PRAYING THE LORD'S PRAYER TO QUIT P

[Gordon 7]

If we recite a prayer with no thought we will never get answers. Let's look at someone who got answers to copy how they did it.

David in Psalms 100 says to pray by entering into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Thanksgiving and praise in prayer teach us to focus on the good things we have. If I thank God for several good things that I have, it increases my contentment.

We can pray about that as well. Pray, “Father, take away my spirit of lust and help me to be content).” We will not need P at all if we are fully content.

After giving thanks we begin the great prayer.

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name.

Matthew Henry says that the phrase “Hallowed be thy Name” means that we Praise Jesus. We can pause at this point and praise Jesus for how He fills people and makes their lives better, or praise Him for what He did at the cross.

We have “All we need” with Jesus. When we pray sincerely, we start to understand that truth.

As we begin this great prayer our thoughts should be: How can we praise Him? What can we praise Him for?

This prayer is great and powerful. I will continue with this tomorrow.

 

[Carl_Smith]

Gordon, this section is for journals, not random posts. I'm putting you on ignore.

 

[Gordon 7]

The prayer continues: Thy will be done. On earth, as it is in Heaven.

Mathew Henry said: “let God’s will be done; let it introduce a heaven upon earth.”

In 2021 language: We can have a great life if we do what God wants us to do, and if we work hard to stop doing what is harming us. When we go to war with short-term sinful pleasure, we start marching through the gates of long-term heavenly type joy.

And give us this day our daily bread.

“We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us not to take thought for the morrow (Matt. 6:34), but constantly to depend upon divine Providence, as those that live from hand to mouth, Mathew Henry.”

For me, instead of trusting God, I trusted myself and always tried to get more, more, more. More money, more pleasure, more stuff. This led to frustration, depression and darkness. In my sad condition, I always turned to P.

How do we follow Jesus when He says that money is the root of all evil? The answer is to just look at Paul from the Bible. He worked hard until he had “enough” money and then he spent a large amount of time helping people and spreading the Gospel.

A year ago I began praying this prayer: Father, take away this spirit of greed and help me to care about souls.” It was eye-opening. My money frustrations had led to porn hundreds if not thousands of times. Today I am trying to do what God wants me to do. Today I am not frustrated. Today I am depending on God for my daily bread and for my joy.

 

[Gordon 7]

The prayer continues: Forgive us our sins.

It is good to ask forgiveness, but what is forgiveness that includes repentance?

Powerful repentance is confessing our sin, saying we sorry, making a plan, and getting to work. How much time should we spend daily researching quitting P information or programs? Should we start a Google docs or a Word docs file and fill it up with great tips?

I have read the book “What the Bible says about addiction” several times. Now I know what the Bible says about my habit and have acquired more skills on how to quit. The more I know, the better I can attack precisely. When I repent and add a plan, power is added to my prayers.

 

[Gordon 7]

The prayer continues: And lead us not into temptation.

What leads us: Money, success, TV? What should lead us? The Bible should.

We get into temptation when we think too much about what our flesh wants. We start to find real joy when we think the Bible way.

Read the Bible daily. The more you read, study, memorize, the more you will be led in the right direction. #2 If you drive a lot, buy the New Testament on CD. #3 Audio Bibles online are great.

But deliver us from evil.

When we know the Bible, the Holy Spirit will nudge us when temptation is coming. Then, when He sees you fighting to overcome the temptation, He will deliver you from it (if you let Him).

Another thing that leads us are our thoughts. Philippians 4 says: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Consider memorizing this verse. Then recite it several times per day. This will help you get into the habit of thinking about right things.

I bet we would all be amazed at how many problems would be solved if we obeyed the commandment to think on these things.

 

[Gordon 7]

HABITS

We hear about skills for quitting: Being content is a great one. Pray about it and practice it – it really helps.

But you can focus on that all week and still fall.

Then we hear about turning aggressively from sin. Pray about it and practice it – it really helps.

But you can focus on that all week and still fall.

My skill for quitting today is to be around people. Church groups, 12 step, chess club, sports etc. Be active and be around people. Plus, if you quit your addiction and then can't shine your new found light to anyone... is that a perfect success?

Pray about being around people and practice it – it really helps.

But you can focus on that all week and still fall.

90% of us try a skill for a while and then move on to some other miracle cure. Instead of doing that, focus on turning those skills into habits because we need a bunch of new habits if we are going to quit.

Tip: Repent fully of all your sin. Then seek the Lord and ask for direction on which skills you should turn into habits first. Then start to form habits that will give you the power to quit.

