Prayer Please.

[aReformedPatriot]

I was wondering if I could get some intercession from you, my brethren. First, and foremost I've been struggling in the areas of lust and am troubled by my lack of self control and sometimes I wholly desire to take Jesus literally when he says tear out your eye and cut off your hand. Secondly, when I first became a Christian I desired strongly to learn about thing things of God. The hunger for the word hasnt vanished but I have almost complete apathy for a theological discussion or just to read it on my own anymore. Pray that the Lord would give me guidance when I study, and that he would rekindle the fire I once had.

Thanks!

- Mark -

[GreenEyedLady]

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Memorize ths verse. Just keep saying it all the time! Its works when your being tempted with more than just passion.
I will pray for you.
GEL

[mesue]

Dear Mark,

I tell that to God a lot. I'll be reading the Bible and my mind will just wander off.
But I diligently read my Bible everyday. There are times when I think I have wandered and that particular reading will come to my mind when I least expect it. I think God blesses the diligence. There are mornings when I just don't think I have the time, or the motivation and I make myself read. Kinda like when I make my kids eat there vegetables, because I know it's good for me. This happens less often than it used too, but it still happens. Ask God for the diligence, He'll give it to you.
:pray: I'm praying for you.:pray:

[SumTinWong]

I was wondering if I could get some intercession from you, my brethren. First, and foremost I've been struggling in the areas of lust and am troubled by my lack of self control and sometimes I wholly desire to take Jesus literally when he says tear out your eye and cut off your hand. Secondly, when I first became a Christian I desired strongly to learn about thing things of God. The hunger for the word hasnt vanished but I have almost complete apathy for a theological discussion or just to read it on my own anymore. Pray that the Lord would give me guidance when I study, and that he would rekindle the fire I once had.

Thanks!

- Mark - Mark,

Dude, funny you should say that. I used to be a horn dog man, I walked by and the fish would stop swimming, ya know what I mean? I used to read the mags, and surf to find all the free porn I could get my eyes on and that stuff ruled my life.

Anyway it came to a point where I had to actually make a choice, and it was tough, to put it down. I was so programmed to lust that I actually had to stop watching TV for awhile and man the mall was a trip. I had to walk with my head hung low for quite awhile. Any urge that came up I had to say to myself, I am a child of God, and as a child of God this stuff has no power over me. I gave it to God man. I also had to remmebr that each of these women I was lusting after was made in the image of God, and if that doesn't freak you out, imagine while you are lusting that God is right there next to you. You been busted and disgusted. :)

Everyday I make the effort to keep my mind on good things and hey the fish are happier (that is a joke by the way folks I have no fish. It is an expression).

Do I still lust? Well that was the "funny" part. Yesterday I went to one of my favorite computer geek sites and they had a link to a virtual bar maid. Basically you tell her what to do and she does it. Type beer she brings you a beer, type pretzels, etc... If you type kiss she will actually grab a girlfriend... anyway I knew it in my heart that it was wrong but I typed it anyway. Right away in my head I said jacka$$ you know better. All day I asked God to erase that picture from my head. I hated myself all day for that. Today I haven't thought about it much, until I saw this thread.

Who knows what sin Paul had that he said wretched man am I, but we know that in todays society men on the average, lust is their master. If anyone is in sin, they are a slave to that sin. But if the Son sets you free you are free indeed.

Dude I feel your pain man, but we can pray all day for you but it has to be you who makes up your mind to let it go. You will be tempted more than ever when you make that choice, but my friend it will produce in you a hatred for the stuff. As you can see though if you let your guard down... But there is grace for even this man.

What works for me is an Orthodox prayer called the Jesus Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

If you want to read a good story in the Bible, that deals with this, try the story of David and Bathsheba.

Here is a great website aimed at men that I recently started to look at. It is very good! http://www.maninthemirror.org.

As far as the fire goes. Man we all go through dry spots. It aint fun. I hate the dry spots. I don't have a surefire solution for you buddy. Perhaps this is God's way of testing to see if you will hold on to Him, when He doesn't "feel" present. WHo knows. Maybe the lust is in the way. I don't know. Pray about it.

Dude I am so glad you came to this forum keep fighting the good fight and if you need to chat, we are here man!

Bud

[rural_preacher]

Uncle Bud,

That was a great post!!

God has used you today for His Glory and to build His saints in the Faith!


:clap:





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[SumTinWong]

If that is the case than I am humbled that He would use a rusty old tool like me. Bless the name of the Lord, eh?

[CFoster]

Matthew 5: 29-30
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

I know how you feel my friend, I have read the above verse while being convicted by the Holy Spirit. And if I had an ounce of courage at the time, who knows. I would probably be walking around with one eye and one hand. Ph 2:12 "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling". It was fear that brought me to the Lord Jesus Christ, caught in a storm, I ran to Him. His love and grace and mercy are what keep me in need of His Holy Presence in my life.

I pray all the time that I will live by God's promises, and not the desires of my flesh. I believe the root of my problem with giving up sin has to do with faith and trust. Do I trust in the Lord's promises enough to deny my fleshly desires to live for pleasure? I pray that I do and will have that much faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and I pray you will too. Study the Word and pray my brother, the Lord will guide you! God Bless!

[rural_preacher]

Romans 7

14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[1 (http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?passage=ROM+8&language=english&version=NKJV#footnote_208779036_1)] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Praise God for His marvelous work that He accomplished on our behalf through Jesus Christ!!


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[GreenEyedLady]

Mark,

Dude, funny you should say that. I used to be a horn dog man,
^_^ ^_^

TOO funny with that word usage UB!

[Matthan]

Mark, Your post was and is a blessing. The entries here are wonderful, and full of wisdom from God's truth. Trust in Him always. He will always show you the way if you do.

Matthan

[Glorianna]

I was wondering if I could get some intercession from you, my brethren. First, and foremost I've been struggling in the areas of lust and am troubled by my lack of self control and sometimes I wholly desire to take Jesus literally when he says tear out your eye and cut off your hand. Secondly, when I first became a Christian I desired strongly to learn about thing things of God. The hunger for the word hasnt vanished but I have almost complete apathy for a theological discussion or just to read it on my own anymore. Pray that the Lord would give me guidance when I study, and that he would rekindle the fire I once had.

Thanks!

- Mark -

I will definitely be praying for you! I know how hard those issues are! :prayer:

[aReformedPatriot]

:) Thank you all so much. Your kind words, exhortations, and prayers mean a lot to me. There is one verse that I am continually reminded of, its in 1 Cor. It goes something along the lines of 'no temptation has siezed you except what is common to man and the Lord wont let you be tempted beyond your ability. He will give you the strength to stand up under it so that you wont be crushed by it.' Not word for word, but there it is.

This verse tells me a lot about myself. When I sin, its of my own doing because I choose to do so. Scary thing to do. And it also tells me that I am free, and That I should remember the words of Christ when he said that the path to heaven was narrow and hard. I shouldnt expect this life to be easy, but I must recognize that I am a slave no more. My flesh is at war with my spirit, oh how my spirit must cry when I choose to fail.

In our Lord,
Mark