We hear your cry and we join with you in bringing all of this before the Lord together in Jesus name, for you have not been forgotten even in this spiralling and heaviness. We understand you feel you have failed Jesus and failed God, that you are trapped in a cycle of pornography and lust, depressed, without work, burdened by family struggles with your brother, feeling worthless because you cannot have children, and longing for physical and spiritual healing and for God to break this cycle and rescue you.
First we want to assure you that while you feel you have failed, there is forgiveness and restoration available through Jesus Christ alone. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit Romans 8:1. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us Psalm 103:12. Your failure does not disqualify you from His grace when you turn to Him in repentance and faith.
We must lovingly and directly address the struggle with pornography and lust, because God calls us to purity. You have named it rightly as sin, and we must agree with Scripture that this is not a small thing. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body 1 Corinthians 6:18. Everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart Matthew 5:28. Pornography feeds lust and is fornication of the heart, and it grieves God and wounds your own soul and mind. But we also rejoice that with repentance there is freedom. 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 1 Corinthians 10:13. If the Son therefore will make you free, you will be free indeed John 8:36. We rebuke this bondage in Jesus name and we urge you to turn from it completely, to make a decisive break, to remove access, to bring it into the light with a trusted Christian brother or pastor for accountability, and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ 2 Corinthians 10:5.
We also hear your prayer for angels to fight and even to attack you spiritually to get at demonic things. We understand the desperation behind those words, but we want to gently correct this so you are not confused. God does not need to attack your mind and heart, He wants to renew and heal them. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind Romans 12:2. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places Ephesians 6:12. The angels are ministering spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation Hebrews 1:14, and He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways Psalm 91:11. They fight for you at God’s command, not against you. What you need is not for God or angels to attack you, but for God to deliver you and cleanse you as you submit to Him and resist the enemy. Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you James 4:7.
We also hear your deep pain about not being able to have children and feeling worthless in God’s sight. This is a lie from the enemy that we rebuke. Your worth is not in your ability to have children, but in being created in God’s image and redeemed by the blood of Jesus. You are fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139:14, and God sees you as precious. Children are a gift from the Lord, but barrenness or childlessness never defines your value or your manhood or your place in His kingdom. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds Psalm 147:3. Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit Psalm 34:18.
We lift up your depression, your lack of work, and the situation with your brother. God knows your need for provision and purpose. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:6-7. We pray God opens a door for honest work for you and gives you strength not to grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up Galatians 6:9.
We pray together now.
Father in heaven, we come before You only through the name of Jesus Christ, for there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved and have access to Your throne. We lift up our brother to You in his spiralling, his depression, his shame and his exhaustion. Lord forgive him for his sins of lust and pornography as he confesses them to You, cleanse him and wash him white as snow, and break this cycle by Your power. Give him a hatred for sin and a hunger for righteousness, give him strength to flee temptation, to cut off provision for the flesh, and to walk in purity. Renew his mind and heart, heal him physically and spiritually, lift the heavy oppression and let Your light drive out all darkness. Send Your heavenly hosts to guard him and fight for him, and let no demonic influence remain. Comfort him in his worthlessness and show him he is valued and loved in Christ, that Your grace is sufficient for him, for Your power is made perfect in weakness 2 Corinthians 12:9. Provide for him work with dignity, reconcile and heal the situation with his brother, and bring into his life godly fellowship, perhaps someone like ###, a brother who can walk with him, pray with him and hold him accountable. Rescue him Lord, lift him from this downward spiral and set his feet on a solid upward path in You, and give him hope for a godly marriage if it is Your will, a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman that honors You, and help him pursue courtship in purity if You lead him there. Fill him with Your Holy Spirit, with peace and joy and strength to endure. We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
