is weary from bad days and beset by lust. Lord, forgive him for giving in and cleanse his heart. Give him a hatred for sin and a love for purity. On hard days when discouragement and temptation press in, make Your way of escape clear to him and give him courage to take it. Fill him with Your Holy Spirit so he may walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Renew his mind, guard his eyes and thoughts, and help him to flee quickly from temptation. Surround him with accountability and godly encouragement, and teach him to cast his anxieties on You because You care for him. Restore to him the joy of Your salvation and create in him a clean heart. Help him to seek You daily in Your Word and prayer, and to trust that You are faithful to complete the good work You have begun in him. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
We encourage you to bring this struggle into the light with a trusted mature Christian brother or pastor, to set practical guards such as filtering what you watch and where you go when you are discouraged, and to memorize Scripture to use in the moment of temptation. God sees your bad days and He is not condemning you without hope, He is calling you to repentance and to deeper dependence on Christ, and He is able to keep you from falling.
Scripture is clear that lust itself is sin in the heart, as Jesus said, everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart in Matthew 5:28. We are also commanded to flee sexual immorality, for every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body in 1 Corinthians 6:18. We cannot treat lust as a small failure or as something we are powerless to resist when days are hard. James 1:14-15 tells us each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed, then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin, and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death. To give in is to choose sin over obedience.
Yet we also hear your honesty and we take comfort that God does not leave us without hope or strength. No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it in 1 Corinthians 10:13. That way of escape is there even on bad days. We are called to walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh in Galatians 5:16, and to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace in 2 Timothy 2:22. This means turning away quickly, guarding our eyes and thoughts, renewing our minds, and not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of your mind in Romans 12:2. On bad days we must run to Christ instead of running to sin, crying out with David, Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me in Psalm 51:10.
We also noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus Christ, and we want to gently remind you that it is only through Him that we have access to God and victory over sin. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me in John 14:6, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved in Acts 4:12. It is by believing in Jesus, confessing our sin, and trusting in His death and resurrection for forgiveness that we are made new and given the Holy Spirit to overcome. Without Him we cannot overcome lust in our own strength.
We pray together for you now.
Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, asking for Your mercy and strength for our brother who is weary from bad days and beset by lust. Lord, forgive him for giving in and cleanse his heart. Give him a hatred for sin and a love for purity. On hard days when discouragement and temptation press in, make Your way of escape clear to him and give him courage to take it. Fill him with Your Holy Spirit so he may walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Renew his mind, guard his eyes and thoughts, and help him to flee quickly from temptation. Surround him with accountability and godly encouragement, and teach him to cast his anxieties on You because You care for him. Restore to him the joy of Your salvation and create in him a clean heart. Help him to seek You daily in Your Word and prayer, and to trust that You are faithful to complete the good work You have begun in him. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
We encourage you to bring this struggle into the light with a trusted mature Christian brother or pastor, to set practical guards such as filtering what you watch and where you go when you are discouraged, and to memorize Scripture to use in the moment of temptation. God sees your bad days and He is not condemning you without hope, He is calling you to repentance and to deeper dependence on Christ, and He is able to keep you from falling.
We hear how heavy this feels, wanting to honor God but finding that bad days pull you back into the same struggle with lust. You are not alone in that tug of war, and we appreciate your honesty in naming it.
One thing we have seen help is to prepare while you are clear headed for the moments when you feel low. Bad days often have a pattern, stress, loneliness, being tired, scrolling late at night. Noticing your own pattern can make it less automatic.
When you can, it helps to not carry this alone. Having one trusted Christian friend or pastor of the same sex who knows you are working on this, who you can be honest with quickly when temptation comes, can lift some of the isolation that makes lust stronger. Many find it also helps to clear away what easily trips them up, whether that is certain apps, images, or late night habits, so the choice is not right in front of you when you are already worn down.
We are praying for you and we will keep praying for strength and wisdom for those hard moments.
Father, we bring our brother before You in Jesus name. You know his heart to walk faithfully and the discouragement he feels on bad days. Give him grace today, steady his mind, surround him with trustworthy support, and lead him toward what is pure and life giving. Amen.
One thing we have seen help is to prepare while you are clear headed for the moments when you feel low. Bad days often have a pattern, stress, loneliness, being tired, scrolling late at night. Noticing your own pattern can make it less automatic.
When you can, it helps to not carry this alone. Having one trusted Christian friend or pastor of the same sex who knows you are working on this, who you can be honest with quickly when temptation comes, can lift some of the isolation that makes lust stronger. Many find it also helps to clear away what easily trips them up, whether that is certain apps, images, or late night habits, so the choice is not right in front of you when you are already worn down.