I use a notebook to plan new habits. I put notes by my TV and computer. I have a specific time for my new habit. I make a decision to do my new habit every day and then do them every day.

Key point: Decide on 2-4 skills that you want to make into habits and get started with those. Every few days add another 1 or 2. Now you can see why you need a notebook (plus, going through the notebook is your reminder of what to do).

Reality: Some will pull this off perfectly. I won't (yeah I know, I wrote the article). But I am going to try to follow my own advice. And if I mess it up, I will try again.

Reward yourself: Giving yourself a tiny reward when you succeed, will remind you that quitting will give you huge rewards in life.

Action plan: On page one of the notebook have a list of your skills for quitting. We can add to this list all the time. On page 2 are the new habits. When, where and how will we do them.

Have a desired goal – 9 new great habits this month. And have a minimum goal – 3 great new habits.

It takes 66 days to form a new habit. The results can be shockingly good.

Thanks to STA: For the full article click here https://stoptheaddictions.com/home-page/sex-porn-freedom/5-ways-to-stop-porn-sex-porn-freedom-day-5/

 

[Gordon 7]

We do things that cause darkness in our lives. A wrong focus on money causes darkness. Evil TV shows or movies bring darkness into our lives. And if the darkness gets too black we fall back to our main addiction and the destruction starts.

Someone commented to me about a recent article. He said, “I don't care about the destruction.” I have said those exact same words 1000 times. But that was the exact wrong thing to say even though I believed it. It was dead wrong because the destruction led to depression and the last thing I want is depression.

Don't say, “I don't care about the destruction.” God wants you to care about doing things His way. And His way leads to light and the beginning of joy in our lives. So take a line from the Lord's prayer and say instead, “I care that Your will be done.” Say, “I want to live a stable life and I want to begin to have some self-control.”

One of the biggest keys to quitting addiction is to take an article and to apply it to your life. Maybe your issue is not a love of money or sinful TV. You just aren't active enough. So you need to apply the article to your exact situation.

Think something like, if I am not active, darkness will enter my life (DWEML). If I don't forgive, darkness will enter my life (DWEML), if I stay angry, DWEML, if I don't connect with some good people, DWEML, If I don't focus on God's Word, DWEML. Take your top 2 issues and apply them to the article.

If you learn the skill of taking a good point about quitting and turning it into a great point for you. You will really make progress.

Today's prayer, “Father, take away my spirit of lust and show me what activities are pleasing to you.”

Lastly, some TV shows don't bring darkness into our lives. Here is a list of TV shows that Google says are Christian.

• The Chosen.
  
  
• Ties That Bind.
  
  
• Duck Dynasty.
  
  
• 7th Heaven.
  
  
• Sons Of Thunder.
  
  
• Tetelestai.
  
  
• The Bible.
  

Here is a list of shows on Netflix that momremade says are clean:

Highway to Heaven

• When Calls the Heart
  
  
• NCIS series (violence)
  
  
• Heartland
  
  
• Sweet Magnolias
  
  
• Land Girls
  
  
• Anne of Green Gables
  
  
• Anne With an “E”
  
  
• Gilmore Girls
  
  
• The Crown
  
  
• Fuller House
  
  
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
  
  
• Sister, Sister
  
  
• Crash Landing On You
  
  
• The Great British Baking Show
  
  
• Madam Secretary
  
  
• The West Wing
  
  
• Nailed It!
  
  
• Agents of Shield
  
  
• Pawn Stars
  
  
• Free Reign
  

I am not a mom, but if I was, I would have to check out their site. Here is a list of shows on Amazon Prime that momremade says are clean.

Making It

• Psych
  
  
• Green Acres
  
  
• Cedar Cove
  
  
• Andy Griffith
  
  
• Monk
  
  
• Bones
  
  
• Heartland
  
  
• River Monsters
  
  
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
  
  
• Jim Gaffigan (comedian)
  
