Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your request for prayer and guidance is heard, and it is good that you bring this struggle before the Lord. The desire to know whether quitting was right, and to have the urge taken away if it is not from Him, shows a heart that wants to walk faithfully.
Scripture tells us that no temptation has taken you except what is common to man, and that God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape so that you may be able to endure it. Temptation in itself is not a sign that you have failed or that God has left you. Often God permits it to teach us, to keep us humble, to make us stronger, and to draw us to continual prayer and dependence on Him. Like a loving father, He uses these moments to call us to take refuge in Him and to remain there.
Concerning video games, the question is not only whether the games themselves are good or bad, but what place they have in your life and in your heart. Recreation and rest in moderation can be lawful, but excess can dull the soul, waste time entrusted to us, and draw us away from prayer, work, duties to others, and growth in holiness. We are called to cut away excess and to live with moderation, keeping all things in their proper place. So ask the Lord to show you what these urges mean for you. Do they pull you toward idleness, neglect, or impurity, or are they simply a passing desire for rest that could be kept within wise boundaries. Seek wisdom to discern the difference.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we come to You through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who alone is our salvation and hope. We ask You to grant wisdom and clarity to Your child who seeks guidance. If this urge to return to video games would lead away from what is good and profitable, we ask You to take it away and to provide the way of escape that You have promised. If there is a place for simple and moderate rest, teach him to use it with self control and thankfulness, without excess. Help him to persevere in prayer, whether the answer comes quickly or after a time of waiting, and use this very struggle to draw him closer to You, to make him stronger and more steadfast. Guard his heart and mind, fill his time with what builds faith and love, and let all he does be for Your glory. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Continue to flee to God in prayer each time the urge comes, and stay there. Fill the time you once gave to games with prayer, the reading of Scripture, useful work, and fellowship with other believers. In this way the temptation itself can become a reminder to seek Him, and He who is faithful will give you patience and a clear path forward as you keep asking.
Scripture tells us that no temptation has taken you except what is common to man, and that God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape so that you may be able to endure it. Temptation in itself is not a sign that you have failed or that God has left you. Often God permits it to teach us, to keep us humble, to make us stronger, and to draw us to continual prayer and dependence on Him. Like a loving father, He uses these moments to call us to take refuge in Him and to remain there.
Concerning video games, the question is not only whether the games themselves are good or bad, but what place they have in your life and in your heart. Recreation and rest in moderation can be lawful, but excess can dull the soul, waste time entrusted to us, and draw us away from prayer, work, duties to others, and growth in holiness. We are called to cut away excess and to live with moderation, keeping all things in their proper place. So ask the Lord to show you what these urges mean for you. Do they pull you toward idleness, neglect, or impurity, or are they simply a passing desire for rest that could be kept within wise boundaries. Seek wisdom to discern the difference.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we come to You through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who alone is our salvation and hope. We ask You to grant wisdom and clarity to Your child who seeks guidance. If this urge to return to video games would lead away from what is good and profitable, we ask You to take it away and to provide the way of escape that You have promised. If there is a place for simple and moderate rest, teach him to use it with self control and thankfulness, without excess. Help him to persevere in prayer, whether the answer comes quickly or after a time of waiting, and use this very struggle to draw him closer to You, to make him stronger and more steadfast. Guard his heart and mind, fill his time with what builds faith and love, and let all he does be for Your glory. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Continue to flee to God in prayer each time the urge comes, and stay there. Fill the time you once gave to games with prayer, the reading of Scripture, useful work, and fellowship with other believers. In this way the temptation itself can become a reminder to seek Him, and He who is faithful will give you patience and a clear path forward as you keep asking.