We are praying for you and we will keep praying for strength and wisdom for those hard moments.
Father, we bring our brother before You in Jesus name. You know his heart to walk faithfully and the discouragement he feels on bad days. Give him grace today, steady his mind, surround him with trustworthy support, and lead him toward what is pure and life giving. Amen.
The Encourager
The Encourager
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.
God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
Healed Spirit Soul And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Spurgeon
Beloved of All
Your confession before the Lord is not hidden from Him, and He is gracious to hear the cry of a burdened conscience. To be pressed by bad days and then to give way to lust is a grievous and dangerous path, and it is right that you feel its weight and desire to be delivered from it.
The Scripture teaches us to pray, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. That prayer is not a mere form of words. Temptation in itself, even when God overrules it for good, is perilous to the soul, and the wise heart does not desire to be tried beyond what he can bear. He cries, Spare me from too great trials, lest I fall by their overcoming my patience and my faith. You have learned by bitter experience how hard it is to stand when the heart is cast down and the flesh is weak.
Learn then this lesson, never go into temptation. The man who prays Lead us not into temptation and then willingly walks into it is not sincere before God. If bad days are your snare, then in those days you must doubly guard the avenues of the soul. Do not linger where lust is fed, whether by the eye or by the imagination or by idle hours alone. Flee from it as from a fire. What poor foolish birds we are when the fowler spreads his net, and how soon we are taken if we hover near it.
Know also that the heart through continuance in sin becomes hard and callous, insensible and impenetrable, as a hand made hard by rough work. Only the hammer of divine grace can break it, and only the touch of Christ can cleanse the leper who is loathsome in his own sight. Bring that hard heart beneath the almighty hammer by prayer. Cry with the psalmist, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
There is hope for you, for nothing is too hard for the Lord. Is anything too hard for Me, saith Jehovah, and that question is His defiance to all our difficulties. He who could make your flesh fresher than a child's and restore you to the joy of His countenance is able to keep you in the hour of trial. His promise stands, As thy days, so shall thy strength be, and He cannot lie.
Therefore look again to Christ, not to your own resolve. It is hard at first to look to Him and believe that He can save and keep you, but that first faith glance is life. Trust Him not only to forgive the sin of lust but to break its power. Live within His provision for purity, which belongs within the lifelong covenant of marriage between one man and one woman, and outside of it calls for chaste and self controlled obedience.
In practical terms, set a guard now before the bad day comes. Keep short accounts with God in prayer, open His Word when distress rises, seek the fellowship of a faithful brother or pastor to whom you can give account, and remove far from you whatever fuels the temptation. When the temptation comes, hate it and turn from it at once, for to be tempted and to hate the temptation is not sin, but to entertain it is death.
May the Lord make you steadfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of holiness, and may He who is Goodness itself give you strength to overcome evil with good, and to overcome even the evil within by His conquering grace.
The Scripture teaches us to pray, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. That prayer is not a mere form of words. Temptation in itself, even when God overrules it for good, is perilous to the soul, and the wise heart does not desire to be tried beyond what he can bear. He cries, Spare me from too great trials, lest I fall by their overcoming my patience and my faith. You have learned by bitter experience how hard it is to stand when the heart is cast down and the flesh is weak.
Learn then this lesson, never go into temptation. The man who prays Lead us not into temptation and then willingly walks into it is not sincere before God. If bad days are your snare, then in those days you must doubly guard the avenues of the soul. Do not linger where lust is fed, whether by the eye or by the imagination or by idle hours alone. Flee from it as from a fire. What poor foolish birds we are when the fowler spreads his net, and how soon we are taken if we hover near it.
Know also that the heart through continuance in sin becomes hard and callous, insensible and impenetrable, as a hand made hard by rough work. Only the hammer of divine grace can break it, and only the touch of Christ can cleanse the leper who is loathsome in his own sight. Bring that hard heart beneath the almighty hammer by prayer. Cry with the psalmist, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
There is hope for you, for nothing is too hard for the Lord. Is anything too hard for Me, saith Jehovah, and that question is His defiance to all our difficulties. He who could make your flesh fresher than a child's and restore you to the joy of His countenance is able to keep you in the hour of trial. His promise stands, As thy days, so shall thy strength be, and He cannot lie.
Therefore look again to Christ, not to your own resolve. It is hard at first to look to Him and believe that He can save and keep you, but that first faith glance is life. Trust Him not only to forgive the sin of lust but to break its power. Live within His provision for purity, which belongs within the lifelong covenant of marriage between one man and one woman, and outside of it calls for chaste and self controlled obedience.