  
• Myth Busters
  
  
• The Astronauts Wives Club
  
  
• MacGyver
  
  
• White Collar
  
  
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
  
  
• Little Men
  
  
• Ann of Green Gables
  
  
• Agatha Christie’s Marple
  
  
• Murder, She Wrote
  
  
• 7th Heaven
  
  
• Once Upon a Time
  
  
• Last Man Standing
  
  
• Mercy Street
  
  
• The Middle
  
  
• Friday Night Lights
  
  
• Dr. Thorne
  
  
• Home Improvement
  
  
• Leverage
  
  
• Planet Earth
  
  
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered
  
  
• Chopped
  
  
• Army Wives
  
  
• The Wonder Years
  
  
• Malcolm In The Middle
  
  
• JAG
  
  
• Jamestown
  
  
• Chesapeake Shores
  
  
• Touched By An Angel
  
  
• Duck Dynasty
  

Clean TV Shows On Hallmark

• When Calls the Heart
  
  
• When Hope Calls
  
  
• Chesapeake Shores
  
  
• Cedar Cove
  
  
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered
  
  
• I Love Lucy
  
  
• Frasier
  
  
• Reba
  

Clean TV Shows on Prime Time
Here are a few shows on Prime Time that are clean. I am sure there are more, but here is a good start.

• Bluebloods (violence)
  
  
• NCIS (violence)
  
  
• America’s Funniest Home Videos
  
  
• American Idol
  
  
• The Voice
  
  
• American Ninja Warrior
  
  
• Little Big Shots
  
  
• America’s Got Talent
  

Click here for the full article and even more clean options at the end of their article. https://momremade.com/100-best-clean-tv-shows-for-families-2020/#Clean_Shows_on_Amazon_Prime_2021



Clean TV is not a miracle cure for addiction. But sinful TV leads to darkness and darkness leads to...

 

[Gordon 7]

One huge key to quitting addiction is to fill your life with light. Reading the Bible gives you light. Spending time every day in prayer gives you light.

Nothing can grow or live without light. The food we eat every day can only live if the light continues to shine. Jesus' light (like our car lights) shows us where we need to go.

Psalm 119:105 - "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Biblestudytools.com said: “We are self-centered and self-driven without Jesus. We come to the end of ourselves and our efforts and become overwhelmed by the natural darkness in our hearts. No one has “a good heart” in a natural state. We all fall short. Jesus came so we would experience the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s loving embrace through the wisdom of His word and our relationship with Him shed His light on others living in darkness.

Jesus gives us the vision to see who we are in Him. Only the light of the world can show us who we are and guide us responsibly through life.

When we live our lives reflecting the Light, it allows others to see His love.”

But we need to know what keeps us from the light. We can read the Bible and pray and still struggle.

Because the problem is sin. Sin blocks off the light and then we live in darkness. So we add a third key to what keeps us in the light: Fighting sin.

To fight sin we pray for help from Jesus on overcoming it and then we do everything we can to stop doing it. But remember, what we stop doing is the boring half of the equation.

Being a Christian is about what we do. The commands about sin are only there to explain what is going wrong. They explain what we end up doing when we don't do what Jesus wants us to do.

My daughter is a beautician. Every single person she meets hears about Jesus. Everyone who knows her marvels at how she treats everyone and how she is an example of Jesus' love. She is filled to the max with light.

But your purpose is not to be exactly like her. Your purpose is to find out what Jesus wants you to do.

Matthew 5:14 - "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

If you want your life filled with light pray multiple times every day: “Father, show me what you want me to do.”

The next thing to do is to be available to do something for Jesus now or in the very near future. It may very well be something small. But when you pass that test it will be bigger. And when you start to do what Jesus wants you to do you will start to experience light in your life.

Pray, “Father, take away my spirit of lust and fill me with Your light.”

I can honestly say that the #1 reason I don't want to fall today is because I don't want my light to go out. I hate the darkness. I have experienced the light and I love every minute of it.

Here is the link for more information: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/i-am-the-light-of-the-world.html

 

[Gordon 7]

PLAN YOUR PERFECT SOLUTION​

Many people who have been fighting addiction for a while have 80% of their plan already. And while we can all use more skills for quitting; one great plan for success is to use what you already know.

When I was a kid I played the violin. Others tried to learn, but I actually did learn. Every day I would play my drills, play my scales and then practice my songs. Because of my preparation, I was prepared for the test. In music, the test is in the form of contests. And I won a bunch of gold medals.

With addiction, we quickly can learn about 80% of the skills we need to acquire in order to stop. But we need to have enough discipline and confidence in our plan to do it every day. Preachers and priests say to have a time and a place for Bible study and prayer every day. And we need a time and place for our quitting work every day.

To form your plan you can go back 45 or 60 days on this site and find plenty of articles that outline the skills needed to quit. Then plan your perfect solution.

One key is to realize... You spent 5 or 15 or 25 years acquiring this habit. It may take a while to break it. When I played the violin I just worked at my plan every day. And at some point, I was able to win.