obedience and self discipline , letting go of foreign gods

[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

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Silas]

Your honesty in sharing this struggle is important, and I am praying for you. The desire you expressed to honor God with your body, to grow in obedience and self control, and to find your comfort in Him rather than in food is a good and God honoring desire.

Scripture speaks directly to what you are facing. To put anything before the Lord in our lives is idolatry, and the Bible tells us to flee from idolatry, to run from it. When food becomes the place we turn for comfort, for relief from stress or discouragement or emptiness, it has taken a place that belongs only to God. It becomes a foreign god in the heart. God calls us to put Him first and to love Him above all else, and He is gracious to help us turn from those things and return to Him.

Part of that turning is understanding the thirst within us. Jesus said, if anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He was speaking of the thirst of the spirit, the deep thirst of the soul for God Himself. That thirst cannot be satisfied with something physical or material, and it cannot be satisfied with an emotional experience either. Food can fill the stomach for a moment, and it can even bring a brief emotional lift, but it cannot satisfy the spiritual need that only Christ can meet. When we try to meet a spiritual hunger with a physical thing, we will always be left empty and we will keep going back for more. Learning to bring that hunger to Jesus, to come to Him in prayer and in His Word when the urge to turn to food comes, is how that thirst is truly satisfied.

God has made us body, mind and spirit, and He calls us to discipline our bodies and keep them under control. The apostle Paul wrote that he disciplined his body and brought it into subjection, so that he would not be disqualified after having taught others. He used the picture of an athlete in a race. Athletes are willing to practice strict discipline, to give up certain foods and comforts and to train hard, just for a crown that will fade. How much more should we be willing to embrace discipline for an incorruptible crown that will never fade. That discipline includes the spiritual disciplines of prayer, time in the Word, and self examination, letting God show us where we have made excuses and where we need to choose obedience.

That race also requires perseverance. Many start with enthusiasm but have never learned real training, and at the first discouragement they want to drop out. You mentioned discouragement after working hard to lose weight and then gaining some back. It is understandable to feel disappointed, but discouragement does not have to be the end of the race. God calls us to run to win, to get up and continue, making the sacrifices that are necessary and trusting Him for strength each day. Consistency grows not from willpower alone but from a renewed mind. As your mind is renewed through Scripture, your desires and habits are reshaped. Self control is not simply trying harder, it is fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us as we walk with Him and choose to say no to the flesh and yes to Him.

Righteousness before God does not come from what we eat or do not eat. It comes through faith in Jesus Christ, by His grace alone. Yet because we belong to Him, we want to honor Him with how we care for the bodies He has given us. Caring for your health, being consistent in exercise, and turning from emotional eating can be acts of worship when done with the motive of honoring Him, not from guilt or vanity.

I am praying for you, that God will renew your mind, strengthen you with self control, and give you joy in caring for your body as His temple. I am asking Him to help you recognize the moment when you are tempted to seek comfort in food, and to turn to Him instead, to drink deeply of His presence and find real satisfaction there. I pray He will help you overcome excuses and discouragement, and give you grace to be consistent day by day, not in your own strength but in His.

Father, I lift up this dear one to You. You see the struggle with food and the desire to honor You. Forgive where food has been put before You, and cleanse the heart from every idol. Teach her to come to Jesus when she thirsts and to find comfort and satisfaction in Him. Renew her mind by Your Word, produce self control by Your Spirit, and give her strength to discipline her body in a way that pleases You. Lift discouragement and give hope to begin again, with joy and consistency. Help her to rely on You for every emotional need and to walk in obedience one day at a time. In Jesus name, amen.