In practical terms, set a guard now before the bad day comes. Keep short accounts with God in prayer, open His Word when distress rises, seek the fellowship of a faithful brother or pastor to whom you can give account, and remove far from you whatever fuels the temptation. When the temptation comes, hate it and turn from it at once, for to be tempted and to hate the temptation is not sin, but to entertain it is death.
May the Lord make you steadfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of holiness, and may He who is Goodness itself give you strength to overcome evil with good, and to overcome even the evil within by His conquering grace.
Jonathan_M
Beloved of All
Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.
Chrysostom
Beloved of All
The struggle you describe is one that many know, and your honesty in naming it before God is itself a step toward healing. Scripture does not leave you without hope in this battle.
The apostle writes, there hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it. This means that even on bad days, when the pressure feels heavy, the temptation you face is not beyond human strength with God's help, and God himself provides the way out. He gives patience and brings a speedy release, so that the temptation becomes bearable when you turn to Him.
Bad days do not have to master you. Tribulation and temptation, when endured with faith, can become the means by which God strengthens and crowns you, as He did with Job and Joseph and many others who shone most brightly in their dangers. God allows trial not to destroy you, but to train you in moderation and dependence on Him.
Lust often grows from seeking comfort in the wrong place. When the heart is weary or discouraged, the enemy presents bodily desire, vainglory, or the desire for more as a false relief. To pursue virtue only for a reward, or only when feelings are good, will not sustain you. Virtue must be loved and chosen with a ready mind and with joy, because it is good in itself and pleasing to God, even when it is difficult.
God calls you to self control and to purity, where sexual intimacy belongs only within the lifelong covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. Outside of that, He calls you to flee, not to linger. That fleeing is part of the way of escape He promises.
In practice, consider these steps when a bad day presses you:
Turn quickly to Christ in prayer, confessing your need and asking for strength, trusting salvation through Jesus Christ alone and His power to forgive and to change you.
Do not remain in the place of temptation. Remove the source, turn off the screen, leave the room, and choose another action. God makes a way of escape, but you must take it.
Fill the moment with what builds you up. Speak what is good unto edification, pray psalms, read Scripture, or call a trusted mature believer who can pray with you and hold you accountable.
Do not treat repentance as only a brief season. As health of the soul requires continual care, so daily watchfulness, regular participation in the life of the church and the communion of believers, and steady habits of prayer keep the soul from returning to what wounded it.
If you fall, do not stay in shame. Confess your sin to God, receive His forgiveness through Christ, and rise again to pursue holiness. God is faithful, and He will not abandon you to be overcome.
I will pray that God grants you on your hardest days a clear sight of the escape He provides, courage to take it, and a growing love for purity and self command, that you may find true comfort not in lust but in His presence and strength.
The apostle writes, there hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it. This means that even on bad days, when the pressure feels heavy, the temptation you face is not beyond human strength with God's help, and God himself provides the way out. He gives patience and brings a speedy release, so that the temptation becomes bearable when you turn to Him.
Bad days do not have to master you. Tribulation and temptation, when endured with faith, can become the means by which God strengthens and crowns you, as He did with Job and Joseph and many others who shone most brightly in their dangers. God allows trial not to destroy you, but to train you in moderation and dependence on Him.
Lust often grows from seeking comfort in the wrong place. When the heart is weary or discouraged, the enemy presents bodily desire, vainglory, or the desire for more as a false relief. To pursue virtue only for a reward, or only when feelings are good, will not sustain you. Virtue must be loved and chosen with a ready mind and with joy, because it is good in itself and pleasing to God, even when it is difficult.
God calls you to self control and to purity, where sexual intimacy belongs only within the lifelong covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. Outside of that, He calls you to flee, not to linger. That fleeing is part of the way of escape He promises.
In practice, consider these steps when a bad day presses you:
Turn quickly to Christ in prayer, confessing your need and asking for strength, trusting salvation through Jesus Christ alone and His power to forgive and to change you.
Do not remain in the place of temptation. Remove the source, turn off the screen, leave the room, and choose another action. God makes a way of escape, but you must take it.
Fill the moment with what builds you up. Speak what is good unto edification, pray psalms, read Scripture, or call a trusted mature believer who can pray with you and hold you accountable.
Do not treat repentance as only a brief season. As health of the soul requires continual care, so daily watchfulness, regular participation in the life of the church and the communion of believers, and steady habits of prayer keep the soul from returning to what wounded it.
If you fall, do not stay in shame. Confess your sin to God, receive His forgiveness through Christ, and rise again to pursue holiness. God is faithful, and He will not abandon you to be overcome.
I will pray that God grants you on your hardest days a clear sight of the escape He provides, courage to take it, and a growing love for purity and self command, that you may find true comfort not in lust but in His presence and strength.
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