Posts Tagged ‘temptation’



Watch & Pray Always That Ye Enter Not Into Temptation

April 8th, 2010

“Watch and pray,” Jesus said, “that ye enter not into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41.)

I have felt time and again that one of things that leads me into temptation is not being focused. Sometimes when I sleep in I feel groggy upon waking. In this morning haze I often let my mind wander where it wants. If I’ve had a dream that’s sexual in nature my mind can be drawn to that in its foggy state. Not so good.

I’ve grown up learning about morning and evening prayers. In the case I described above, morning prayers are definitely a start to me gaining focus in my morning.

I learned a while ago just how powerful it is to “pray always.” Now of course that doesn’t mean that I’m on my knees all day long, but it DOES mean that I watch all day and pay attention to where my eyes are going, what I’m thinking, what feelings I’m having and what I’m saying and doing…which are an outcome of the first three.

At first it was really hard for me to recognize when I was in a state ripe for indulging. I had just acted so many times on the thoughts & urges that the window of awareness was small, but it’s getting easier. After many prayers and some practice it is becoming easier.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to remained focused on any given plan of attack. I think at times I make it too difficult, too many steps. So, I’m going to recommit myself again and try a simpler plan…3 weeks is the ultimate goal, but I haven’t gone 1 week in a while without giving in to some temptation or another, so I’ll start there.

The things I’m going to do daily

  1. Spirit:
    1. Study the Word
    2. Prayer
  2. Mind:
    1. Practice Face it. Replace it. Connect.
    2. Journaling
  3. Body
    1. Exercise
    2. Good Sleep
  4. Others
    1. Serve
    2. Work

Now that I write it out, it again seems like too much…is it? Eh, I’ll give er a shot. These are all very powerful things in my life. I’m also going to track how well I keep my eyes focused on good things, my thoughts on truth, my hands where they should be :) , and my actions in check.

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    Break Porn Addiction

    December 28th, 2009

    Breaking any habit can be tough, not to mention one that is reinforced with strong chemical bond in the brain. This is exactly what a porn addiction is, a powerful bond formed in the brain to the experience of pornography viewing, reinforced greatly by the presence of masturbation.

    Pornography addiction is a drug addiction. Mark Kastleman in his book The Drug of the New Millennium identifies the chemical released during a session of pornography and self-stimulation. These chemicals are the same as the ones present during a loving sexual interaction between husband and wife. The problem is that when these chemicals are released during porn viewing it leads to a powerful bond with the fake relationship instead of a real one with a partner. One comes to give anything for an image instead of their beloved companion.

    While addictions are hard to break, it can be done! You can break your porn addiction. Many feel trapped and hopeless, like they are unique in some way that excludes them from the joy to be felt in life when emotional and other challenges are faced head on and dealt with productively rather than turning to at “drug of choice.”

    Along with this understanding it’s also important to know that through learning correct principles, through applying them and through doing it on a consistent basis one ca break even the powerful bonds of a porn addiction.

    The sex drive that’s been placed in each one of us is a precious gift that can unite a man and wife and allow for natural growth that surpasses any attempt at self-gratification through masturbation and pornography

    To break free from the darkness of pornography you’re going to need a little light to illuminate the path. Truth is this way to freedom. Learning the truth of your addiction will brighten your hope and give you the courage needed to succeed. As you act on the truth you find you’ll slowly gain a character that will be able to stand up to the temptations you have to engage in pornography.

    Check out the mini-course at the right to check out some powerful information that’s helped thousands who are addicted to masturbation, pornography and other sexual behaviors.

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    Christian Porn Addiction

    December 15th, 2009

    Believers in Christ are not exempt from experiencing temptation. As human beings we all experience the natural and wonderfully divine urges that draw man and women close to one another. There is a very beautiful reason for these sexual feelings. They were placed inside of us by a loving Father in Heaven.

    As Christians learn at some point, we are all members of a great eternal family and on earth we have the grand opportunity to seek out loving relationships & to bind them in an unique and powerful way through marriage. Within the bonds of marriage we can find the true purpose for those sexual urges within us.

    Sometimes Christians are falsely taught that sex is evil and that their bodies are wicked and thus their sexual desires are as well. This is most definitely not true, but if believed can lead to distorted efforts to seek out sexual expression through the means of masturbation, porn & other sexual behaviors that lie outside the limits that their Father in heaven has set.

    Expression of this sort is has been forbidden by Him, not for a cruel punishment, but as a loving guideline to prevent the unhappiness that comes from these deceptively pleasing, but utterly selfish expressions of the sexual drive within each one of us.

    One of the sad outcomes of engaging in these behaviors can be addiction of an image of intimacy as opposed to the powerfully fulfilling “real thing.” Victor L. Brown in his powerful book Human Intimacy tells how intimacy occurs on many levels & is not equal to mere sexual encounters.

    Porn addiction in Christians is truly a sad thing. If you are Christian & have a porn or sex addiction, know first that you are not alone. Many struggle with this temptation & many heal.

    Know too that your Father in Heaven ALWAYS loves you and is eager to  hear from you your heartaches & to help you experience true joy, freedom from porn addiction.

    Put your name & email in the form on the right to receive a powerful mini-course that helps you understand your addiction & how to harness your natural abilities to escape.

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    A Slight Change of Focus

    October 15th, 2009

    Over the last couple days I’ve felt a lack of confidence in the efforts I’ve been making to rid my life of pornography, addiction and lust. I guess with the realization that only Christ has power to save I mistakenly thought that I no longer needed to take heed when temptations would come. For a small moment I was thinking that he’d magically swoop in and save me IN my sins.

    However, yesterday as I knelt in prayer and this morning as I was feasting upon the words of Christ I felt a gentle impression that my works ARE important, but that I just needed to remember why I was doing them. My efforts in learning about my addiction and in building skills necessary to face it are not so that I can fill some divine quota that would qualify myself for deliverance from my struggles.

    Rather, my efforts are simply my meager offerings that I place on the altar of sacrifice before my Father in Heaven. I then must plead to him for acceptance of the offering that I know is not enough to save myself. Lastly, I must ask with all sincerity for the blood of his Son to cleanse and free me.

    So, I again am confident that my efforts to change are not in vain. I simply must always keep the focus on my Savior and his ability, his might, his strength, for I of myself am weak. I of myself have been addicted to lust for almost 20 years. The only break in that addiction came when I began to search the words of Christ to find him and then gave myself to service.

    It just hit me now as I’m writing this that I may just be arriving someday soon at the first step of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 step program:

    I admit that I, of myself, am powerless to overcome my addictions and that my life has become unmanageable.

    I dearly seek the submission necessary to again leave behind my world of addiction and let the Light of Christ fill my heart, magnify my abilities and give me infinite love with which to serve my brothers and sisters here on this earth. Life is too short to spend it in any other way!

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    Face it. Replace it. Connect.

    September 29th, 2009

    In the sexual addiction recovery program I’ve been going through, I’ve been pleased to engage in a little exercise that’s allowed me to get in between any stimulus and my automatic response to it. Essentially it helps me see that I have a choice in every situation. Because I can see myself talking about it often in my Freedom Journal I wanted to make special mention of it and give a little background on what it entails.

    First, I notice temptations or triggers. This takes some practice. Second, I stop what I’m doing, get up (or sit down as the case may be) and begin deep breathing (about 6 seconds in and 6 seconds out). With each breathe out I share with my Father in Heaven something I am grateful for. I do this 5 times. Third, I talk to the temptation and re-frame the situation to reflect the truth and my goals instead of the deceptions I’ve ingrained in my mind through repetitiously following my impulses. Forth, I envision my goals and good things and bring into my awareness the feeling of success. I enjoy it and bask in it for a while.  Lastly, I reach out and connect to another by doing something nice for them, a smile, a compliment, a nice text message or call just to say I was thinking of them.

    Take a list of common temptations that lead you to indulge in your undesired sexual behavior. Each day spend some time morning and night practicing this little technique with each of those situations so that when you actually DO face them you’ll have given your brain a way to face and address them rather than giving in. There’s only one big difference between real life facing and replacing and your practice sessions and that is you’re going to have to imagine the temptation in your mind. When you begin to feel the strength of it, that’s when you begin breathing. At first it may seem like you’re inviting temptation, but keep practicing and you’ll break the associations you’ve formed over time.

    This has been just one of the powerful techniques in a broader program of healing. It’s helpful to understand this tool in context. To check out my reviews of the program click on one of the following links. From each page you’ll be given a link that will give you access to free educational audio programs about recovery and the brain science behind porn addiction as well as masturbation and other sexual addictions.

    Note: The Face it. Replace it. Connect. method is not my own. I learned it from the Candeo Pornography Addiction Recovery Program and made some of my own adjustments. To me, this process has become somewhat of a prayer to me. It has become my expression of faith, or rather the action I have chosen to do to follow my Savior to become pure as he is pure.

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    I’ve Fallen and I CAN Get Up

    September 29th, 2009

    I’ve found it difficult to get on a schedule for posting regularly, but it may just come from my tendency to want things to be perfect before they go out. I think it will be more beneficial if I simply write just a little each day instead of endlessly philosophizing. So, here it goes:

    Yesterday I had a rough day. It was rough because when I was tempted I did not fully give my heart to engaging in my “Face it. Replace it. Connect.” exercise. This simple skill has come to mean a couple very special things to me.

    By giving attention to how I’m feeling and thinking and then facing it with God’s help I have seen that each day I am given so many opportunities to choose who I follow and what direction I go. THAT is powerful!

    So, back to yesterday. When I was tempted by my situations I stopped myself mid indulgence and ran from each one, believing the lies that were swirling around in my head:

    • You are not a good person, look at what you’re thinking.
    • This is too powerful. You can’t fight it.

    The day almost ended with a conversation with my girlfriend. I spoke to her about my day filled with temptation and how I hadn’t fully faced them. I say almost because when I went home I opened my mind again to fantasy and in a tired state I proceeded to remove the computer filter that has been ever so helpful. I then indulged in pornography viewing and self-stimulation until about 4:30 in the morning all the while despising myself for the choice. I had had the thought to just go to bed. I had another impression to call my girl. I followed neither.

    This morning as I talked to my girlfriend about it we both expressed frustration, but hope. We made a couple of invaluable observations.

    1. I am not the feelings I was feeling. I am God’s son.
    2. I should focus in on the progress and growth I’ve been making, not that I slipped again.
    3. Because of the success I’d been having over the last week, the porn felt foreign to me. This was a step in a good direction.

    All in all, I have had some valuable moments this morning as I’ve thought and written about the whole experience. I also began level 5 of my porn addiction recovery program. The first question was how the intensity of my recovery has changed. I HAVE felt the strength of the temptations lessening because I’ve been given a tool that allows me to stop, think, feel and act. Without this tool I had been running from my temptations and giving into them when I got tired of running.

    Though I slipped a bit, I know that I’m not back to ground zero. I acknowledge the powerful changes that are taking place in my life. I know that they are a process and I’m pleased to be on this journey to freedom.

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